Warning: This chapter will go back to what happened at Blanchard Financials, especially what happened between Leopold and Regina. This might be a spoiler, but it will deal with graphic depictions of rape. If you need to skip this chapter, I understand. You do what's best for you.

Chapter 18: Blanchard Financials

Eleven years prior…

Regina saved her spreadsheets and started to shut down her computer as she packed up for the night. Her diamond engagement ring sparkled on her left ring finger, making her smile. She was going to leave her office and meet Daniel for dinner to start discussing plans for their wedding. It made her giddy.

She knew her life was charmed. Not yet thirty, she was already in line to be the company's next Chief Financial Officer when her mentor, Edgar Gold, retired in the next five years. And she had only been there for only three years so far! But Gold insisted that she was special and had taken her under his wing early on. Leopold Blanchard, the President and CEO, also took an interest in her and became like a second father to her. Regina was also close to his wife and daughter, Eva and Mary Margaret. They became like the extended family she had always wanted as a child and so she did her best to help the family now that Eva was battling cancer.

It made her thankful that her father was in good health. Even still, she and Daniel had agreed to look at mother-daughter houses so they could move Henry with them. They would still have their privacy, though, and he would have his independence, which seemed the ideal solution to her.

"Regina?" Gold asked, knocking on her doorframe. "Do you have a few minutes? Leo and I need to talk with you."

She frowned. "I'm supposed to meet up with Daniel in a few minutes. Can it wait until morning?"

"I'm afraid not," he said, looking apologetic. So Regina sighed but followed him down the hall to Leo's office.

Leopold Blanchard was an older man, tall and thin, with hair that had long gone white and was thinning. No one mentioned it to him and Regina didn't think it was something that needed to be corrected anyway. He was a shrewd businessman with a fatherly personality, though there was always a glint in his eye that made Regina a bit uncomfortable every now and then. She brushed it off, though, deciding his good points outweighed it.

"Regina," he greeted as she and Gold entered his office. He kissed her cheek. "I haven't seen you all day."

"Well, we were both busy. I hope that's not why I was dragged here and why I'm late meeting with Daniel," she said, sitting down.

Leo shook his head. "I'm afraid not. There was something Gold and I wanted to discuss with you. As you know, Eva's health is getting worse and her medical bills are piling up."

Regina nodded, concerned. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm glad you asked that," Leo replied with a devilish grin. "There are a few…transactions…that I am going to need you to do for me. Off the books."

Her gut twisted up. "Off the books? Sir, that doesn't sound legal. That sounds like…well, like you're embezzling from the company."

"It's my company. How can I steal from myself?" Leo reasoned.

She didn't buy it. "You owe the stakeholders. You'd be stealing from them."

Leopold exchanged a look with Gold, one that made her stomach turn and put her on edge. She didn't want to let them down but she also knew that what they were asking her was wrong.

"Regina," Leo started again, leaning forward. "I need the money for Eva's treatment and Mary Margaret's tuition. If I don't, I'll have to choose between them."

He was pulling on her heartstrings. She cared about both women and didn't want anything to happen to either of them. Yet that didn't mean she had to do something illegal for their sake. "Mary Margaret is smart, though. Can't she get a scholarship or something? Blanchard Financials has one for employees' children, right?"

"Yes, but imagine if it got out that it went to the CEO's daughter? People wouldn't really respect me, would they?" Leo asked.

She frowned, not really sure how Mary Margaret getting a scholarship would do that. Especially as she was sure they could keep it quiet. "There are other options than embezzlement, Leo. We can look at them together. You'll see."

Once again, Leo and Gold exchanged looks. Leo sighed. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, Regina. I had expected better of you."

"Come to what?" A cold sweat broke out at her hairline and she wanted to run from the room.

"Regina, you know I'm a very powerful and influential man," Leo began.

"Yes," she interrupted. "Why can't you use that to help you solve your problems?"

"Hush, child. You know nothing," Gold snapped at her. She shrank back, waiting for Leo to continue.

Leo nodded. "Anyway, I can make your life very miserable, Regina, by making the people you love miserable."

"What do you mean?" She gripped the armrests tightly.

"I'm sure your father wouldn't want to lose his job," he started. "Or for your fiancé's organization to lose its grant, would you?"

She frowned, swallowing back tears. "My father and Daniel have nothing to do with this. You can't hurt them because I'm refusing to do something wrong."

"This isn't a fairy tale world, Regina," Gold said, snarling. "Innocent people get hurt because people try to be heroes. There are no heroes."

"So what will it be, Regina? Will you help me or hurt your father, your fiancé and your best friend…Emma, her name is?" Leo looked right at her.

Regina gritted her teeth. "Fine. You win. I'll help you. Just leave my family alone."

Leopold and Gold grinned. "I knew you would be reasonable," Leo said.

He walked back to his desk, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "Gold will give you your instructions in the morning. Go to your Daniel. And of course, tell no one."

For six months, Regina set up regular transfers from the company to an offshore account that only Leopold could access. While they were never logged into the official books, she kept a record book with each transaction. She also started to save all the emails Leo and Gold sent her about the transfers before deleting them per their instructions. Regina knew it would go south eventually and she wanted to be prepared. She kept it in a lockbox under her bed, knowing they couldn't get to it there.

Once a week, she met with Leo and Gold for status reports. And they always ended the same way—with her loved ones being threatened to keep her in line.

All the while, Regina went about her daily life feeling so alone. The only people she was close to at work were the ones threatening her. And with most of her coworkers believing she was the Evil Queen, there was no one she could turn to. Henry and Daniel noticed that she had grown more withdrawn, had both commented on it, but while they knew it was stress at work, they didn't know the cause of the stress.

"Why don't we go on a nice vacation, just you and me? Go away for a long weekend. Maybe to a nice B and B deep in the woods, away from civilization?" Daniel suggested. "We'll turn our phones off, won't check emails and just be together."

She sighed. "That sounds wonderful. Just not yet. Leo and Gold need me to stay nearby for a little bit longer."

"I really hope they are going to give you something big when this project is over," he said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "A big bonus, a raise or a month vacation. Maybe all three."

"All of those would be nice." Yet Regina doubted this would end with those. Maybe a bonus if she was lucky but there was a greater chance she would end up without a job and in handcuffs.

Her worst fears came to pass shortly after that. Gold stormed into her office without knocking and motioned for her to end her phone call. She quickly made an excuse and promised to call the person back, hanging up the phone. "What's wrong?"

"Leo's office," Gold said. "Now."

Regina's heart jumped into her throat as she nodded, following him down to Leo's office as dread built inside her. When the door closed behind them, she felt like she was going to die.

Leo stared at them, stony-faced yet pale. "Bad news, Regina. We're being audited. And not internally. The stakeholders have voted for an external audit."

She swallowed. "They're going to want to see all my books."

"I know," he replied. "We need to come up with an explanation for the missing money."

"I'm going to guess that telling the truth is off the table?" Regina asked, disgust in her voice.

Gold glared at her. "Don't be cute, dearie. You're just as involved with this as us."

"Because I'm being blackmailed!" She glared right back at him.

Leo slammed his hand on his desk, making Regina jump. She turned to find him frowning as his face turned red. "I didn't call you in here to bicker. We have a plan and you are going to follow it."

She scowled and saluted him mockingly. At this point, she no longer cared about insulting him. He wasn't her friend or mentor or anything. He was her tormenter and she wasn't going to just lie down and take it.

It did rile him up and he scowled at her as he came out from behind his desk, shoving his finger in her face. "Listen up. Gold and I are older and smarter than you. So if you want to go to jail, you keep up that attitude. If you don't, drop it and do exactly as I say."

Regina didn't want to go to prison. It wasn't that she thought she couldn't survive the experience; it was that she didn't want to do that to her father. So she swallowed and nodded.

"Good," Leo said, leaning back. "Gold, show her the picture."

As instructed, Gold handed her a picture of a man who worked in their department. She recognized him and frowned. "Michael Tillman? What does he have to do with anything?"

"He's the embezzler," Gold replied.

A sick feeling formed in Regina's stomach and she shook her head. "I'm not setting up an innocent man to take the fall for us."

"Look, I promise that the worst he'll experience is losing his job. That's all," Leo said, sitting down across from her and Gold.

"That's all?" Rage filled Regina. "His wife is pregnant! And how would he get another job after being fired for embezzlement?"

Leo made a placating motion with his hand, trying to tell her to calm down. "Gold and I have connections. We can arrange something for him. His family won't suffer."

She sighed, staring at Michael's picture. The situation still didn't sit right with her. "I don't know if I can do it."

"You have to," Gold insisted. "Unless you want to be the one sporting the orange jumpsuit. I imagine you don't, so be the Evil Queen and set this man up."

"That's an order," Leo added. She knew they had her without him saying "or else."

Regina swallowed and nodded. "Fine. I guess I have no other choice."

The two men stood and she followed their lead. Gold clapped her on her shoulder. "You're doing the right thing, Regina. Keep it up and you'll have a bright future in this business."

For the first time since graduating, Regina wondered if it was a future she wanted. Maybe after everything settled down, she would find a new future in a new business. One that didn't require her to ruin an innocent man's life for the sake of a man too proud to ask for help the right way.

The auditors discovered that money was missing and everyone in the finance department was investigated. As per her orders, she suggested that it may have been Michael Tillman as he had access to such transactions as well. She left the conference room feeling like slime.

A few days later, there was a loud commotion coming from outside her office. She frowned and hurried to her door to investigate what was going on.

Michael Tillman was being led out of his office in handcuffs. He struggled against security, his face red. "I am not an embezzler. You have no right to treat me like a criminal," he yelled.

Other employees watched and whispered as he fought all the way down the hall. Some looked at her, almost accusatory. Did they know? Or was she just projecting her own guilty conscience onto them?

Regina hurried to Gold's office, slamming the door behind her for good measure. "What the hell just happened? I thought you said Tillman wasn't going to go to prison?"

"Plans changed," he replied, nonchalant. "Mr. Tillman will be fine."

"Don't you have a conscience?" she asked.

Gold glared at her. "I have a self-preservation instinct. You should develop one yourself or this world will eat you alive."

"I don't think it's one or the other." She frowned, crossing her arms. "But you're really not going to do anything to keep him out of jail like you and Leopold promised?"

"We didn't promise anything."

Regina wanted to strangle him. She threw open the door and stormed to the elevator, determined to go talk with Leo. Maybe he could fix this mess. After all, he created it.

She stormed past Leo's personal assistant and barged right into his office. "What the hell, Leo?"

Leo sighed, motioning for his assistant to close the door. Once she had done so, he addressed Regina. "I know we said Mr. Tillman wouldn't be arrested…"

"And yet he was just escorted out of here in handcuffs! Explain that, Leo," she shouted.

He guided her to a chair. "Sit down and calm yourself. Shouting won't help anyone."

She scowled, knowing he was patronizing her. But she lowered her voice anyway. "Why was Michael arrested?"

"The shareholders insisted on it when presented with the evidence. They wanted to dissuade anyone from embezzling again," Leo explained, sitting down behind his desk.

"So that's it? You're going to ruin his life? And what about his family?"

Leo shrugged. "Not our concern."

"I see how it is. So much for this being a family organization." Disgusted, Regina stood and stalked out of his office.

She returned to her own office, closing the door behind her before sitting at her desk. Regina opened a blank document and began writing.

At the end of the day, after most of the other employees had gone home, Regina returned to Leopold's office. She set the letter she had written down on his desk and waited as he read it.

Leo lowered the paper, looking at her with incredulity. "You're resigning?"

"Yes, sir," she replied. "I think it's for the best."

"Oh? And why is that?" He laid her letter down, clasping his hands on top of it as he stared at her.

She sat down across from him, keeping his gaze. "Because I don't agree with what you're doing and how you're running the organization right now. And besides, I was Tillman's supervisor. Someone is going to start calling for my head. Might as well head them off at the pass."

"No one is going to call for your head," Leo assured her. "We've assured the stakeholders that Tillman was a lone wolf and you would be just as surprised. You're in the clear."

"You'll excuse me if I don't find comfort in that. Your credibility has been shot to hell," she replied.

Leo sighed, standing to move closer to her. "I know you're angry, Regina, and so you shouldn't make such a big decision now. I'm going to protect you from yourself and not accept that letter."

"Protect me from myself? Really?" She glared at him.

He nodded. "Yes. I know you're upset, but once you get a good night's rest, you'll find staying is what's best for you and your career."

"And what if in the morning I still want to resign?"

"Stop talking like that," Leo said, resting his hand on her knee. "The thought of you leaving makes me sad."

Regina grew uncomfortable and shifted her leg away from him. "Sad? Why?"

He leaned closer. "I've grown very fond of you, Regina. Very, very fond."

"I know you treat me like a second daughter," Regina replied. "And I've cherished that. Which is why this whole thing has hurt me."

"I'm sorry you feel like that, but I wish that you would trust me that it is for the best." He patted her knee.

Her response was silenced when Leo's hand slid further up her leg and he leaned even closer. "As for me thinking of you as a daughter, I'm afraid you're wrong there. I see you as a beautiful, intelligent and witty woman, Regina."

She swallowed, her heart racing and every fiber of her being on edge. "What…What are you saying, Leo?"

"We both know Eva is not long for this world," he replied, pain in his voice. "Mary Margaret may hold out hope for a miracle cure but I…I've made my peace with losing my wife. I have been attracted to you for some time now, Regina, and I hope if you can wait a bit longer, we can be together once my wife passes."

"Leo, I'm with Daniel. We're going to get married." She used her left hand to move his hand, making sure he saw the diamond ring on her finger.

Leo chuckled. "He's a boy, Regina. You need a man. Someone with experience, someone more on your level."

"I love Daniel. I'm going to marry him and build a life with him." Regina stood, trying to put space between them. "I know it must be hard to watch Eva slip away from you, Leo. So I'm going to chalk this up to stress and grief. Let's not speak of it again."

She turned and headed for the door. As her hand grabbed the knob, she felt herself pushed against it by Leo. He removed her hand and held it behind her back. "I want you, Regina. And I usually get what I want," he growled in her ear.

"Usually," she repeated, trying to stay calm. "Not always. And not in this case. Please let me leave."

"I know you're scared, Regina. But there's no reason to be. Everything will work out. You'll see." Leo trailed kisses down her neck and the shivers that ran down her spine were not the same kind Daniel's elicited.

She turned in his arms, pushing against his chest. "Leo, stop it. I don't feel like that for you. So please, just let me go. Please."

For an older man, Leo was stronger than he looked. He pinned her to the door, holding her wrists above her head. "It looks like I have to change your mind then."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, panicked now. "Please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone about this. I promise."

Leo didn't respond. Instead, he ripped open her shirt and she heard the buttons land on the floor around the office. He leered at her breasts. "Just as perfect as I thought they would be."

Salty tears hit her lips and she licked them, which was the wrong thing to do she learned. For Leo kissed her at that point, no doubt mistaking her actions as an invitation. Regina didn't respond at first but when her mind finally comprehended what was going on, she began to beat against his chest.

He broke the kiss and chuckled. "Someone likes it rough, huh?"

"No, that's not what I…" Her words turned into a scream as she was thrown onto the couch in his office. She landed hard, the wind knocked out of her for a few moments.

Leo climbed over her, roughly opening her legs before settling his body between them. He slid his hands up her skirt, pushing it over her stomach to reveal the lace panties she had put on that morning. The sight made him chuckle. "Now who are these for?"

"No one," she gasped, her stomach churning as tears poured down her cheeks. "I just like them…Please stop."

She felt his finger slip inside her underwear, brushing against her sex before pulling the garment off her. They slid down her legs, leaving her exposed to him. Her breath came in gasps as she realized what he was going to do. Regina knew then only one thing: she had to get to the door.

As he leaned down to kiss her again, she kicked him in the stomach and pushed him off. She jumped up from the couch and tried to get to the door, to get to safety. All she wanted was for this nightmare to end.

Leo's bony hand wrapped around her ankle. Her stomach flipped as she lost her balance and couldn't breathe when she hit the ground. Yet she kept trying to claw at his carpeted floor, desperate to get away.

He flipped her over and she clawed at his face instead, trying to scratch his eyes out. All it did was make him chuckle. "So you do like it rough! I bet that stable boy of yours can't do that. But I can."

Regina continued to fight as she cried, pleading with him to stop and let her go. When he held her wrists over her head, she kicked at him. He knelt on her legs. She tried to head butt him but couldn't raise her had more than a few centimeters off the floor.

As his fingers grazed her clit, dread landed like a stone in her stomach. This was going to happen. Still, she kept thrashing even as her body betrayed her, responding to Leo's touch.

"Getting wet for me," he said. "Good girl…"

The patronizing tone enraged her more. "Get the fuck off me you old fucking bas…"

Her threat turned into a scream as he penetrated her, the pain nothing she had ever experienced before. She choked back a sob as he continued to thrust inside her, each movement more painful than the last. Trembling, Regina screwed her eyes shut and waited for everything to end, certain the pain would be too much.

Leo panted in her ear, his hot breath burning her neck. His thrusts grew erratic and then he stilled. Something warm filled her and she tried not to throw up.

His full weight collapsed on top of her and she thought she would be asphyxiated. As she struggled for air, he kissed her neck. "So good, just like I thought it would be."

"Can't…" she gasped.

"Can't believe how good it was?" He chuckled, getting off her and heading back to his desk.

She laid on the floor, gulping in the refreshing air, when she heard a tearing sound. Confused, Regina sat up to find Leo holding her letter of resignation—now torn in half. He grinned at her. "You're not leaving ever. You're mine."

The glint in his eyes froze her blood and she realized she was trapped in this hellhole forever.

It was a blur after that. Somehow, Regina managed to get home and sneak into her room without alerting her father. The last thing she needed was for him to see her with a torn skirt and legs streaked with semen and blood, carrying her destroyed shirt and underwear in a bag. She knew her outfit wasn't salvageable but she was unable to throw the items away. Instead, she shoved the skirt into the bag as well and tossed it in the back of her closet.

She then took the longest and hottest shower of her life, letting every trace of Leopold wash off her skin and go down the drain. Regina sat on the floor, shaking as she hugged her knees to her chest. Her tears mingled with the cascading water and her sobs burned more than the hot water. She sobbed over what had happened, over what she hadn't done and what she had lost that night.

Regina felt empty when she crawled into bed, like the shell of the woman she had been. She had taken a sleeping pill, allowing her to fall into a dreamless slumber so she didn't have to see Leo's face hovering over her.

When she woke up the next morning, all she felt was anger. She was angry at Leo for violating her and holding her prisoner, angry at Gold for allowing it and angry at herself for not getting herself out of this situation sooner. It boiled in Regina as she dressed for the day, as she put on her makeup and as she stalked into Blanchard Financials. No one greeted her and they all glared at her, no doubt thinking her a bitch for what had happened to Tillman. All of them had made her out to be the Evil Queen and so the Evil Queen she became.

She knew her change in attitude had to be noticeable. For most of her time at Blanchard Financials, she had tried to be polite and kind. Regina had longed to be a mentor, like she had once considered Gold and Leo. But now she snapped at her subordinates, demanding more and more of them. She undressed them for the slightest mistake, even reducing an intern to tears. Everyone gave her a wide berth and she reveled in their fear. It gave her power.

Which was the one thing she didn't really have. Not when Leo was able to call her into his office whenever he wanted. She had tried to ignore his summons once and he had called security to escort her to his office. After that, she went each time, knowing what awaited her when the door closed. The quick trysts were easier to endure for she screwed her eyes shut and imagined herself somewhere else until the rutting stopped. But when Leo demanded she get on her knees and suck him off…well, the reality of her situation couldn't be ignored.

Her new attitude was noticeable outside the office, too, she learned. Henry asked her if she was okay several times a day and assured her that she could talk to him about anything. Daniel also told her the same thing, especially as she knew she was pulling away from him. Being intimate was impossible now for all she saw was Leo. It was putting a strain on her relationship with Daniel, though he was trying to be patient and supportive.

"You can quit if you're no longer happy or if you're so stressed," he told her one night. "I'm sure you'll find a new job easily. Hell, you can come work for my organization. We can use someone like you to keep things running."

It was tempting. Daniel's organization did some really good work. Maybe it would help wash away all the evil she had done so far. But at the same time, she knew Leo would never let her leave. So she just shook her head. "I'm fine. I just have to get through this project."

"Okay," he said, unconvinced. "Then at least cut back the time you spend with the Blanchards. I know things with Eva are bad but Leo and Mary Margaret have to understand that you need some downtime too."

She would love to pull away from the Blanchards, to spend even less time with Leo. But every time Mary Margaret called on the verge of tears, Regina still rushed over. Though legally adult, Mary Margaret was not mature enough to deal with the realities of her mother's disease and Leo was unable to help his daughter due to his own grief. So it fell to Regina, who tried not to despise the girl for it. Mary Margaret wasn't to blame for her father's actions and some part of Regina had to be grateful to her for her presence kept Leo from forcing himself on Regina in his own house.

But Regina shrugged. "Mary Margaret needs me, Daniel."

"I need you," he responded, squeezing her hands. "We spend so little time together now. And while I'm not in this for the sex, it has been sometime since we were last intimate."

He was right and she knew it. But after Leo, she couldn't get aroused even for Daniel. So she just kept begging off sex whenever things got too physical and she was starting to run out of excuses.

She gave Daniel a tight smile. "I know, sweetheart. But maybe once this project is done, we can go away. I'll turn off my phone and leave my laptop at home. Then we can focus on reconnecting. How's that?"

"Okay," he said, though he didn't sound very convinced. He didn't even give her a kiss when he left and she found it hurt.

It was one of the first things she had felt in weeks.

Almost a year to the day after Leo and Gold first called her to blackmail her into embezzling and after six months of being at Leo's beck and call for his every sexual urge, Regina once again found herself with Gold and him. This time, though, they were in one of the conference rooms. Leo and Gold sat across from her, a file folder resting in front of them as they looked grim.

"The stakeholders have noticed that the embezzlement has continued," Gold started.

Regina rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to yell that she knew that that would happen, that the stakeholders were not idiots and that Gold and Leo were not smarter than them like they clearly believed. Instead, she asked: "So who are we sacrificing now?"

"You have to understand a few things, Regina," Leo started, sending alarm bells ringing in her head. "The board has figured out that it's someone on the top level. All us in senior management are under suspicion."

"And?" she asked, not liking where this was going.

He took a deep breath. "They aren't also pleased with all the publicity we've been getting lately."

"Publicity? Blanchard Financials hasn't really been in the press," she replied, frowning. "I get news alerts. It's just been the same old, same old."

"He's talking about this publicity." Gold pulled out several magazine and slid them over to her so she could look at them.

Regina spread them out in front of her and her stomach churned. Each had pictures of her on the cover—one of her coming out of the Blanchard residence, one of her and Leo leaving the office, and one where they looked to be in a passionate embrace. All the headlines promised details of her lurid affair with her boss.

"You're fucking kidding me," she said, tossing the magazines back at the two men. "I don't count you raping me in your office on an almost daily basis to be a relationship."

Gold didn't blink, confirming to Regina that he knew what exactly was going on in Leo's office. As for Leo, he just pushed aside the magazines while giving her a disappointed look. "I wish you would stop using that word."

"It's the truth," she replied. "So what do those lies have to do with our situation?"

"We profess to be a family organization. The board isn't thrilled that it appears that I'm being unfaithful to my sick wife with an employee…" Leo trailed off.

The truth hit her like a punch to the gut. She struggled to catch her breath as she asked: "Am I the sacrificial lamb?"

"I'm sorry, Regina. But don't worry, you won't be taken out in handcuffs. Gold and I got the board to agree not to press charges, just as long as you agree to a few things." Leo slid the folder over to her at last.

She opened the folder, finding a document that was several pages long and filled with legalese. "What am I agreeing to?" she asked.

"Pretty much if you agree to not talk about the embezzlement, we won't talk about it. The board will let it go away quietly. You just can't bring any legal actions regarding anything that might have happened here," Gold said. "Anything."

Regina knew that meant she couldn't do anything to punish Leo for his treatment of her, to reveal his harassment and rape. So she closed the folder. "And if I refuse to sign this?"

"Then you go to prison," Gold told her matter-of-factly.

She nodded, collecting the folder as she stood. "I'll need a few days to look this over."

Gold stood as well, shaking his head. "You either sign it now or walk out of here in handcuffs. I think your choice is clear."

"I guess it is." She sat back down, taking the pen he offered to sign the document.

Leo shifted in his seat. "Gold will take you back to your office so you can collect your stuff. Then I need you to clear out your car. I'm taking it back."

"Of course you are," she replied, slamming the pen down on the document. "Anything else?"

"It's probably best if we don't contact each other ever again," Leo said, softly. "I'm sorry, Regina."

She almost felt like laughing. Once she stepped out of the office building, she would never have to deal with Leopold Blanchard again.

Regina couldn't get out of there fast enough.

She felt lighter when she returned to her apartment, despite the fact she was unemployed. However, that seemed like a temporary problem. At least she didn't have to deal with Leo ever again.

Her good mood, though, disappeared when she found a serious looking Daniel waiting for her at home. She set her box down. "What's wrong?"

"Storybrooke's latest reading material." He tossed down the same tabloids Gold had showed her only a few hours earlier. Daniel scowled at her. "Care to explain those?"

"Lies," she said, sitting down in her father's armchair.

Daniel's eyebrow went up. "Really? Because to me, they make a lot of sense. Why you were working late so many days, why you're always at the Blanchard place, why you've been pulling away from me..."

Regina knew she couldn't deny that but at the same time, she had never been able to tell Daniel what she had been going through at work. Even now, when she could tell her relationship was on the line, all she could do was beg. "It wasn't like that, Daniel. I have no romantic feelings for Leo Blanchard."

"But were you sleeping with him?"

Not willingly, she wanted to scream. Instead, though, she asked: "Do you think I would sleep with my boss just to get ahead? You know me, Daniel."

He leaned back, studying her before shaking his head. "I don't, Regina. Not anymore. We've both changed, you the most."

"I know. But we can work together on our relationship," she pleaded. "I love you, Daniel."

"Maybe you did, once upon a time. But let's admit it—we're not working anymore. And I don't think we can be fixed. I'm sorry, Regina. Do whatever you want with the ring. I don't want it back." Daniel stood and walked out of her father's apartment…and her life.

She slid off the chair, sobbing on the floor. A year ago, her life was perfect. Leo Blanchard stole that from her and she could see no way to get back.

That bastard.

Present Day

The room was so silent Regina could hear her own heartbeat. She stared at the mug in front of her, the coffee Will had handed her when they first sat down no doubt cold. Her hands were clasped around it to keep from shaking as she waited for someone to keep from shaking as she waited for someone to say something.

Emma pried one of her hands off the mug and laced their fingers together. Regina turned her head to find her friend's blue-green eyes filled with tears and pain. "You never told me," she said, choked up. "You told me about the blackmail, about the threats, about setting up Michael Tillman, and about how Leopold used you as a scapegoat when the tabloids reported on your so-called relationship. Why not tell me about what he really did to you?"

"I couldn't," Regina replied, voice hoarse. "I almost did a few times. But I don't know…Every time I came close, I worried would change how you saw me. That you would see me as weak, as someone who should've done more to stop what had happened to her. I guess I feared you would see me…how I saw me."

"I see you," Robin said, his hand inched closer to hers but he stopped when his fingers barely grazed her hand. "You are not weak. You've endured so much and persevered. You are amazing."

She stared at his hand, not sure if she wanted his touch or not. Everything seemed topsy-turvy again. But his words warmed her to her core.

Across from her, Will cleared his throat. "Are we the first people you've told?"

Regina shook her head. "I fell back into a depressed state after Daniel left me and I really read that NDA, discovering it barred me pretty much from ever working in finance again lest I give away Blanchard's trade secrets. So I was sleeping most of the time, not eating or showering. Daddy took me to my old therapist even though I was too old for him. He saw me because he was concerned and I guess being back in a space I always had considered safe let me open up to him. He sent me to Dr. Espenson because she had a specific focus I needed."

"And you never reported it to the police?" John asked, taking notes.

"They both encouraged me to but I told Dr. Espenson that I just wanted to put the matter behind me and rebuild my life. But mostly, I was afraid of the NDA."

"How bad is it?" Robin asked John.

John shook his head. "It's power mostly lied in Regina's fear of going to prison. If a real lawyer wrote this up, I'd be very surprise or very suspicious."

"Wait. It's not binding?" Emma asked, brow furrowed.

"Not really," he replied. "There were so many missteps, even a first year law student could easily get it tossed. It's too vague and essentially prevented Regina from working in finance again. It kept her from some necessary legal recourses and she was not given time to seek legal counsel before signing it. Any lawyer would take one look at this and tell her not to sign it."

Regina began to tremble from anger this time. She had let a document with no real power control her life for a decade. "I am such a fool," she whispered.

"No!" everyone exclaimed at once.

Robin inched closer. "You thought it was binding. And clearly Gold was willing to make good on his threat."

"What happens now?" Will asked.

"Regina, you mentioned evidence of the embezzlement. Do you still have it?" John asked, looking through his notes.

She nodded. "It's in a safety deposit box at the First Bank of Storybrooke. My books, the clothes I wore when Leo first…raped me and the recordings I made after."

John's head shot up. "Recordings?"

"I'm not sure how legal they are," she confessed, "but after Tillman's arrests, I guess I expected that I would one day be the sacrificial lamb. And after that, Gold and Leo were careful to never put anything to paper, so I started to record every meeting I had with them. And I kept recording, even when Leo…well…I guess I also expected that one day I would have the strength to report his repeated rapes. But then I let the NDA silence me. So I locked all the recordings up in the safety deposit box, just in case."

His eyes lit up still. "Can we go there tomorrow? I'd like to go over everything before you turn yourself in the next day."

Regina's stomach turned but she nodded. "Of course. Whatever you need."

"Do you need anything else now, John?" Robin asked. "It's been a long day and I think we all need rest."

John nodded. "Yeah. And you give me a call, Regina, when you're ready to go tomorrow. I want you to get plenty of rest."

"Doubt it," she murmured, knowing only nightmares awaited her that night.

"I'll see you out," Robin said, standing as his friend did.

Emma helped Regina up. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight? We can sleep in your room or mine. I don't care."

"I'll be fine," Regina insisted, even though she knew she wouldn't. She just didn't think she could take anymore of Emma's nurse voice. "You get some rest. You'll have to take care of my father for the most part soon."

"Don't talk like that. After everything you've told us, I'm sure John can get you off," Emma said, linking her arm with Regina's.

They walked up the stairs and paused at Regina's door. Emma glanced at it again. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?"

Regina shook her head. "Good night, Emma. Don't worry about me."

"You're more than my best friend, Regina. You're the sister I never had. I'm always going to worry about you." Emma hugged her, holding her tight.

She had thought she wouldn't want to be touched, wouldn't want anyone near her after telling what Leo had done. But now as Emma continued to hug her, she realized that maybe she needed to be held more than she needed to hide.

But she pulled away, trying to give Emma a strong smile. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Emma."

"I can stay," Emma insisted.

Regina shook her head. "I think…I think I need someone else tonight."

Emma nodded as understanding filled her eyes. "Well, you know where to find me just in case. Good night, Regina."

Once she was certain Emma was in her room, Regina went into hers. She only stayed long enough to change into her pajamas before checking on Roland. He slept on, no doubt dreaming sweet dreams and oblivious to the pain she had relived downstairs. For that, she was grateful.

Then she took a deep breath and headed down the hall, taking the familiar turn until she stopped outside the last door at the very end. It was partially open and she could see Robin in his pajamas as he sat on the edge of his bed, head in his hands.

She knocked softly but he still looked up, eyes filled with pain as he took her in. "Regina," he croaked.

"I was hoping I could use your superpower tonight," she said. "But if you'd rather be alone, I can always just sleep with Emma."

"No, no. If you want to stay here, you are more than welcome to," he said, jumping up and flipping his blankets back.

Regina approached him, frowning. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I think you need a break from talking," he replied, running his hand through his hair. "Let's just go to sleep and see what the morning brings."

"No. Something is really bothering you. Don't hold it in because you think I can't handle it. I can," she insisted.

He shook his head. "I'm the reason all of this is happening. Because I wanted information and was too impatient to wait for you to tell me on your own. So I dug around and unearthed all of this for you. I am no better than Leopold."

"Stop that," she exclaimed forcefully. She stepped closer to Robin, keeping her eyes on his. "Yes, you made a stupid decision and it's having serious consequences for me. Yes, it's made me talk about something I had hoped to never discuss again. But you are nothing like Leopold Blanchard, do you hear me? You've shown remorse for your decision and have apologized. You also want to do better and already have taken steps to do so. Leopold never showed any of that for what he did to me. I have no doubt that if I wasn't offered as a sacrificial lamb, he'd still be forcing himself on me today."

Silence filled the room and Regina deflated, sitting down on the bed. "I know I come with a lot of baggage. I guess in some ways it was why I resisted a relationship for so long. So I understand if you want to just go back to being my employer."

"Now when did I ever suggest I want to do that?" Robin knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. "I meant what I said downstairs. I admire you, Regina, and I love you even more now."

"I love you too," she replied, smiling at last. "So where do we go now?"

He bit his lip before asking: "Does Dr. Espenson see couples?"

"Yes. You want to go to counseling?"

"Of course. I am man enough to admit that we need help to deal with everything that's happened. And that we will need it to help us grow and get stronger." He gave her a soft smile.

She bit her lip this time while nodding. "If I escape prison, I'll set up a session with Dr. Espenson. How's that?"

"Good. But you are not going to prison, trust me." He let her hands go and stood. "Now I think we should go to sleep."

Regina nodded, pulling up her legs and sticking them under the blanket. He climbed in next to her, pulling the covers over them as she laid her head on the pillow. Robin clicked off the light and laid down as well.

She rolled onto her side so she could face him, noticing that he did the same. He smiled at her through the darkness. "Go to sleep, lovely. I'll be right here if you need me. Good night."

"Good night," she whispered, her eyes closing.

As she focused on Robin's breathing and let his familiar scent wash over her, she slipped off into what ended up being a peaceful slumber.

A/N: Here it is. The story about what happened to Regina at Blanchard Financials.

I was really nervous about posting this chapter. Like I almost had a panic attack over it because I've never done a rape scene before. I usually try to avoid them because I find them overused in fanfiction and often just used as a means to quickly garner sympathy for an original female character. I know it's also a sensitive topic and I hope—I really hope—I did it justice and that it feels organic to the story and not me trying to be shocking. Because I really looked at it several different ways to see how I could create Regina's backstory at Blanchard Financials, but when I looked at how I characterized Regina, I knew I had really been writing her with this idea that this had happened to her.

Next chapter I'll try to put in a few lighthearted moments into it. I think I need it just as much as you.

Until then…

Mac