The CEO's Regret: His Lost Wife's Secret Twins novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174

I checked the equipment. The readings were improving marginally.

‘Are you claiming your physical pain depends on whether I’m in the room?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes. Please, come closer. The agony will lessen faster.

I glared at him. “What kind of manipulative BS is this?”

“No manipulation,” he wheezed. “I’m just hurting too much. The sooner I stabilize, the sooner you can walk out, right?”

I hesitated. The machines weren’t lying-his condition was improving with me present.

“Fine,” I conceded. “I’ll come closer. But this doesn’t mean you get to pull that controlling crap like at the airport.”

“That wasn’t controlling,” he started, but seeing my expression, he backed down. “I promise I won’t.”

Reluctantly, I approached the bed, my green eyes betraying emotions I fought to suppress.

“So now I need to play nurse for you to feel better,” I said coldly. “How pathetic.”

༢༩.

Blake didn’t counter my jab. Instead, he reached out, his grip weak but insistent on my wrist, pulling me closer until I had to lean over

the bed.

He buried his face against my neck. His body felt like ice, but his breath burned against my skin. My body betrayed me, going limp.

“I just need to hold you like before,” he murmured, voice cracking. “I won’t force anything else.”

His face, though deathly pale, still held that unfair handsomeness. His short hair was matted with cold sweat, and the cut at his lips- from our airport confrontation-was bleeding slightly.

My carefully built defenses collapsed. Panic, tension, helplessness, and shame flooded me.

“I’ve never known you before today, Mr. Morgan,” I insisted stubbornly. “You’re obviously delirious.”

“You understand perfectly,” he said with sudden firmness. “Tell me, under your makeup, are there scars? From when you went over that cliff three years ago?”

My heart stopped. Bull’s-eye. During the fall, branches had slashed my face open, leaving scars I covered daily.

“Yes, there are scars,” I admitted, then twisted the knife. “On my face and all over my body. Disgusting marks that would make anyone puke. Now let go.”

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14:24 Mon, Jun 15

Chapter 174

I expected revulsion. Instead, his grip tightened desperately.

“Is that true? His voice shattered. “Aria, did it hurt? Have these three years been hell for you?’

He had no idea. After the fall, I spent over a month in the hospital, fighting for my life. Then came the treatments with Matthew to save my babies. Despite everything, William and Aurora were born with blood disorders that could kill them any day.

But I wouldn’t give him that.

I took a deep breath and reconstructed my walls. “Mr. Morgan, your time’s up. Let go.”

“Just another minute,” he begged, his breathing labored. “Ask me anything you want to know.”

“I don’t want to know a single thing about you,” I replied icily.

*After three years, aren’t you even slightly curious how I’ve been?” he asked, voice fading.

I laughed harshly. “Mr. Morgan… you and Emma have been living your best fairy-tale life. All of New York high society has front-row seats

to that show.”

The memory cut deep. While I was in a European hospital, fighting for my babies’ lives, social media bombarded me with images of Blake and Emma vacationing together.

“No!” Blake’s face flushed with sudden color. “It wasn’t like that! These three years have been absolute torture!”

His next words hit me like a physical blow.

“My heart has only had room for you these three years. You’re all I’ve ever wanted!”

I stared at him, stunned. Was he for real? I wanted to rip off my Arya disguise right then and confront him.

Before I could respond, the door flew open. Elizabeth rushed in, her face transformed with relief.

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