The CEO's Regret: His Lost Wife's Secret Twins novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

ARIA

Two days later, I sat in the hospital waiting area. My hand throbbed with each heartbeat. The pain had

gotten worse overnight.

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Martha insisted I come back. She threatened to call Blake if I refused. I gave in.

I kept my head down. The baseball cap covered most of my face. I didn’t need anyone recognizing me. The

last thing I wanted was people asking questions about the Morgan family’s affairs.

“Aria Taylor?” A nurse called my name.

I stood and followed her into the treatment room. She was young, blonde, with a kind smile. Her name tag

read Jenny.

“Let me see that hand.” She gestured to the chair.

I sat down and unwrapped the bandage myself. Better to control the reveal.

Jenny gasped when she saw the wound. “Oh my God. What happened?”

The line of black stitches across my palm was angry and red, the skin around it swollen and hot to the

touch.

“Just an accident.” I kept my voice flat. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“This is serious.” Jenny’s hands were gentle as she examined the injury. “This looks infected. You need to be

more careful about keeping it clean and dry.”

“I know.”

She didn’t push for more details. Thank God for professional discretion.

The cleaning process hurt. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making noise. Jenny worked carefully,

applying antiseptic and fresh bandages. The whole thing took twenty minutes.

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“Keep it dry. Come back in three days.” She finished wrapping the gauze. “And please be more careful.

I nodded and left the treatment room.

The waiting area was half full. An older couple sat near the window. A mother tried to calm her crying

toddler. A businessman scrolled through his phone.

And then I saw the TV mounted on the wall.

The Late Night Show with David Rivers. The logo flashed across the screen. I froze.

That show only interviewed A-list celebrities. Oscar winners. Tech billionaires. Political heavyweights. The

waiting list was months long. Sometimes years.

Emma Grant appeared on screen. She wore a flowing dress. Her hair was styled in soft waves. She looked

radiant under the studio lights.

This made no sense. Emma was a principal dancer. Not a prima ballerina. Not a household name. She

shouldn’t be on this show.

Unless someone pulled serious strings.

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“So Emma, tell us about this whirlwind romance.” David Rivers leaned forward with interest. “You and Blake

Morgan have been the talk of the town.”

Emma’s smile was luminous. “Blake is everything to me. He’s been so supportive of my career. My dreams.”

“He’s here tonight, isn’t he?” David gestured off-camera.

The camera cut to Blake in the audience. He sat in the front row. His expression was warm. Tender. He

raised his hand in a small wave.

The audience applauded.

My chest constricted. I couldn’t breathe.

“We’re so happy for you two!” A woman in the waiting area clapped. “They’re such a beautiful couple.”

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“That’s Blake Morgan, right?” Her companion squinted at the screen. “The CEO?”

“Yes! I read about their engagement in the society pages.”

More people turned to watch. The TV had everyone’s attention now.

17?

Emma continued talking. “Blake changed my life. Before I met him, I was just another dancer trying to make

1. But he saw something in me. He believed in me when no one else did.”

What a joke. Emma had connections from birth. Her family name opened doors. She never struggled a day

in her life.

“He’s arranged for me to perform at the Kennedy Center next month.” Emma’s eyes shone with gratitude.

“Can you believe that? The Kennedy Center!”

David Rivers whistled. “That’s incredible. Blake must really love you.”

“He does.” Emma’s voice dropped to something intimate. “And I love him. More than anything in this world.”

The camera cut back to Blake. He was standing now. He walked onto the stage. The audience went wild.

Emma stood to meet him. He took her hand and kissed it. Right there on national television.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Blake Morgan!” David announced.

Blake pulled Emma close. His arm around her waist. She leaned into him. They looked at each other with

such tenderness. Such devotion.

I wanted to vomit.

“Blake, you’re a busy man.” David addressed him directly. “Running a global empire. Yet you made time to be

here tonight. For Emma.”

“Emma is my priority.” Blake’s voice was clear. Strong. Authoritative. “Everything else comes second.”

The women in the waiting area sighed. One of them dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

“He’s so romantic,” someone whispered.

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The contrast was suffocating. Crushing. Absolute.

My hand throbbed under the fresh bandages. The pain reminded me of everything. The darkness. The cold. The blood on the concrete floor. The sound of the door slamming shut.

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I pressed my other hand to my stomach. Felt the slight curve there. Besides Matthew, no one else knew. The secret growing inside me was the only thing keeping me sane.

We’ll be okay, I promised silently. I’ll get us out of this. I just need time. Need to be smart about it. Need to

wait for the right moment.

The interview continued. Emma talked about her upcoming performances. The audience was anticipating

their wedding date.

Perfect. This was exactly what I needed. Once he married her, I could finally file for divorce. No one would

question it. No one would try to stop me. The contract would be fulfilled in some twisted way.

I’d be free. Free to disappear. Free to raise this baby far away from the Morgan name. Far away from all of

this.

So why did my chest hurt? Why did my throat burn? Why did I feel like someone was crushing my ribs?

This was good news. This was what I wanted. Freedom. Escape. A clean break.

But my body didn’t seem to understand that. My hands shook. My vision blurred. The room tilted sideways.

I heard the TV in the background. Emma’s laugh tinkling through the speakers. The audience’s approval

washing over them both.

Everything I’d never have. Everything he’d never give me.

The realization settled into my bones. Became part of me. Permanent. He would never choose me. Never

protect me. Never love me.

I was nothing to him. Less than nothing. A contract. An obligation. A burden he couldn’t wait to shed.

The dizziness got worse. My head felt heavy. My chest tight. I couldn’t get enough air. Each breath was

shallow. Insufficient.

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I closed my eyes. Forced air into my lungs. Counted backwards from ten.

The world spun. My stomach churned. Bile rose in my throat.

Not here. Not now. I couldn’t fall apart in public. Couldn’t give anyone a reason to ask questions.

A hand touched my shoulder. Warm. Steady. Concerned.

“Aria?”

I opened my eyes and looked up.

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Blake is worried about appearances so much that he has a contract wife, but now he’s announcing a engagement to someone else while he’s still married… More

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The CEO’s Regret: His Lost Wife’s Secret Twins