Chapter 256: Blinded
Reagan didn’t realize where his car had taken him until he looked up and saw Sarah’s building looming right in front of him. With a groan, he tapped his forehead lightly against the steering wheel.
"What am I even doing here?" he muttered under his breath.
He slumped forward, wrapping his arms around the wheel as he tilted his head back to look toward the penthouse lights above. His thoughts tangled into a haze. ’Even when I try to clear my head, my heart drags me back to you. You’re so close, but still out of reach...’ He buried his face against his arms, sighing deeply.
*KNOCK. KNOCK.*
"Yeah, yeah, I’ll move. I know I’m not supposed to park here..." Reagan started, assuming it was a guard checking on him.
But when he turned, his words died in his throat. Sarah was standing right outside his window, smiling as if fate had set the whole thing up.
He fumbled to roll the window down. "Sarah? What are you doing out here this late?"
She tilted her head, her expression soft under the streetlights. "I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"
"I—uh—just came from the port. Honestly, I don’t even know why I ended up here," Reagan admitted with a sheepish laugh. "How about you?"
Sarah lifted a plastic bag filled with instant noodles and snacks, her smile turning playful. "Certification exam all day. I got home late and was too lazy to cook, so... convenience store dinner it is. Want to join me?"
Reagan stared at her for a beat, the way she tilted her head making her look almost cartoonishly cute. ’Damn, she’s so cute. Like an anime character.’ His lips tugged into a smile before he could stop it.
"Sure. I’m here anyway," he said. "I’ll park the car. Wait for me in the lobby."
Sarah gave a small nod before walking toward the entrance. Reagan watched her disappear inside, then exhaled, a warmth blooming in his chest as he finally steered toward the parking lot.
Once inside the elevator, Sarah couldn’t help but notice the unusual silence beside her. This wasn’t the Reagan who filled every pause with a joke or a question to make her laugh; tonight, he was compact and quiet, like a book closed halfway.
"You okay?" she asked at last, because the pause felt too long to ignore.
Reagan slid his hands into his pockets and let out a slow, tired sigh. "Not really," he said. "Nancy got arrested earlier. Oliver found solid evidence—enough to press a murder case. If they took her without a court order, it means Oliver submitted a very strong evidence, I am guessing a video. They say she pushed Georgia overboard. The proof is heavy; she might not walk away from this."
Sarah’s eyebrows lifted. "That’s rough. Even with the best lawyer, she’d probably be advised to admit guilt and show remorse to get any leniency."
They stepped out of the elevator and once inside her penthouse, they went straight to her kitchen, where Sarah set the convenience-store noodles on the island.
Reagan’s voice softened. "I felt sorry for her. She tried to run via a boat—got chased by Nick, Liam, the police, and even the coast guards. Their boat flipped, and they cuffed her, soaked and shivering. I bought dry clothes and some food at the port and went to the station. She begged me to help—offered me something in return."
Sarah blinked, kettle in hand, and tried to parse the confession. "Help how? With a case like that, you won’t be able to offer much help—unless you mean... break her out?" She laughed weakly, more from disbelief than humor, and watched his face register a seriousness that didn’t suit her laughter.
"No... You wouldn’t!" Sarah exclaimed in disbelief.
The answer was simple but heavy, and for a moment the room felt smaller—full of questions neither of them knew how to answer.
Sarah’s voice softened but stayed steady as she continued, her brow furrowing. "I understand you pity her. But it’s still her fault, Reagan. If she really pushed Georgia, even if it was an accident, she could’ve asked for help. It’s not that hard. But she didn’t. She left her there to die. That was a choice."
She shook her head, setting the noodles aside. "Now she has to face the consequences. What could she even offer you to make you help her? Why would you even want to?"
Reagan’s eyes held hers, unwavering. His voice came low, almost a whisper, but with an edge of truth that cut through the air... Cut through her chest and reached her heart. "So I can have you forever... so you won’t go back to my brother."
Sarah blinked, stunned. "Wait—what? Are you saying if you help her, then you get me? That I stay away from Nick? That doesn’t even make sense, Reagan!" Her hands fell to her sides in confusion.
Reagan exhaled shakily, his words tumbling out like he’d rehearsed them a thousand times in his head. "If I help her get out, she promised she’d keep Raymond tied to her side. She says she still has cards to play against him. And if Raymond stops chasing Georgia and Nick, then those two can finally live happily ever after. And you..."
His voice cracked. "...you would have no chance with Nick anymore. With that... I was hoping you’d be mine. I know my reasoning is silly, it’s really pathetic, but I am desperate. I no longer want to hide my feelings from you. I want to fight for you, even if I don’t have a chance against Nick. I would still do it."
His hands trembled slightly, his composure fraying around the edges. Sarah saw it then—all of it. The longing, the fear, the quiet devotion he’d been carrying for years. It all showed in his eyes now, unguarded and raw.
Then, she remembered everything that he had done for her. How he stayed by her side when she needed someone, when she was heartbroken with Nick. Things that she was not able to notice before because she was blinded by her love for Nick, she’s seeing them now.
Without thinking, she reached for his hands and gave them a firm, gentle squeeze. "Reagan..." she said softly, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. "If that’s really your reason... then you don’t need to help her anymore."
Reagan’s eyes widened, disbelief flickering across his face. They glistened, though he still tried to hold himself together, waiting—needing—to hear why she would say that.
*******
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