HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 191

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke 191**

**Chapter 191**

Krystal pushed a thick folder across the table, the sound echoing in the tense atmosphere. “What more can I say? Contracts. Not just a single one, but a multitude—partnerships that link you to various labels. Almost every single one is demanding termination. And none of them have any intention of renewing. Do you grasp the gravity of this, Vanessa? It’s all because of your mess.”

Vanessa, her emotions boiling over, shoved the folder away with a forceful swipe. Papers erupted from it like a flurry of snowflakes, scattering across the floor in a chaotic dance. “How dare you pin this on me! As if this agency hasn’t drained every ounce of my energy! Without my presence, you’d be nothing!”

Krystal’s lips curled into a frosty smile, one that sent a chill down Vanessa’s spine. “Oh, you’re absolutely correct. We have profited from your image. But let’s not pretend that you haven’t reaped far more than your fair share. The fame, the fortune, the prestige—the kind of preferential treatment that other models here can only fantasize about. Stop acting as if you’re the innocent victim in all of this.”

“I *am* the victim!” Vanessa retorted, her voice rising in pitch, filled with a mix of fury and despair. “I’m the one who was betrayed by Daven! I’m the one who fell into Althea’s trap! And now everyone is shoving me into a corner!”

Krystal folded her arms, her expression unyielding. “You didn’t even bother to inform the agency before that disastrous press conference. Did you think to include us in your plans?”

Before Vanessa could muster a response, Krystal pressed on, her voice unwavering. “You acted completely independently, as if we were invisible. And when the other side unleashed their so-called facts, you were left exposed and defenseless. While you crumbled under the weight of it all, what happened to us? Did you genuinely believe we enjoyed watching your name dragged through the mud on national television without any strategy to protect you? Did you think clients wouldn’t hold us accountable as well?”

Vanessa froze, her throat tightening painfully, words slipping away like sand through her fingers.

Leaning forward, Krystal locked eyes with her, the intensity of her gaze unrelenting. “Listen closely, Vanessa. This mess is entirely on you. You played with fire in your personal life, and now you’re the one getting burned. You acted recklessly, without control, without even a whisper of communication to us. The only way any of us can survive this is if you step up and take responsibility.”

Vanessa swallowed hard, the weight of Krystal’s words pressing down on her. “Take responsibility… how?”

“You will face the public. A formal clarification. A public apology. If you refuse, you won’t just lose contracts—you’ll lose your entire career. And when that day comes, don’t expect this agency to stand behind you.”

The room fell into a heavy silence. Vanessa felt her breath hitch in her throat, her chest constricted as if bound by iron chains. She wanted to scream, to deny everything, to lash out in defiance—but deep within her, a flicker of understanding ignited. Krystal was right.

Slowly, she rose to her feet, her complexion pale, her eyes flashing with brittle defiance as she glared at Krystal.

“I will *never* apologize, Krystal. Not to anyone. Not to Daven, and certainly not to that wretched woman!”

Krystal’s smile was thin, lacking warmth. “Then brace yourself for the inevitable loss of everything.”

“That won’t happen!” Vanessa shot back, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and desperation.

With a long, weary sigh, Krystal pressed her fingers against her temple, a gesture that spoke of exhaustion from the ongoing battle. “If you can think of anything—anything at all—that might help mend this situation, you need to tell me. At the very least, the agency must prepare a defense if we are to stand behind you.”

Vanessa scoffed, her dismissiveness palpable.

Because of this, Krystal chose silence. It wasn’t that she refused to defend Vanessa; it was simply that there was nothing left to defend.

Sarah leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest, her eyes sharp with impatience as they bore into Vanessa. “Whether the claims are true or false, the public believes what they’ve seen. And the agency bears the consequences alongside you. Or have you forgotten that your contract contains a very explicit clause about maintaining a positive public image?”

“I have a private life too!” Vanessa shot back, her voice slicing through the tension. “Why does everyone act as if I have to be perfect?”

A senior staff member shook his head, disappointment etched on his features. “No one expects you to be perfect. But there are boundaries, Vanessa. And you’ve crossed them.”

Vanessa’s gaze snapped toward him, her eyes ablaze as though his words had struck a raw nerve. “You think I’m the only model who’s ever faced a scandal? The difference is, I’m the one being shredded apart from every angle. No one defends me as if every accusation thrown my way is fact. If the agency truly cared, you would protect me instead of throwing me to the lions in the press.”

Sarah pressed her fingers to her forehead, then suddenly erupted into a sharp, mocking laugh. It echoed around the room, loud and derisive, punctuated by a slow clap.

“My God,” she shook her head in disbelief. “Did you really just say that, Vanessa?”

Their eyes clashed—not with civility, but with raw hostility. The tension in the room thickened, Sarah’s expression hardening into a mask of unforgiving resolve.

“You expect us to shield you? From the very lions that once built your name? And yet you never involved us in a single decision!” Sarah’s voice rose, slicing through the air like a blade. “You acted independently. You held a press conference without permission, without coordination. We only discovered your actions when you suddenly appeared on every TV channel and half the major social media live streams. And then—boom! New evidence was released in real time while you were still speaking. Do you have any idea how devastating that was for us?”