The CEO's Regret: Darling, Don’t Leave Me novel Chapter 292

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<Chapter 209-Hasty Decisions?

Chapter 209: Hasty Decisions?

Clara

+25 Points

The silence that settles after Ethan says that… it’s not just any silence. The silence between us isn’t awkward; it stopped being awkward a long time ago… but now, out of nowhere. It’s dense, heavy… and it weighs on me.

I look at him, I really look at him, into his eyes. And for the first tirne in a long time… I don’t just see the man I love. I see the man who wants to control everything when he feels he might lose.

I swallow. I don’t want to fight, not after everything we’ve built to get here.

“Ethan…”

My voice comes out softer than I expected.

“It’s not that simple.”

He doesn’t answer right away, he just watches me. His eyes are still filled with something I know well… insecurity, yes… but also pride.

“For me, it is,” he says finally, with a calmness that isn’t calm. “I don’t want that man near you.”

I close my eyes for a second, I breathe. Because if I react impulsively… this will all fall apart. And I won’t

allow that.

“But it’s not your company,” I say, opening my eyes and meeting his gaze. “It’s mine.”

There it is. I said it… And I know that carries weight.

His jaw tightens.

“And you’re my wife.”

That line… At another time, it would have melted me. Now… it makes me a little uncomfortable, not because of what it means… but because of how he’s using it.

“And that doesn’t change who I am,” I reply, firm but without raising my voice. “Ethari, I built this. I built this company from the ground up.”

I get up from my chair; I can’t stay seated any longer. I start pacing slowly around the dining room, organizing my thoughts, my words… because I need him to understand. Not from anger, but from reality.

“When you and I parted ways…” I begin, “I didn’t have this. I didn’t have stability. I didn’t have an expansion planned. I didn’t have a team, investors, or anything secured. I built a small company with potential…”

He listens, doesn’t interrupt… Good.

“Alexander appeared at that moment,” I continue. “He believed in my project when it was still… uncertain for many. He put up capital, yes… but also structure, connections, support.”

I look him straight in the eye.

<Chapter 209 Hasty Decisions?

“Thanks to that, we entered New York. Thanks to that, we’re about to open in Boston today.”

I see something shift in his expression, not that he didn’t know… But hearing me say it like this…. it’s

different.

+26 Points

“It’s not just ‘stopping working with him,” I add. “There are signed contrasts, Ethan. Legal agreements. Equity stakes. Commitment clauses.”

I return to the table and place my hands on the surface.

“If I decide to end this partnership now… it’s not just a matter of saying ‘I don’t want to anymore.’ It involves penalties. Lawsuits. A complete restructuring of the company.”

His brow furrows.

“I’ll take responsibility,” he says.

I immediately shake my head.

“No, it’s not about money.”

Because it’s not about money, it never was.

“It’s about my work. My reputation. What I’ve built… the effort, the time… everything.”

My voice cracks slightly… but not from weakness. Because of everything behind it.

“This company isn’t a whim, Ethan. It’s my independence. It’s what sustained me when you weren’t there.”

The blow is gentle… but real. He lowers his gaze for a second. And I know it hit him.

“And now…” I continue, more slowly, “we’re weeks away from an opening. Boston isn’t just any old place. It’s the culmination of this whole process.” I cross my arms, not defensively… but to steady myself. “If I back out now… all of this will crumble.”

Silence… now a long, heavy silence. He runs a hand over his face and exhales.

“So… what?” he says. “Do I just have to accept that man being by your side every day?”

There it is, the real point. It’s not the business, it’s him. Alexander.

I look at him, and this time my tone softens, becomes more intimate.

“No,” I say. “You don’t have to just accept it.”

I move closer slowly.

“But you also can’t ask me to destroy everything I’ve built… because of an emotion.”

He looks up.

“It’s not an emotion,” he replies. “It’s intuition.”

And that… That makes me frown.

“Intuition about what?”

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<Chapter 209 Hasty Decisions?

He doesn’t answer immediately. But know, I feel it.

“That he wants something more,” he finally says. “You know it, Clara.”

There it is, it doesn’t surprise me. But it does weigh on me

I nod slightly and say nothing… And I see his body tense.

“But I don’t.”

Silence again.

“I don’t want anything with him, Ethan,” I repeat, more firmly. “And that should be all that matters.”

He looks at me as if he wants to believe me… but something inside him still resists.

“I don’t like the way he looks at you,” he says.

And that… That makes me uncomfortable, because I can’t control that.

“I can’t control what he feels or thinks,” I reply. “But I can control what I do.”

I take another step closer.

“And I choose you.” I say it clearly, without doubt, without hesitation. “I chose you before… and I’m choosing you now.”

His gaze changes, softens… just barely. But not completely.

“Then set boundaries,” he insists.

I nod. “I will.”

And I mean it, because maybe… he’s right about something. Maybe I’ve been too… flexible.

“But don’t ask me to break up a partnership overnight,” I add. “It’s not realistic.”

He presses his lips together.

“I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t have to,” I reply. “Trust me.”

Another pause… Another silent struggle between us. Until…

+25 Points

“I do, I really do, but he… I’ll give you whatever you need, Clara. We can negotiate something, he gets his money back, I’ll handle it with my lawyers.”

“You know deep down, it’s not easy. Think about it, not as my partner, but as a businessman. It’s… it’s complicated.”

“I told you I’ll fire Vanessa if necessary. I’ll ask for her to be removed from the company tomorrow. I can do that for us, because I’m worried about how you feel… but I see that you, you can’t.”

I look at him calmly.

< Chapter 209 Hasty Decisions

“She’s your employee. Yes. You can fire her tomorrow if you want.” I pause. “But Alexander isn’t my employee.” let that drop. “He’s my business partner.”

Silence.

“And that… is much more complex.”

I feel tired again. Not physically, emotionally.

“All I ask of you…” I say, lowering my voice “is time.”

He doesn’t answer.

+25 Points

“Time to do this right. To handle it professionally. To not destroy something that has taken me years to build.”

I look at him.

“And in that process… I promise I’m going to set boundaries.”

Really, not just say it. Do it.

“I don’t want to lose you” I add, more gently.

And that’s the simplest truth of all.

“But I don’t want to lose myself either.”

The silence returns, but this time… It’s different. Less aggressive, more… reflective.

He looks at me and for a second… I see doubt in him, but I also see something else. Fear… Of losing me. And perhaps… That’s the only thing we have to learn to manage now.

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