The CEO's Regret: Darling, Don’t Leave Me novel Chapter 417

Chapter 326. A Day Like Any Other

Chapter 326: A Day Like Any Other…

Vanessa

I woke up a little late, but it’s understandable; I was really tired.

I got out of bed and ran a shower. The hot water slowly cascaded over my skin; it felt good…. I

closed my eyes and let it run down my neck, my shoulders, my back… as if it could cleanse

something unseen. As if it could wash away thoughts, emotions… decisions.

But no.

Nothing goes away, because in reality… I don’t want it to.

I exhaled slowly.

The steam filled the bathroom, fogged the mirror, softened everything. I stayed there a few seconds longer than necessary, simply… feeling.

Calm, strangely calm.

I turned off the shower. The sound of the water disappeared, and silence returned, that comfortable silence that had enveloped me since I woke up. I got out, grabbed a towel, and dried myself calmly, without rushing, as if today were just another day. And it is.

At least… for me.

I dress in something light and comfortable. Nothing special. My still-damp hair falls over my

shoulders as I walk barefoot to the kitchen.

Everything is in order, everything is in its place, just the way I like it.

I pick up the coffee maker and brew my coffee as I do every morning. The aroma fills the space, warm and familiar. I lean slightly against the counter while I wait.

I inhale, smiling slightly.

It’s curious… how routines can sustain everything. Even when… everything else changes.

I pour the coffee into my favorite mug, white and simple. I carry it to the table, sit down, and cross one leg over the other. And for a moment… I do nothing.

I simply hold the mug in my hands, warm, real, present.

I take a deep breath and then… I remember what I want to see.

My gaze shifts to my phone, which is sitting on the side of the table. There, waiting.

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Chapter 326: A Day like Any Other

I feel a slight pressure in my chest. It’s not nervousness… not exactly.

It’s anticipation, I accept it. I unlock the screen and search. I don’t need to type much. Just a few

words… And there it all is.

News… Headlines… Images. “Clara Sinclair Accident.”

My eyes scan the screen quickly, absorbing every word, every line.

“Status reserved…” “Critical condition..” “Sources close to…” “Details unknown…”

A smile forms on my lips, slow, almost imperceptible. But it’s there, I feel it.

It’s not exaggerated, not overwhelming.

It’s… enough.

Enough to confirm, enough to know, it works.

I carefully place my phone on the table, as if it were unimportant. I take a sip of coffee.

It’s hot, bitter, perfect.

My shoulders relax, my breathing becomes even more steady.

Everything is… in order, just as it should be. I lean back in the chair, look ahead. My fingers circle

the mug as I take another sip.

No rush, no anxiety… No guilt. Or… almost, because then… A thought creeps in.

Ethan.

My gaze drops slightly; he… He must be devastated.

I imagine him in a hospital, pacing… Waiting, without answers… His face tense, his hands restless,

his voice cracking. And something inside me… Stirs, small, unsettling, unexpected.

I frown slightly.

I don’t like this feeling; it shouldn’t be there, but it is.

“He must be sad…” I murmur to myself.

My voice sounds… soft, almost human, almost sincere.

I take another sip of coffee, slower this time. And the image doesn’t leave.

Ethan sitting alone… Waiting for news, waiting for her… Clara.

I grip the mug lightly.

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Chapter 326 A Day Like Any Other

Of all of this, he’s the one who hurts.

Should I go?

The question comes out of nowhere, Clara… The hospital, Ethan, and me.

There… By his side, supporting him. Being present.

My fingers tense slightly, my mind begins to construct the scene… too quickly.

Me walking in, him looking up, surprised, grateful.

Perhaps… in need… I exhale.

“No…”

I shake my head, once, then again.

“I shouldn’t…”

I say it softly, convincing myself, affirming myself.

It’s not the time, it’s not the right thing to do… Not now.

I take another sip of coffee, more resolute, more certain.

“No…”

Trepeat because I know I can’t show up like this.

Not after this, not in the middle of this. It would be… suspicious… It would be… wrong.

And I’m not careless.

I never have been.

I place the mug on the table, my fingers drumming gently.

I think, I calculate, I organize. As always.

“There will be another time…” I murmur.

Calmer, more focused. Yes, that makes more sense.

Not now, not in the chaos… Not in the immediate pain.

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