The CEO's Regret: Darling, Don’t Leave Me novel Chapter 297

<Chapter 213 for Her

Chapter 213: All for Her.

Ethan

+25 Points

The silence in my office after Vanessa left… weighs heavily. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s not oppressive. It’s… different. It’s as if something has finally closed.

I stand for a few seconds staring at the door she left through.

My hands are still in my pockets, tense without me even realizing it.

I exhale slowly, deeply… as if my body had been holding its breath the whole time. It wasn’t easy, it never was going to be.

I walk slowly to my desk, running a hand over my face. I feel the accumulated fatigue in my muscles, in my jaw… in my mind.

I slump into the chair, resting my elbows on the desk and looking down.

Vanessa…

I close my eyes for a second. I don’t feel guilt. But I do feel something… It’s not love, it has nothing to do with that. Years ago, I felt things for her, but I never called it love, if it ever was the way she felt it. It’s more like… a kind of human weight. A shared history. Years of knowing each other, projects, conversations… silences I now understand better.

Maybe I was unfair without realizing it, maybe she clung on more than she should have, maybe we both did. But today… today I made a decision I had to make. And I would make it again. Because now I understand something I wasn’t clear about before… I won’t allow anyone to interfere with what I have with Clara again. Never again.

I hear soft knocks on the door.

“Come in.”

My assistant enters cautiously, as if gauging the atmosphere before speaking.

Her eyes scan the office quickly, searching for something… or confirming something.

“Everything alright, Mr. Blackwood?”

I nod, settling into my chair.

“Yes.”

She hesitates for a second, but then moves a little closer.

“Miss Vanessa…?”

“She won’t be part of the company anymore,” I reply directly.

Г

I see her expression change. She doesn’t hide it completely, but she doesn’t ask unnecessary questions either. She’s professional.

<Chapter 213- for Her

“understand.”

I nod slightly and lean forward, resting my hands on the desk.

“I want you to organize internal interviews first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Internal?”

“Yes.”

I look at her.

+25 Points

“I want to review the best candidates we have on the team. People who already know the company’s dynamics. Their histories, performance, behavior… everything.”

She nods as she makes a mental note.

“I want someone to fill that position as soon as possible.”

“Of course, sir.”

“I know there are capable people here,” I add. “We just have to choose well.”

She nods again.

“I’ll take care of everything.”

I observe her for another second before adding: “Thank you.”

She gives a slight nod and leaves without another word.

The door closes. And I’m alone again. This time… truly alone.

I get up from my chair and walk to the minibar. I don’t think about it too much.

I pour some whiskey into a short glass, the sound of the liquid falling breaking the office silence.

I bring it to my lips; the first sip burns. The second… goes down more easily.

I lean against the edge of the counter, looking out the window. The city keeps moving as if nothing had

୮ happened. As if nothing had changed today. But it had.

I take another sip, thinking of Clara. And everything becomes clear. It always comes back to her, always. Because everything I do now… makes sense because of her.

I set the glass aside, grab my jacket from the back of the chair and my briefcase. There’s nothing else to do here today. That’s enough for one day…

I leave the office, the echo of my footsteps in the nearly empty hallway accompanying me to the elevator. I go down in silence, mentally reviewing the day. The conversation with Vanessa, my assistant’s reaction, the decision. Everything… And yet… the only thing that truly matters to me now is seeing her.

The elevator doors open, and I step out.

My car is already waiting.

Chapter 213 A for Her

“To Clara’s company,” I tell the driver.

The ride is peaceful.

+25 Points

I lean back slightly in the seat, gazing out the window, letting the city pass before my eyes without truly seeing it.

My mind is elsewhere, on her, on her face when she smiles. On how she looks when she’s working, how she looks at me, how… she chose me again. That… I’m not going to lose it.

The car stops in front of her building.

I get out, and the afternoon air is fresh.

I take a deep breath, adjusting my jacket as my eyes automatically shift toward the entrance. I don’t have to wait long; I see her come out. And everything stops.

Clara walks with that confidence she’s always had. Elegant, poised… natural. Her hair moves slightly in the wind, her posture upright, her expression focused, which gradually softens when she recognizes me.

God… She looks perfect. Not in a superficial way, she looks… like everything I want.

I walk toward her without thinking too much. She does the same, and when we’re close enough, I don’t wait any longer. I gently take her face in my hands and kiss her, a calm, deep, and necessary kiss. As if with that I could close everything that was left open today.

When I pull away, her eyes search for me.

“Was I late?” she says softly.

I barely smile.

“No…”

She doesn’t answer right away. She just moves a little closer, taking my hand in hers. Her thumb slowly caresses my skin. That gesture… That simple gesture releases everything, all the tension. Everything.

I watch her for a few more seconds before speaking.

“I spoke with Vanessa.”

I see the change in her expression. Subtle, but it’s there.

“And…?”

“She already knows.”

Silence.

“Did you fire her?” she asks carefully.

I nos.

“Yes.”

r

Chapter 213 for Her

She blinks, surprised.

“Ethan…”

“I told you,” I interrupt gently. “I was going to.”

+25 Points

Clara doesn’t answer right away. She just watches me, as if she’s processing what I just told her. There’s no reproach in her gaze, but there is… something. Perhaps surprise, perhaps understanding, perhaps both.

“All that’s left is for her to sign the documents,” Ladd. “But it’s already done.”

She glances down for a second at our intertwined hands… and then back at me. She says nothing. But she takes a step closer… and lightly squeezes my hand.

“We’re going to be okay,” she says softly.

That phrase… That damned phrase… I feel something in my chest, and I nod slowly.

“Yes.”

I pull her a little closer, wrapping my arm around her waist.

“We’re going to be okay.”

And for the first time all day… it feels real. Not as an idea, not as a promise. But as a certainty.

“I’ll do the same, I’ll keep my word. My love.”

I took her hand and felt that warmth that I can only feel from her, from my wife.

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