The CEO's Regret: His Lost Wife's Secret Twins novel Chapter 176

Chapter 176

“Aria?”

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That voice. I whipped around to see Blake Morgan standing just feet away, looking like death warmed over in his expensive suit that now

hung loosely from his gaunt frame.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I blurted out. “Shouldn’t you be hooked up to machines or something?”

Blake’s hollow eyes fixed on the corner of my mouth. “You’ve got sauce there,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. ‘Lunch with

Matthew?”

I wiped my mouth aggressively, glaring. “That’s absolutely none of your business, Mr. Morgan.”

“Why aren’t you in your hospital bed?” I demanded, my eyes involuntarily assessing how much weight he’d lost, how his cheekbones jutted sharply under his skin.

“Checked myself out,” he explained, swaying slightly. “Symptoms backed off enough. Can’t stand hospitals.”

“Been avoiding them for three years,” he added quietly. “Too many ghosts in those halls.”

“So you’re just gambling with your life?” I couldn’t believe his stupidity. “You should be following doctor’s orders instead of wandering around in the rain!”

“Being there reminds me of what happened between us,” he murmured, then added vaguely, “What I did to you there…”

I felt my insides turn to ice. My patience snapped like a dry twig.

“Why do you keep bringing up the past?” I demanded, not bothering to hide my irritation. “It’s your life. Throw it away if you want. Not my problem.”

I needed to get back to William and Aurora. My babies were waiting, and here I was, stuck in the rain with their father who didn’t even know they existed.

“Aria,” Blake’s voice softened pathetically. “Could you possibly drive me home? To Hampton?”

I stared at him, incredulous. “You run a multi-billion dollar company. Don’t you have drivers? Cars? A helicopter?”

“Sent Jack home with my mother,” he explained, his breathing labored. “Didn’t want to make him drive back in this weather.”

As if on cue, he stumbled slightly, catching himself against a column. His knuckles turned white with the effort of keeping himself upright. “Can’t drive like this.”

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14:25 Mon, un 15

Chapter 176

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“One assistant? Really?’ I challenged. “A company your size must have an army of people who could chauffeur the great Blake Morgan.”

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‘Can’t let people see me like this, he replied, his voice barely audible over the rain. “Stock prices. Company stability. You know how it is.”

His shoulders slumped in defeat, making him look even smaller. “I get it. You don’t want to be around me. I’ll grab a cab.”

“Sorry for bothering you,” he added, his voice carrying a brokenness I’d never heard before.

Blake turned away, taking a shaky step toward the pouring rain. Despite his CEO title, he looked utterly abandoned and defenseless. His commanding presence had vanished, replaced by a shadow of the man he once was. For a moment, all I saw was a seriously ill person stubbornly refusing help, about to collapse in the rain.

“Stop right there!” I called out before my brain could override my mouth.

He paused, turning with painful slowness.

“I’ll drive you home,” I said through clenched teeth. “But the second we get there, I’m gone. Understand?”

Blake’s face transformed with relief, making him look almost human again. “Thank you.”

Something about his gratitude felt way too convenient. That little spark in his eye. That hint of satisfaction.

Great job, Aria. You’ve probably just walked straight into another one of his manipulative traps. When will you learn that those puppy dog eyes and that helpless act are just weapons in his arsenal? But what was I supposed to do? Let him collapse in the parking lot? Let him die in the rain? As much as I hate him, I don’t actually want him dead. Though right now, I’m not entirely sure why not.

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