The CEO's Regret: Darling, Don’t Leave Me novel Chapter 343

< Chapter 253. I’ll Fight, But Not for Her

Chapter 253: I’ll Fight, But Not for Her.

Alexander

The silence inside the elevator isn’t normal; it’s not just the absence of sound. It’s… pressu a pressure that settles in the chest, in the throat, in the mind. And in her.

Clara tries to stay strong; I see it in the way she moves, in how she presses the buttons ag and again, in how she breathes, trying to control herself, but something is breaking, and I notice it. I always notice it.

“You have to stay calm,” I tell her, my voice low and steady. “Someone’s coming.”

It’s not a promise, it’s a necessary statement.

She doesn’t answer, she just lowers her gaze. And then I see it… A tear slowly sliding down her cheek. As silent as this confinement, as real as everything she doesn’t say.

My body reacts before any calculation.

“You don’t have to cry.” I approach, without intruding. Without rushing… Just close enough.

I put my arms around her, and for a second… she doesn’t move. She stays leaning against me, vulnerable. So human. She’s not the impeccable woman from meetings, not the brilliant mind making decisions. She’s a frightened woman in a confined space, and in that instant… feel her close. Too close… But it doesn’t last long, it always doesn’t last long.

Her hand rests against my chest, firm. Creating distance, and then it quickly moves away. As if she remembers who she is, as if she remembers who I am. I don’t say anything, there’s no need.

Time passes slowly, twenty minutes. Maybe more. In here, it’s impossible to measure it precisely.

We end up sitting on the floor, leaning against opposite walls. The air is heavier, the silence less uncomfortable. And then we speak, because silence is no longer enough.

“The project is moving forward,” I say, breaking the stillness. “That’s what’s important.”

She nods.

“Yes… after everything that happened… it stabilized.”

I watch her; there’s weariness in her voice. But also… doubt.

“You did a good job” she adds.

<Chapter 253: I’ll Fight, But Not for Her.

I don’t smile.

“I didn’t do it for recognition.”

She looks at me.

“Then why?”

I hold her gaze.

“Responsibility.” I pause. “I see the company as something of my own.”

It’s not a pretty phrase, it’s true.

“Like it’s the child I never had.”

Her eyes barely change. She understands.

“There are things that aren’t built with money or signatures alone, Clara.”

My tone remains calm, controlled.

+25 Po

“They’re built with decisions… with presence… with someone who can hold things together when everything falls apart.”

She looks at me, and that look… says more than words. For a second, the thought crosses my mind to say it, to tell her I know. That I know what she wants to do, that I know she wants to push me away, but no. Not here, not like this…

I barely manage a smile.

“It would be interesting to laugh about this someday.” I glance around. “Trapped in an elevator in the middle of a multi-million dollar expansion.”

She lets out a soft exhalation, almost a laugh, almost.

“I’m part of the essence of this company,” I add, without arrogance, just certainty. And I let the sentence fall, without pushing it, without demanding a response. Time keeps ticking, or at least I suppose it does.

The conversation flows more easily. Work, logistics, mistakes, corrections. Everything that’s safe, everything that doesn’t hurt. Until I decide to move the line slowly, carefully.

“Do you always handle pressure like this?”

She looks up.

“Like what?”

<Chapter 253: ‘ Fight, But Not for Her

“By keeping everything to yourself.”

Silence.

“It’s part of the job.”

“Not everything is work.”

Her expression barely changes.

“I don’t think we should talk about personal matters.”

Direct… Clear, predictable. And yet… interesting.

I observe her for a few seconds, then ask the question. Not because I expect an answer, bu because I want to see her respond.

“Are you sure about what you’re doing?”

She frowns.

“What do you mean?”

I don’t soften my tone, not this time.

“Do you want to marry him?”

Silence… Not immediate, not impulsive.

She holds my gaze.

“Yes.”

Without hesitation.

“And nothing will make me change my mind.”

There it is, the line. The truth, the decision. The confirmation of something I already knew. Separating them… isn’t difficult, it’s almost impossible. And for the first time in all of this… think I accept it. Not with frustration, but with clarity.

I’m not Vanessa; I’m not going to wear myself out chasing something that won’t budge. I’m not going to insist where there’s no crack, but neither… am I going to let them take what’s mine. My company…

Time keeps passing. I looked at her, and despite being close, I saw her as far away. As a woman, I don’t see her as accessible. I created this to delay things, to buy time and think. But now, now that I think about it… I won’t do anything. There will be no plans, there won’t be…

Chapter 253: 1 Fight, But Not for Her.

there won’t be anything, and although my ego hurts to admit it, I’m not going to fight for a woman who has already chosen where to stay, but I am going to fight for my place in the

company.

If Ethan doesn’t want to see me with her, he’ll have to do it another way, because I won’t let myself be displaced from my company.

The sound arrives without warning: blows, voices, metal… Light. The doors open with difficulty, the air changes immediately.

“Are you alright?”

An engineer, a couple of workers. Outstretched hands… Clara comes out first. They help her

“Yes… we’re fine,” she replies.

I get out after.

“Any injuries?”

“No.”

I look around and then I see him, the engineer. The same one who warned me about using

those elevators earlier.

I approach him, my expression changing.

“Why aren’t there any signs here saying these elevators are out of order?”

He stares blankly.

“Sir, I…”

I don’t let him finish.

“We could have died because of you.”

My voice doesn’t rise, but it’s short… dry… harsh… I look at him with a frown.

He doesn’t contradict me. He just says: “We’re sorry, sir.”

His gaze was unfriendly, but he would never look bad in front of Clara. The man swallows,

doesn’t answer, he can’t.

I look at Clara.

“Let’s go.”

Chapter 253: Il Fight, But Not for Her

+25 Points

And I walk in another direction, she follows me without looking back. As we walk down the hallway, I understand something with perfect clarity. I’m not going to have her, not in that way, not on that ground. But this… this isn’t over yet. Because if anyone thinks they can get me out of the company… then they haven’t understood anything about who I am.

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