Seventeen Times She Came, Once I Stopped Caring Chapter 07

Seventeen Times She Came, Once I Stopped Caring Chapter 07

Ethan felt the blood freeze in his veins.

Not worth it.

He’d been played by a con artist, chasing nothing for three years.

And Leah—what had she felt?

Memories crashed over him like a flood.

The first time he helped Megan wasn’t at a wedding.

It was at Leah’s product launch. She was on stage, pitching to investors.

Then Megan ran up, holding that photo, crying for help to find her brother.

Leah’s face went white.

And what did he do?

He pulled Leah down, had his assistant take over the stage, and turned the press’s lenses on Megan.

He held Leah’s trembling frame and whispered, “It’s fine. I’ll handle it.”

Leah’s voice shook. “No—I have to stop her. My company is just starting out. This launch is everything.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Leah, don’t. She’s desperate—she wouldn’t do this otherwise.”

“But my product—”

“I’ll make it up to you. I’ll get you another launch, better than this one.”

Leah had gone still in his arms, from shock to pain, until she stopped fighting.

Like a fish out of water, suffocating in his grip.

But the truth was, the day before, he’d seen Megan crying in the hallway with that photo.

He was moved by her tears. He remembered his own cousin who’d been taken—and found safe later.

So he wanted to help.

What a joke.

Megan was just acting.

And he’d let her trample Leah’s boundaries over and over.

From that launch to all those weddings.

He’d been like a blind man, chasing a ghost.

He’d lied about business trips and left the window open—killing their cat of seven years.

He remembered Leah’s ashen face, holding Milo’s body in the rain, silent tears.

He’d thought it was grief over a pet.

Now he understood, she lost more than a cat. She lost the last shred of trust she had in him.

And just a few hours ago, he’d thought it was all because he’d been duped.

But even if Megan really had a missing brother—

He shouldn’t have used Leah’s career, her pride, her wedding, as a sacrifice to someone else’s cause.

Megan called Leah weak?

No. Leah wasn’t weak. She was in love. She trusted him. And he’d betrayed her.

Regret drowned him.

Was she—was she completely done with him?

“Sir, are you still there?” The assistant’s voice was concerned.

Ethan forced words out. His own voice sounded foreign.

“Put everything together. Post it online. Have Crestwood’s most trusted outlets run it. I don’t care how much it costs to keep it trending.”

“Sir—”

“And,” he said, something clicking, “set up a livestream for me.”

The assistant paused. “What for?”

“To win back my wife.” Ethan’s voice broke. “I need to apologize to Leah. I need her back.”