Retributing her offenders

Her statement stunned all of them. However, Jack could understand her plight, so he immediately agreed with her.

"Of course Anna. I'll personally take you back to New York but for that you have to recover first. You are still not well. Let us talk with the doctor first then we would think about it."

She wanted to argue but decided to simply nod her head in understanding. At the same time, a nurse came in with some food and medicines and asked everyone to leave the room as she still needed rest and wasn't advised to stress herself with unnecessary conversation.

Jack and Emily instantly went outside but Regan stood there at his place. Anna ignored him while the nurse was glared him at his audacity for not understanding her clear instructions. However, she didn't have the guts to say him anything as she was well aware of his influence and power.

"Mam you must drink this soup before taking the medicines." She gently said to Anna avoiding him all the time.

"I don't feel like eating anything. Please give me the medicines."

Regan shook his head on her refusal to eat anything as he was already expecting something like that from her. He immediately dismissed the nurse and brought the bowl of soup to her. Anna was looking down not intending to meet his gaze but when he brought the spoon to her lips, she couldn't stop herself from looking at him.

"I said I don't want to eat." She said stubbornly.

He sighed. "I know you don't want to but if you really want to go back to New York at the earliest, you have to recover first. I don't think without eating that's possible Anna."

She bit her lip pondering over what he said. Regan smiled inwardly as he knew she won't be able to argue back and would definitely agree with him. Consequently, she nodded her head in approval.

"Okay but I can eat by myself."

Without saying anything, he laid the table on her bed with the bowl of soup on it. She had thought that he would leave after the arrangement, but he was still sitting there nonchalantly looking in her direction. She understood that she had no other option than to finish the soup to get him away from there. She held the spoon with her left hand that was bandaged as her other hand was attached with the IV drip. She tried to drink it a few times but eventually failed due to the pain caused by the constant movement. Regan was intensely looking at her waiting for her to give up but she was more stubborn than he had thought. He stood up to help her without her asking when she hissed with pain while putting the spoon in her mouth and the soup spilled all over her clothes.

Instead of speaking anything, he took the spoon from her hand and put the table aside. He then brought a wet towel to clean her face and clothes that were stained. She wanted to protest but the way he glared challenging her to speak anything, she decided otherwise and kept quiet. After cleaning the mess, he sat on the bed in her front and again brought the spoon to her lips.

Her brows were creased with his behaviour and unknowingly her eyes went big on watching his caring side again. She was about to deny when he sternly said, "Eat Anastasia."

She was exhausted from sitting for so long and wanted to rest. So without arguing with him further, she opened her mouth and he fed her. She protested twice that she was full but he left no room for argument and fed her until the bowl was empty. He again cleaned her and was about to say something, when she said something that took him off-guard.

"I don't want your pity. I can take care of myself."

He was shocked to hear that from her. Before he could clear her misunderstanding, the door burst open with the same nurse that brought her the food and medicine. She smiled on seeing that she finished everything on her own. She then gave her the medicines on which Anna was about to say something but ate quietly as she saw Regan glaring at her with dare-to-deny look.

When the nurse saw their silent exchange, she chuckled on their chemistry which she found to be quite adorable as the beast that she considered him, looked to be tamed by the petite girl in her front. He was indeed trying to act stern to her, but his eyes were completely different. The coldness which was clearly evident in them during the previous night was replaced by a softness that surfaced only in her presence. She couldn't help and commented out of the blue.

"You two are really adorable together. One of the cutest couple I have ever seen."

Both of their eyes widened at the remark and both simultaneously yelled a 'No'.

"We aren't a couple." Anna clarified with a frown.

"We are friends."

"We are business partners."

Both said simultaneously.

"We are just business partners." She said while looking directly into his eyes.

"Cum friends."

"Oh!" The nurse exclaimed still perplexed with their banter.

"He's just being nice. Nothing else."

Anna interrupted not willing to hear her judgement over his actions which she thought to be deceiving and changing with the time. While Regan's chest tightened over her remarks. He knew that he himself was responsible for the change in their equation and beautiful friendship but he was willing to get her back at any cost with his sincere efforts. However, he realized that it was not going to be easy for him to regain her trust. After the incident, he left to get back to certain things and people awaiting for him after assuring that Anna was well taken care of.

---------------------------------------

He straight away went to one of his construction sight which was at a distance from downtown Seattle. He had his men surrounding the building with their guards up. When he reached the place, he was immediately greeted by Drake who was present there for all the time in his absence. Regan hardly managed to control his anger on seeing him after finding about his lies. Nevertheless, he decided to deal with him later as his first priority was to see the man who dared to lay his filthy hands on Anna.

Regan never played dirty but he wasn't considered ruthless for just anything. People who dealt with him knew his clear conscience and ways and knew that it was better to not see his ugly side as he was never a man who would go easy on his offenders. He believed to give an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth without sparing his enemies.

Mr. Benc. was tied on a chair when he reached there to deal with him. He was already battered with cuts and bruises all over his body. However when he saw Regan advancing towards him, he gulped hard and looked petrified. Before he could open his mouth to speak anything, he felt himself flying with the chair he was seated and tied on with the force of a kick that directly landed on his abdomen.

"Untie him."

Regan's command startled him but he knew better to give into the last fight of his life as Regan wasn't someone who believed in forgive and forget. He staggered but stood on his feet to face him with all the courage that he had left in him. He knew that it was his end but he was a despicable man and he wanted to get on Regan's nerves before meeting his end.

"Mr. Knight please give me a chance to explain. I... I wasn't in my senses to mess up with your woman. Forgive me please. I would do everything to correct my mistakes. Give me a chance please." He said and knelt down with his head hung down. Before Regan could react or come up with something, he started laughing like a maniac and sneered. "That's what you think me of doing? Begging to you for your mercy?"

Regan couldn't take it anymore. He held him by his collar and spatted.

"Mercy?" He snickered. "Really? After what you have done, you have the audacity to even think about it?"

"Tsk tsk..... I don't even want it Knight. Keep it with you. Well after what I have done to your woman..... Is she still alive?"

That words were the last blow to his patience. He had knowingly touched his bottom line which he never allowed anyone to cross and he was deliberately fuelling his rage.

"I didn't wish to go against the laws for a pathetic son of a bi*** like you but you have left me with no option." He took out a gun from his back and pointed on his head which widened his eyes. "You look scared? The woman with whom you tried to get through your dirty ways..... is my love, my woman. How did you ever think it would be easy for you? And spitting this filth from your fuc**** mouth has made your end even worse. You're going to pay for her every tear with every drop of blood in you. But don't worry... I am not going to make my hands dirty on a bas**** like you. My men are enough to do that for me." He smirked on seeing the horror in his eyes.

He turned around to leave and tossed the gun to one of his man standing beside him roaring before leaving the place.

"You know it better how to deal with such dirt."

"Yes sir."

Drake stood there shocked, unmovingly. He had been with Regan for years but he never witnessed something like that. He never crossed his line by violating the laws but here the story was different. He knew that keeping Mr. Benc as a hostage was going to be terrible but he was not expecting his end in such a way. Nevertheless, he went after him as he realized that violating or assaulting a woman against her wish was an offense which had to be shown no mercy while dealing on. He quickly reached Regan who was about to get into his car to reach Anna at the earliest.

"Reg....Reg stop. My God! Are you running a marathon? I came all the way jogging on my feet to get you. Didn't you say earlier that Anna is fine now? So what's the rush?"

Hearing her name from his mouth, he clutched the car door so tight that his knuckles turned white. Without bothering to spare him a glance, he gritted his teeth and hissed coldly. "Aren't you happy to know that she is out of danger?....or you were waiting for her to die... just like him?"

Drake was stunned to hear his deathly cold voice. He pursed his lips in a thin line while his heart pounded in his chest. "Why would I do that Reg? I was just asking if she is well or you need my help for something."

"She is well but not safe." He eventually turned around to face him to look at his expressions for holding him for his lies.

"What do you mean?"

"She was constantly asking for Ashton and seeing her condition, the doctor suggested to bring him to her at the earliest. You know him, right? Call and ask him to be here for her."

"What?" Drake's face instantly turned pale after hearing him.

"Didn't you tell me he makes her happy and he's the one she's craving for right now to be with. So get him Drake."

He gulped. "Reg it's something I wanted to tell you since a while now. I can't... I just can't....."

"Exactly. You can't bring back dead people, right?" Regan turned around to look into his eyes that were appalled on the disclosure. He had wanted to inform him about Anna since a long time but everytime he tried, something came up and he let it slip, afraid of the consequences as the byproduct of the truth which he hid from him.

"You are no less than that fuc**** douchebag. Atleast he was not my friend who stabbed my back with his lies and betrayal. He had the guts to speak his mind unlike you who acted like a coward all the time to keep me away from the truth. I trusted you with the person who I love the most. Never in my dreams, I would have thought of you deceiving me like this. I stayed away from her for two weeks Drake, left her when I was needed to be there for her, said her things which she never deserved to hear, fought with my feelings for her...Why? Because my so called best pal told me that she is happy with the love of her life and I fuc**** believed his every word blindly."

Drake closed his eyes feeling remorseful over his deeds. "I didn't want you to get hurt Reg..... by her rejection. I thought her to be incapable of loving you with her.....with her baggage and broken self. I was just trying to protect you."

"Who are you to decide if she is capable or not for doing anything for me? Who gave you the damn right to mess up with my life or make decisions for me?" His voice boomed in the empty space causing Drake to flinch a few steps back. "It's me who has fallen for her... It's me who wants her..... It's me who wants her to be in my life with all of her baggage and pain that comes with her.....no matter how much she is broken. You didn't only hid the truth but you called her names that questioned her character. How much more you can go low Drake? Do I know you? Or all of this best friends stuff was just a charade?" He menacingly went closer to him and held his collar. "You tried to snatch away something that's too precious for my heart and the reason of its happiness. I don't think we have left anything to talk about. We are done Drake. If it wasn't for our friendship, I would have not hesitated to see you at the same place as that Benc."

Regan shoved him and left as he didn't want to do anything that could stain their years long friendship which he ended then and there after the most hurtful betrayal from his best friend.