"Yes, Austin, he caused me pain," Anastasia answered.
She remained motionless as he gently brushed her hair behind her shoulder, uncovering a crimson fingerprint on her neck. It bore a deep hue, hinting at the cruel choke.
Augustus's eyes blazed with fury as his eyes were red and his eyebrows creased at the sight of the fingerprint. He stared at her in disappointment that she wanted to keep it hidden from him.
His head was ringing with wild thoughts to deal with Zane mercilessly while his hand was itchy to grab his gun and go against him.
Augustus turned around to fetch his gun and leave the house to track Zane in the hospital. After just a few steps, a familiar grip caught his arm, preventing him from taking the next step as he turned around to face her frightened gaze.
"So he tried to strangle to death, and you want to keep it hidden from me, Anna?" he asked, and she bit her lower lips.
"Please don't go, Austin. I don't want any war where you will get hurt, and your mafia empire will be at a substantial loss." Anastasia begged.
At first, she feared telling him about it because there would be a bloody fight tonight if he went after Zane, as she was only worried about Augustus's well-being.
"I'm not scared of war, Anna. I will take responsibility for whatever loss that would happen in my empire and for that, I won't let Zane go scot-free for hurting you." Augustus stated without a hint of fear, even though he knows Zane is not just a tycoon everyone believes he is, but Zane is one who also operates in the same world as him.
"I understand you are worried and angry, but my identity will start getting more suspicious if you attack him now. The pain he is passing through at the hospital is a little enough, compared to what he did to me earlier." Anastasia tried to convince him.
She didn't want her fake identity to leak in any slightest case or mistake because it would put her life, her child's life, her new family, and their future at stake, especially when she discovered Zane was a dangerous man who her past was involved with, without knowing his true identity.
"I'm not satisfied with that pain he is going through on the sick bed because I want to torture him to death for hurting you," Augustus insisted.
"Buddy, Tasia is fine. She only needs rest right now," Emery said, hoping he would be calm.
Emery could see he was just holding back his fury and crazy personality because of Tasia's mental health. He didn't want her scared and uncomfortable around them.
"I didn't expect things would turn out that way. See, I'm fine now and please don't stress much about it." Anastasia persuaded him again with an enticing smile, and Augustus appeared a little calm.
"Why can't I stress much about it? He almost killed…" Augustus' lips pursed, wavering to complete his sentence, which was bitter for him to think or spit out that she almost died again in Zane's hand.
He took a deep breath as he ran his hand through his hair. It hurts him he had to hold back himself for her revenge not to be ruined just like she planned for it.
"Things would continue to happen this way if you get closer to him again." He added.
"I will keep on trying until I find his soft spot towards me and win his heart." Anastasia sounded determined.
"Tasia is right. Her goal is to make him love her deeply and take back everything, including his wealth, leaving him in pain of betrayal just like the way he did to her. Right, Anna?" Emery asked with a broad smile, and Anastasia beamed at her.
Emery's shoulder trembled at Augustus's piercing voice.
"Close the ugly teeth of yours, Emery, or else I will get them ripped off so that you won't be able to smile again!" Augustus bellowed. He glared at his sister, who was spitting the word as though it was something simple to deal with Zane.
"Why will you do that?" Emery asked, looking confused. She wondered if she misinterpreted Anastasia's plan that got him furious as if she was the one who suggested Anastasia go through this plan.
"You are supposed to let no harm come to Anna or let him come close to her at the ceremony. How could you be reckless to let this happen?" Augustus questioned.
"I watched over Anastasia and ensured she remained out of his sight." Emery defended herself. She didn't expect Zane's eyes would befall Anastasia in the ceremony back there.
"Don't give me a damn excuse for your reckless that you couldn't protect Anna."
"What are you saying? I was watching over her." Emery frowned at him.
"Spare me that bullshit! You always messed up your duty! How could I be stupid to let you go with Anna?" Augustus shot her a deadly stare.
Emery couldn't withstand his fiery and intimidating gaze as she glanced away with pouted lips.
Anastasia didn't like the quarrel that was igniting between the siblings because of her. "Emery is not to be blamed for the harm I sustained. She did great back there, so don't blame her for what happened." Anastasia pleaded, knowing what happened between her and Zane was inevitable.
Also, even if Emery was there, it would be dire for her, and she didn't want her to be harmed.
Anastasia held his hand, caressing his knuckles. Her warm gaze pierced into his worried eyes as she whispered. "I'm here with you, still breathing."
She was always grateful she met with Augustus, who gave her a second life and cared for her endlessly. Also, Emery had been by her side throughout her pregnancy like a companion until this day and never gnawed in agony when they were around her.
She understood their genuine concern, but she didn't like him getting upset and blaming Emery for any minor issues with her since he appointed Emery to watch over her during his absence.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't there to prevent this." Augustus apologized as his voice traced guilt.
"Don't blame yourself or Emery for it. I'm alive today, thanks to you both." Anastasia grinned at him.
"Don't make me feel better with your appreciation because I won't promise you that I will let him go scot-free the next time he hurts you," Augustus vowed. He would burn into ashes in hell just to have the devil's head for hurting her.
"I won't let Zane hurt me this time," Anastasia promised. "First, I will think of a way to tie a string on him that he won't be able to cut off easily so that he won't be able to harm me again." She said while pondering on her next move after Zane warned her at the ceremony not to be seen around him.
"I also don't want to see you harmed. If you your face had been changed, he wouldn't have hurt you during the ceremony, and it will be easier to make him love you." Augustus liked it that she didn't change her pretty face, but he was still endlessly worried about her safety.
Anastasia shook her head. "I don't want to change my face because I want Zane to fall in love with the face he loathes most. And this face will only remind him the reason for his source of sadness, betrayal, loneliness, pain." Anastasia explained to him once again,knowing he didn't like her idea of her making Zane love her.
She didn't want Zane's love anymore and didn't want any connection with him, but she had to take this time to exact her revenge on him, just as he had deliberately caused her so much emotional pain and left her with nothing.
"Anna, a person like him has no heart to reciprocate love. Do you think you can win his heart now?" Augustus asked, knowing this game she wanted from Zane was dire and challenging.
"I will try harder because I didn't try enough back then," Anastasia said, sounding determined. "Don't forget I am Anastasia now, not Selina. I'm not scared, since I have you both by my side to protect me." She added with a reassuring smile at him, and he appeared relaxed.
Anastasia still remembered Zane never loved as Selina but she would try harder to win his heart as Anastasia.
She was naive to believe his lies that he wouldn't hurt her feelings as he promised, and that was the other solemn reason she married him even though it was a marriage made of no love, but in the end, she helplessly fell for him.
This time, she will make him love her deeply and become a woman who he can't do without. Just then, she would shatter his heart after gaining control over his wealth and company, as well as her family's company, and then put him in jail to rot for attempting to kill her.