HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 210

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke**
**Chapter 210**

Theo exhaled sharply, the weight of his frustration palpable in the air. His expression hardened as he faced Vanessa. “I am standing with you, Vanessa—through this entire scandal. I’ve done everything in my power to keep this under wraps. Do you have any idea how much I’ve spent trying to silence the press? I’ve sacrificed my own reputation for you.” He thrust a trembling finger in her direction, his voice strained with anger. “But you—”

Vanessa took a step back, her shoulders quivering as if the very air around her was charged with tension. “I just… I just want to be fought for, Daddy. I want Daven to stay with me. I want everyone to see me as someone who matters! Why is that so wrong?” Her voice cracked, revealing the vulnerability she desperately tried to conceal.

Theo fell silent, his hard gaze softening for just a fleeting moment before it hardened once more. “It’s not wrong to want that, Vanessa. What is wrong is the way you’ve gone about it. With all your denial and your refusal to heed even a single piece of sound advice, you’ve only managed to tarnish your image further. Hasn’t your agency told you that?” He let out a long, weary sigh, the weight of their situation pressing down on him.

“Think carefully about the path you’re choosing. Humbling yourself now doesn’t equate to defeat, Vanessa. It might just be the only way to make them pay for the humiliation they’ve inflicted on you.”

There was a bitter truth in his words, but Vanessa’s pride and stubbornness had already taken the reins of her heart and mind.

“If I admit fault, then it’s game over? No! I won’t destroy myself just to appease that woman!” Vanessa’s voice rose, breaking under the strain of her emotions. “I am Vanessa Blake! The world knows who I am—not that Althea nobody!” Her words were laced with desperation, a plea for recognition and validation.

Reid, who had been watching the exchange with growing concern, attempted to interject. “Miss Blake, let me be candid. Without a press conference and a public apology, your chances of winning in court are exceedingly slim. Even your agency has indicated they won’t support you if you continue to be this obstinate.” His tone was firm yet sympathetic, as if he were trying to pull her back from the edge.

“I don’t care about them!” Vanessa shouted, slamming the remote against the table with such force that it shattered into a myriad of pieces. “All they want is my money! If my career collapses, they’ll all abandon me anyway!” Her voice was a mix of fury and despair, echoing in the silence that followed.

Theo shot to his feet, his voice booming like thunder. “And so will I if you persist in this reckless behavior!”

The room was engulfed in a heavy silence, the air thick with tension. Vanessa stared at her father, her eyes wide with shock. “Daddy? You… you’d do that too?” Her voice trembled, laced with disbelief.

Theo stepped closer, his face taut, disappointment etched deeply in his features. “Do you think I can just stand by and watch the business and the name I’ve built crumble because of your reckless choices? Do you think I can continue to cover for your mistakes? You don’t understand, Vanessa—one more misstep like this and you will be utterly alone. Not just your career in ruins, but your entire life.”

“No! No! That can’t happen.” Her voice was a frantic whisper, a plea against the dark reality she feared.

“If you’re truly afraid of that, then heed the advice Reid has given you. Reach out to your agency, allow them to help you. Stop being so stubborn. It’s the only way forward, Vanessa.”

She stood frozen, uncertainty flickering in her eyes like a candle in a storm. “Does it… really have to be that way?” She moved closer to her father, grasping his hand tightly, as if holding on to him could somehow anchor her against the storm of decisions she dreaded facing.

Theo looked down at her hand, feeling the weight of her desperation, before gently pulling away. “I’m too tired, Vanessa. If you choose to be stubborn, that’s your decision. But don’t drag me down with you any longer. From this moment on, you will carry the weight of your choices alone.”

Theo had intended to walk away, to grant Vanessa the space she needed to think clearly. But then his aide, Felix, approached with a worried expression, as if he bore news that could not wait.

“Mr. Theo, I apologize for interrupting.”

As if the turmoil in the room weren’t enough, the television, which had been playing a lighthearted international fashion segment, suddenly switched to breaking news—exposing the largest corruption scandal in Mighatan.

And at the center of it all—Theo Blake.

Theo staggered back, his eyes wide in disbelief, his body quaking as the broadcast unfolded, revealing the very foundation of his world crumbling beneath him. Shock rippled through the room—Reid, Felix, and even Vanessa, who winced in pain as a maid attempted to help her toward her room.

But before she could leave, another servant burst breathlessly into the Blake family lounge, his face pale with terror.

“Mr. Theo,” he stammered, voice quaking, “outside… there are dozens of police. They’re escorting officials from the Attorney General’s Office. They’ve come to see you.”

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Dear readers,

Today I’ll update one chapter first. My health is a little off, especially my right hand. Hopefully, I can update again tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.