His Regret Arrived Three Days Late novel Chapter 109

From the moment he decided to bring Serena back to Scent Haven without letting Annika leave, this tangled mess was inevitable.

“What did I want to see? You hurt? Serena on the brink of death? Annika, that’s completely unfair.” The fire in Conrad's chest, which he had been trying to suppress, blazed uncontrollably at her accusation.

Annika knew Conrad. The bulging veins on his temples told her he was on the verge of exploding. But she had her own fire, one that had been smoldering for a long time. Serena’s attempt to kill her had caused the dissatisfaction with Conrad that had been building inside her for so long to erupt like a volcano.

“If you care about her so much, if she means that much to you, then you should have taken her away to live your own lives and let me go!” Annika screamed.

Conrad was stunned. It was her he cared about. Why couldn’t she see his heart? “It’s you I care about,” he said, his voice filled with anguish.

“Ha!” Annika laughed, tears spilling from her eyes. “Conrad, do you really think I’d believe that? Do you think I’m that easy to fool?”

If he cared about her, would he bring Serena back just to torment her? If he cared about her, would he spend all night at the hospital with Serena? If he cared about her, would he have abandoned her in Eirlandia for Serena’s sake? That night, if it hadn't been for Hank, she would have died there. His love? She wanted no part of it.

Faced with Annika’s hysteria, Conrad fought to control his anger. His voice lost its edge. “I’m not lying to you.” How could he make her believe him?

“You care about me, so you put her in the room right across from mine? You care about me, so you spend all day doting on her? And you even allowed her to… to almost kill me,” Annika choked out, tears streaming down her face.

“I…” Conrad wanted to explain, but he didn't know where to begin. He had only been a second too slow, it wasn’t that he had taken Serena’s side as Annika believed. But he knew that nothing he said now would convince her.

Annika let out a cold laugh. Now she finally understood. In Conrad’s mind, she was already a wicked, irredeemable woman. And for what his beloved Serena had become, she was the executioner.

The pain in her heart was so intense she could barely breathe.

“Yes,” Annika nodded, admitting it without hesitation. “I leaked the story. So go ahead, get revenge for your precious Serena. Kill me, imprison me, or sell me off. After all, you’re not a kind man, Conrad. Let all your hatred and resentment fall on me. Let me suffer a fate worse than death. It’ll be the punishment I deserve for doing such a terrible thing.”

She deserved it. She deserved it for being so naive as to fall for a heartless man like him.