His Regret Can’t Bring Us Back Chapter 09
“Patient Nicole: high-concentration hot pepper sauce was splashed onto the wound, causing ulceration and infection.”
“Hot pepper sauce?”
Sebastian murmured, almost voiceless.
He recalled the pungent stench that had hung faintly in the ward that day, and his face drained of color inch by inch.
That day, Anastasia had come to see Nicole—so the lunchbox in her hand had been filled with hot pepper sauce?!
The hand gripping the medical chart slowly clenched tighter. He tried to force himself to stand, but his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees on the floor.
Sebastian’s thoughts spiraled into uncontrollable chaos.
He thought of Nicole’s steadily wasting frame.
He thought of her eyes—despairing, lifeless, devoid of the slightest emotion.
He thought of the tears in her eyes, her hoarse screams, her silence.
A deafening “bang—!”
Sebastian slammed his fist into the ground; bright red blood spattered across the concrete.
The doctor stared wide-eyed and moved to bandage him.
But he stood up, shoved the doctor aside, and staggered out of the hospital.
He quickly found Anastasia’s house.
She was sitting at ease in a chair, holding the handset of a landline phone in one hand as she talked. “That idiot Nicole really did divorce Sebastian—hahahaha!”
“I just can’t stand the way she is—an empty-headed moron. Now that she’s gone, as long as I use a few more tricks, I’ll definitely take Sebastian down.”
“Does he really think I’m devastated over Eunice’s death? From start to finish, I was only doing it on purpose to torment Nicole.”
Outside the door, Sebastian’s whole body went rigid.
The fingers wrapped around the doorknob tightened slowly— until he snapped the doorknob clean off!
The sharp crack startled Anastasia inside.
She abruptly hung up, staring warily toward the door. “Who’s out there?”
No one answered.
Anastasia hesitated, then rose and inched toward the doorway.
The door suddenly opened.
Sebastian stood outside, his gaze colder than she had ever seen.
With a single look, she felt as though she had fallen into an ice abyss.
Anastasia swallowed reflexively. “Sebby, how are you here?”
His eyes were indifferent; all pity and sympathy were gone. “If I’m not here, wouldn’t I miss a lot of truths I should know?”
Anastasia’s face went white as she took a step back.
He pressed in on her step by step, his voice low.
“Eunice was an outstanding detective. She devoted her whole life to the country, gave everything she had, and in the end was tragically killed by bandits. She was a comrade-in-arms I will mourn all my life—a martyr I respect from the bottom of my heart.”
Anastasia’s lashes trembled.
“Anastasia, I thought you were truly shattered by her death, and that was why you did some extreme things—so I kept yielding to you again and again.” Sebastian gave a short, bitter laugh, endless sorrow spilling into his eyes.
“I never expected you were only using her death to win my sympathy and indulgence.” His teeth ground together. “How could you?!”
Anastasia instinctively tried to argue, but when she met his utterly disgusted gaze, she couldn’t force out a single word.
Her speechless silence, in Sebastian’s eyes, was a knife twisting in his heart.
He had been blind—fooled by such crude tricks, time and time again.
And because of it, he had chosen again and again to hurt Nicole.
A flash of viciousness passed through Sebastian’s eyes. He clamped down on Anastasia’s wrist with brutal force and dragged her out of the house.
Anastasia cried out in pain and shrieked, “Let go of me! What are you doing?!”
He paid no attention to her sobs and screams, striding toward the Brooklyn Detention Complex. “What you did to Nicole already constitutes intentional assault. Now come with me to the Brooklyn Detention Complex and turn yourself in!”
She struggled with all her strength. “Sebastian!!”
“You can’t do this to me! Eunice—”
He whirled around and stared her down. “Say Eunice’s name one more time and see what happens!?”
At his rasping roar, Anastasia fell silent at once, her pupils contracting violently.
With the police station’s doors just within reach, she finally panicked.
She had only been released yesterday, and now she was going to be locked up again?!
“Sebastian,” she lowered her voice, her expression resentful. “If you dare take me in to turn myself in, I’ll report you for messing around—having a wife and still getting entangled with a martyr’s family member!”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll let me go right now!”
Sebastian turned a deaf ear and sent her straight into the interrogation room.
Before long, Anastasia confessed to everything she had done.
He looked at the interrogation record, his heart cut to shreds.
So… that accidental gas leak had been Anastasia’s doing too. She had even blocked the woodshed door in advance, nearly getting Nicole killed inside!
And… Duncan’s death had been her design as well—she had deliberately held back the guard, leaving him alone in that den of wolves and tigers.
With multiple charges established and sentences combined, Anastasia was sentenced to three years in prison.
And her repeated claim—”Sebastian used his position to mess around with me”—was also strictly investigated by the organization.
In the end, the truth was established—
Although Sebastian had not committed any substantive act of infidelity, he had failed to draw clear boundaries in time and to regulate his own conduct; and he had allowed personal emotions to affect his work, leading to errors in judgment and negligence that harmed innocent people.
In consideration of his immense contributions during the anti-bandit operation, he was demoted by one rank.
Dominic announced the disciplinary decision, his face full of furious disappointment.
“I’ve met Ms. Bradford—she’s an earnest, hardworking young woman. You really are…!”
Seeing him with his head bowed, fists clenched tight, Dominic let out another long sigh.
“Enough. What’s done is done. She’s already gone to the Northwest to take part in development work. Who knows when she’ll be back after this? Pull yourself together. There’s still a lot to do in the unit. When you return to duty in a few days, perform well.”
At the words “development work in the Northwest,” Sebastian snapped his head up.
She actually… went to the Northwest?!
Almost instantly, he understood—
The Northwest development assignment was grueling and stretched across a vast span of time. If she stayed there, he might never see her again for the rest of his life—truly separated by worlds.
After a long while, he closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, “Chief Ortega, once I wrap up the case I’m working, I want to request leave.”
“Leave?! You’re going to find Nicole!?”
Dominic slammed the disciplinary decision onto the desk. “Sebastian, do you know what you’re saying?”
He pressed his lips together in silence, stubborn determination flickering in his eyes.
“Nicole went to the Northwest to take part in development work. Even if you find her, then what!? She has an assignment, and you have an assignment. Are you really going to throw your duty to the wind for the sake of romance!?”
Sebastian lowered his head in silence and said nothing.
