The CEO's Regret: His Lost Wife's Secret Twins novel Chapter 119

Chapter 119

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I’m trying so hard to encourage you through my own pain,” she said, her voice rising, drawing curious glances from hospital staff passing

1. “Why can’t you focus on me? We used to be so good together. For ten years, I was the only one in your eyes, wasn’t I? Before she came

along?”

“Can’t we go back to how we were before?” she pleaded, reaching for my hands. I pulled them away before she could touch me. “I want

you to hold me, take my hand, carry me on your back when it rains like you used to… Give us both a chance to start over. Please?”

I shook my head slowly, a cold smile forming on my lips.

“So that’s your game.”

“What?” She looked genuinely confused, or at least pretended to be.

“The rumors online. The stories about us reconciling. The posts about how I’m finally ‘moving on’ from my grief. That’s all your doing,

isn’t it?”

“No!” she protested, eyes widening in what looked like practiced innocence. “Those are just what fans and the media are saying. I haven’t-”

“Save it,” I cut her off. “You used the same pathetic tactics three years ago. Did you think I wouldn’t recognize them? Your fingerprints are

all over this campaign, just like before.”

Emma froze, her expression shifting from denial to shock as the implication of my words sank in. “You… you knew? About the stories back

then? I thought Richard and Elaine handled all that…”

“They didn’t. I did.” I watched realization dawn on her face. “Every fake story, every ‘anonymous source,’ every carefully planted rumor – 1

traced them all back to you.”

She trembled, her composure cracking completely.

“It wasn’t supposed to go that far,’ she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I just wanted… I just wanted her gone from your life. Not

dead. Not like that.”

I felt a cold rage building inside me. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you only wanted to destroy her reputation, not her

life?”

“You really like her that much? After everything I’ve done for you? After she’s been gone for three years?’ Her voice cracked, all pretense

gone. “What’s she got that I don’t? What’s so special about her?”

I stared directly into her eyes, my voice steady and final.

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Chapter 119

“No, Emma, I don’t like Aria.”

I watched her expression crumble, and something in me snapped. The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

“Actually, that’s not true,” I said, turning back to face her. ‘I do love Aria. I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”

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The words hung between us, raw and honest in a way I’d never allowed myself to be before. Not with Emma. Not with anyone. Not even

with myself.

“I don’t know exactly when it started. Maybe it was when she stood up to me despite everything I put her through. Maybe it was seeing

her quiet strength and dignity when the world seemed determined to break her. Or maybe it was always there, from the moment she

walked into my life.”

Emma’s face drained of color. She swayed slightly, reaching for the wall to steady herself.

“But it doesn’t matter now,” I continued, my voice hollow. “She’s gone. She chose to leave. She literally pried my hand off hers at that cliff

and let herself fall.”

Emma’s eyes widened, her breathing shallow. “You can’t mean that,” she whispered. “After everything we’ve been through. You loved me

once. You promised you’d take care of me.”

I nodded slowly. “You saved me thirteen years ago when you pulled me from that Manhattan fire. I promised to take care of you then, and

I kept that promise.”

“But that’s not-

“I’ve done everything I could for you, Emma. I’ve been more than fair. But this ends now.” My voice hardened. “Clean up the mess you’ve made on social media. No more fake stories about our ‘reconciliation. No more waiting for me at my doctor’s appointments.”

She started to protest, but I cut her off.

“The place by my side will only ever belong to Aria. No one else. Especially not you.”

Tears streamed down her face, smearing her makeup further. For a second, I almost felt sorry for her. Then I remembered everything she’d

done, all the manipulation and lies.

“This is the last time I’m asking nicely,” I said, turning away. “Don’t make me take more drastic measures.”

I walked away, feeling both lighter and heavier at the same time. The admission of my feelings for Aria had broken something open inside

me-a truth I’d been fighting for too long.

Outside in the parking lot, Mom was leaning against the car, her eyes distant. She’d been waiting for at least fifteen minutes.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said, approaching her.

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Chapter 119

She studied my face carefully. ‘You look different. Did something happen with Emma?”

“I made things clear to her.”

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Mom nodded, satisfaction in her eyes. “I won’t stand in your way if you want to find someone new, Blake. But it cannot be her. Never her.”

‘I know.”

“What happened to Aria…” Mom hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “I’ve always believed Emma had more to do with it than we

know.”

I didn’t respond. The thought had crossed my mind too many times to count. The coincidences, the timing, Emma’s appearance at exactly

the wrong moment. But without proof, what could I do?

My hand went to my pocket, feeling the prescription the doctor had given me earlier. More sleeping pills. Stronger ones this time. Sometimes I hoped they might help me see Aria in my dreams, but for three months now, she hadn’t appeared even once. It was like

losing her all over again every night.

“Let’s go home,” I said, reaching for the car door.

That’s when I felt something soft hit my shoe. Looking down, I saw a messy lump of chocolate cake splattered across my Italian leather shoes. Rich, dark frosting smeared everywhere.

I froze, stunned by the absurdity of it. Then slowly raised my head to look for the source.

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