The CEO's Regret: Darling, Don’t Leave Me novel Chapter 171

Chapter 12–Necklace for Clara 1

Chapter 121: A Necklace for Clara.–1

Ethan

I stare at the door for a few seconds after Vanessa quietly leaves. I keep thinking.

Not in detail for Clara, not yet. In it… In Vanessa.

I exhale slowly and slump a little deeper into the chair, because if I’m honest… I didn’t expect that.

I did not expect her attitude.

+25 Points

Not after what happened, after our history. Not after the tension, and certainly not after trying to cut ties with her.

Not after everything. And yet… there she was, calm, composed. Even… helping me.

I run a hand over my chin, thoughtful.

Maybe I was too harsh, the idea comes up without asking permission. And I don’t reject it.

2

Maybe I was very curt with her thinking that maybe she would insist that we try things, but no, she just

understood.

Because it’s possible.

Because in the midst of everything I was going through with Clara… I also needed to set limits.

And I did. But now… This feels different.

More balanced, more… of course.

Vanessa didn’t try to make me uncomfortable, she didn’t throw hints. She did not cross any line, quite the opposite. She stayed in her place without encroaching on mine, and that… I appreciate.

I just nod to myself.

“Well,” I murmured.

୮

I take the folder she left on the desk, but before i open it, my mind goes back to the same thing.

How she talked about Clara how she described her.

No poison, no competition, no intention of diminishing her. That also says something… rather, a lot.

I rest my back on the chair, relaxing my shoulders. Because for the first time in days….

I don’t feel that constant alert when it comes to Vanessa.

I don’t feel like I have to be measuring every word, every gesture, every space. And that… it is a break.

A relief.

“Maybe,” I begin to say quietly, “we just needed this.”

Chapter 121–g

e for Clars -1

Clear boundaries. clear roles, each intheir place. And now… It works.

lean forward, finally opening the folder. But one little idea sticks with me.

Persistent, calm, confident. Not total, not–blind. But enough.

Enough to no longer see her as a threat, enough to understand that she may be close… without interfering. And that changes things more than I expected.

I take my phone, turn it between my fingers for a second, and smile slightly.

Because while I think about Clara… I no longer feel that noise around me. That chaos.

Everything seems… More aligned, simpler, more under control. And maybe… just maybe… having Vanessa on this side… It also helps to keep everything in place.

Vanessa soon returns, knocks on the door and enters with the same calm she has had all day.

“I think I know what you could give her,” she says, resting her iPad on my desk. “there I saw an image. It

was a jewel that came inside a small velvet box.”

I look up, I observe her. Then I look down at the box.

“What is it?”

She responds carefully… a necklace. Simple, elegant.

A small diamond, perfectly placed, without excesses. But it’s not ostentatious, it’s… precise.

“It’s not just because of what it is,” Vanessa says. “It’s/because of what it means.”

I lean forward a little, interested.

“The diamond represents what resists,” she continues. “What doesn’t break, even after going through pressure… by time… for everything.”

My eyes stay on the small but firm stone.

“It’s a way of telling her that what you have… isn’t fragile,” she adds. “That it’s been through a lot… and it’s still there. This shop is safe; it’s the best jewelry store in town.”

Silence. Not long, but enough, because I understand it. And I like it.

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