The CEO's Regret: Darling, Don’t Leave Me novel Chapter 209

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hapter 145 Cracks, Part 2-2

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Chapter 145: Cracks, Part 2.-2

“Fine,” I reply.

That’s all. I don’t owe her anything anymore.

“It shows,” she says.

Her lips curve slightly.

“Ethan’s fine, I guess.”

There it is, the twist. The mention.

My back tenses… just a little, just enough for me to notice. But not to be seen.

“Yes,” I answer. “He is fine.”

Vanessa nods slowly.

“He looks very happy lately.”

It’s not a question, it’s a statement. And that… that makes me look at her more carefully.

“I’m glad,” she adds. “Really.”

But I don’t know whether to believe her, I don’t know if I want to. There is something in her way of saying it.

Something that does not reach the eyes.

“I imagine you two have been… getting closer again,” she continues.

Silence. I don’t respond right away, not because I don’t have anything to say.

But because I’m deciding if I want to say it.

“We’re fine,” I finally reply.

Simple, straightforward. Enough.

Vanessa nods, but does not look away.

“That’s good,” she says. “Ethan… he needs stability.”

The phrase makes me uncomfortable, not because of what it says. But because of how she says it.

Chapter 145 Cracks, Part 2-2

As if she knew something, as if she had the right to have an opinion.

“We all need it,” I reply.

My tone goes down a little bit, firmer.

Vanessa smiles. But this time… I notice it more.

That little tension on her lips.

“Of course.”

Silence.

But this one is not comfortable, this one… It’s full of unsaid things.

I watch her. And I can’t help it.

I’ve never liked her, never. There is no specific reason, there is no specific time.

It is a sum of sensations.

Of details, of looks, of tones, of things that don’t fit. And now… here… is confirmed.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I say finally.

My voice is soft, but not innocent.

Vanessa tilts her head slightly.

“No?”

“No,” I repeat.

I hold her gaze.

“But I suppose last-minute changes happen.”

A small pause. But intentional.

She notices it, of course she does.

“Yes,” she replies. “Especially when there are important things at stake.”

Again.

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That way of saying things, as if she spoke in layers. As if each sentence had something else behind it.

apter 145 Cracks Part 2-2

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Not because I don’t understand, but because I want to hear it directly.

Vanessa looks at me for a second longer, more closely. And then… smiles.

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But this time… Yes, there is something different. Something that is not completely kind.

“Nothing in particular,” she says. “Just… business.”

But I don’t believe her, not completely and she knows it.

“Anyway,” she adds, changing her tone slightly. “I’m glad to see you well, Clara.”

She takes a step back. But she doesn’t leave completely.

“Really.”

I nod.

“Thank you.”

But there’s no warmth in my voice, not real. Vanessa raises her glass once more.

“Enjoy the night.”

“You too.”

Vanessa takes a step back, and for a second… I think she’s going to leave. Really.

That uncomfortable, measured conversation, full of phrases that didn’t end up saying anything… It’s finally going to end. But no… she stops.

I feel it before I see it, that little change in the air… in the way her gaze is no longer in my eyes, but a little further down. I follow the direction, my neck. The necklace.

My fingers react almost reflexively; I touch it. The small stone rests right where Ethan left it… where he placed it that night.

I hold it gently between my fingers, as if I suddenly need to feel it more real.

More mine, more… ours.

Vanessa doesn’t say anything right away, she just stares at it intently.

“Oh…” she finally says, in a low voice.

That tone, soft. But laden with something I can’t quite decipher.

hapter 145 Cracks, Part 2-2

I look up at her.

“So… you have the necklace.”

My breath catches in my throat.

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