His Regret Can’t Bring Us Back Chapter 12
Sebastian did not leave the construction base.
Using “assisting with a local public-security assessment” as his excuse, he stayed on for the time being.
In reality, he kept watch outside the base every day, hoping to get a few words in with Nicole.
But every time, she ignored him completely.
He did not give up.
After days of waiting, he saw her get up before dawn each day and head out to work with the team; he saw her deftly operate the surveying instruments, working in seamless coordination with Ronald.
He saw that after finishing for the evening, she would walk alone to a small sand dune not far away and quietly watch the sun sink below the horizon.
That figure, set against the vast world, looked slender—yet it held a resilient strength.
Sebastian had never seen her like this.
His eyes stung, and he could not bear to look away.
As the date for him to return to his unit drew closer, he knew he could not wait any longer.
Soon, an opportunity came.
That day, Ronald led most of the core team members to support another worksite about 9 miles away, and they would not return until the next afternoon.
Conor was also sent to the Rural Health Clinic for an IV because of acute gastroenteritis.
Nicole was assigned to stay behind, responsible for organizing all the engineering data from recent days.
Late at night, the base was exceptionally quiet.
The wind howled as Nicole stood duty in the watch office.
Sebastian clenched the sleeping pills in his pocket—prescribed by a psychiatrist after he claimed he had “insomnia.”
He waited a long time, until he saw Nicole rub her eyes, pick up the kettle, and get up to fetch water from the washroom next door.
He strode into the office and shook the powdered medicine into her cup.
In that moment, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but at the thought of losing her forever, he was nearly driven mad.
He only wanted to take her home, and then he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her, treating her well.
Nicole came back soon after.
Unaware of anything, she took a few sips of water and went back to working over the desk.
The medicine took effect more slowly than Sebastian had expected.
Restless, he hid in the shadows and watched her head bob, inch by inch.
At last her arm went limp; her forehead came to rest on the spread-out blueprints, and she did not move.
He rushed in quickly and called out tentatively, “Nikki?”
There was no response.
Her breathing was even; she had fallen into a deep sleep.
Sebastian took a deep breath and carefully helped her up.
She was not heavy—much thinner than he remembered.
His nose stung, but his movements only sped up.
He had long since learned the gaps in the night patrols; supporting the sleeping Nicole, he easily evaded the few night guards and vanished into the thick darkness.
The old Jeep he had rented was parked beside a dirt road a few miles away.
He settled Nicole in the back seat and covered her with an overcoat. Soon, he started the engine and sped toward the train station.
As long as he could catch the earliest westbound train—once it pulled out, he could take Nicole home.
At daybreak, the Jeep jolted into the crude square in front of the station.
Sebastian parked and looked back.
Nicole was still asleep, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes.
He watched her for a moment, then reached out and, with utmost gentleness, brushed aside a loose strand of hair from her forehead.
“Nikki, we’re going home.”
He carefully carried her out of the car, wrapped her tightly in the overcoat, and walked toward the station entrance.
The morning wind was bitter, cutting across his face like a blade.
There were not many people on the platform. The earliest train was already steaming white as it slowly rolled in.
Just as he held Nicole, about to step onto the train’s footboard—
“Sebastian!”
A furious shout, like thunder, exploded across the empty platform.
Sebastian shuddered and whipped around.
Ronald was standing a dozen meters away.
He had clearly sprinted in from afar; his bangs were soaked with sweat, his coarse work clothes caked with dust, and his face held rage forced down to the limit—along with a deep, heavy disappointment.
Behind him were two base security officers, bent over and panting.
“Put her down.”
Ronald walked closer step by step; his voice was not loud, but it carried crushing pressure.
Sebastian instinctively tightened his hold on the person in his arms and took half a step back. “Captain Carlson, this is between Nikki and me. We’re going back to New York.”
“Between you?” Ronald let out a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping over Nicole’s unconscious face.
“Drugging a comrade into unconsciousness and forcibly removing her from her post without her consent—this is kidnapping. This is a crime. Sebastian, you’re with the criminal police—can you face the oath you swore?”
“I’m not kidnapping her!” Sebastian snapped. He swallowed, his voice trembling. “She’s my wife! I just… I just want to take her home!”
“Wife?” Ronald sneered and pulled out a sheet of white paper. “This is a copy of the divorce certificate Ms. Bradford submitted on the day she arrived at the base. You are no longer husband and wife.”
“She is now a formal employee of our Northwest Construction Headquarters, under organizational protection.”
“You have no right—and no standing—to force her to do anything!”
That paper stamped with bright red seal was like a resounding slap, cracking hard across Sebastian’s face.
He looked at the guarded, contemptuous eyes of the two officers behind Ronald, then down at Nicole in his arms, utterly unaware.
In that instant, an enormous sense of powerlessness and shame swallowed him whole.
The train whistle sounded, urging the last passengers on.
Ronald stepped forward again. “Sebastian, do you really think that dragging away someone whose heart is already dead can bring you back to the past?”
Those last words were like a needle, stabbing straight into his heart.
Sebastian’s arms around Nicole began to tremble almost imperceptibly.
He lowered his head and looked at her quiet sleeping face.
But what flashed before his eyes was her icy gaze on the hospital bed, her hoarse, desperate defense in the interrogation room…
And her serene smile under the sunset a few days ago.
It was something he had never seen before—happiness and contentment.
Perhaps, all this time, he had been the one in the wrong.
He had always treated her as something he owned, taking what he wanted at will, never considering how she felt.
He stubbornly believed she would never leave him.
So when he lost her, he resorted to any means necessary—like snatching back an object.
After a long while, he stepped forward a few paces. “I’ll go back with you. I’ll… send her back.”
But Ronald’s brow did not ease. He said coldly, “Sebastian, you have no credibility left.”
Without giving him a choice, he carefully took Nicole from his arms, checked her breathing and pulse, and let out a breath.
Behind them, a siren began to wail.
Ronald shot a cold look at Sebastian, who stood frozen in place, then turned and walked away.
