Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel)

Gabriel's POV

Adrian flinched at my words-like I'd swung a fist.

Why the hell did he look hurt?

What did he expect? After everything that happened? After showing up late? After playing his part so poorly-so selfishly? Did he really think he could manipulate my emotions?

That wasn't going to work. Not anymore.

"For what it's worth," Adrian said, his voice cracking, "these past few weeks... I gave everything I had to this project. God knows I tried-"

I scoffed, bitterness rising like bile. "You gave your all? And yet you didn't show."

My voice turned cold. "Enlighten me, son. What, exactly, was so goddamn important that you blew off a multi-million-dollar meeting and embarrassed everyone tied to your name?"

He blinked, jaw working, but no sound came out. Finally, he muttered, "I... I don't think you'd understand, Dad."

"No shit."

His face crumpled, shoulders sagging under the weight of guilt he couldn't shake.

I stared at him for a long moment, exhaling a breath full of emotion.

"That's what I thought."

Behind him, Clairessa remained still-her hands tightly clasped in front of her, eyes on the floor, lips pressed into a thin, unreadable line.

"Get out," I said, low and controlled. "Adrian, get out before I say something I won't take back."

"I tried, Dad-"

"And you failed. As always," I snapped, my voice cracking-not from rage, but from the weight of disappointment that had been building for years.

"You want to be treated like a man? Then act like one. Show up. Own your shit. Stop running late and calling it bad luck. Stop fucking around and expecting praise for mediocrity."

His eyes shone, red and wet-filled with that same blend of shame and resentment I'd seen too many times before. The boy couldn't decide whether he wanted to cry or scream.

He turned toward the door, jaw tight.

Clairessa shifted to follow, but I raised a hand. “Not you."

Adrian spun back, panic flashing across his face. "Wait-why?"

He crossed the room faster than I expected, chest rising and falling with shallow, anxious breaths.

"Dad, please. I hope you're not... don't take this out on her."

I narrowed my eyes. My fury deepened.

He clasped his hands tightly, pleading. "It's my fault. All of it. She kept calling me, asking where I was-I ignored her. I was the one who couldn't get my act together. Don't blame her for my screw-up."

He turned, glancing at Clairessa-guilt plain in his eyes.

"She doesn't deserve that. If you're mad, be mad at me."

Behind him, Clairessa stiffened. Her fingers twitched at her sides, but she said nothing.

Adrian kept going, like he could somehow fix this.

"She's the reason that pitch even happened. She carried it. She saved it. Don't punish her because I'm the one who failed."

Each word scraped at my patience.

"This," I growled, stepping in, "is the worst possible time to challenge me, Adrian."

He opened his mouth.

I raised a hand sharply. "Not another word."

He froze, lips trembling.

"You don't get to decide how I handle this. You don't get to shield her now like some martyr, after you let her carry your failure."

"I'm just saying—"

"Get. Out."

He flinched at the command. His face twisted-half anger, half heartbreak-but he obeyed.

He looked back at Clairessa once more, eyes soft with guilt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She didn't answer. Arms crossed, jaw locked, eyes like stone. She wouldn't even glance his way.

He stood there a moment, wilting under the weight of her silence.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked out.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Silence.

It was just the two of us now.

I didn't move.

Not at first.

Just stared at her.

She stood in the middle of my office, too still-like she didn't know how to exist in this space anymore. Her fingers brushed along her arm,

restless, as if looking for somethiet

to do. Her eyes danced anywhere but on me.

She was nervous.

I could feel it in the air.

Hell, I could taste it.

Maybe it was because we were alone. Maybe it was because she still felt what I

did. Or maybe she was measuring her next move-calculating how to get through this without setting me off.

But none of it mattered.

God, I wanted to close the space between us-pull her into me, bury my face in the curve of her neck, and breathe her in until the world ceased to exist. I wanted to remind her what it felt like to be mine.

To tell her I missed her.

Every second. Every brutal, goddamn day.

I wanted to feel her give in, melt against me like she used to.

To erase the weeks that tore us apart.

To lose myself in her scent and pretend none of it ever happened.

But I didn't.

I couldn't.

So instead, I turned and paced-back and forth behind my desk like a caged animal. My palms burned. My chest ached from the effort of holding it all in.

Because if I stopped, I'd touch her.

And if I touched her, I wouldn't stop.noveldrama

Then-softly, from behind me-

"Mr. Storm," she said. "I'm sorry."

I stopped mid-stride.

Didn't turn. Just closed my eyes and let the sound of it settle.

That name. Mr. Storm.

I hated it from her mouth. Too formal. Too distant.

Like we were strangers.

And we weren't.

Not even close.

She went on, cautiously.

"I know you're angry. You gave me one task-just one-and I didn't deliver. I tried,

I swear I did. Adrian just... didn't show. There was nothing I could do."

I turned slowly, then stepped toward her, my fingers trailing along the edge of the desk-grasping for something solid, anything to anchor me before I lost control completely.

But it wasn't anger flooding through me anymore. It was something heavier.

Disappointment, maybe.

Or the kind of weariness that settles deep in your bones when you've run out of

ways to care—and still can't stop caring.

But beneath it all was the pull-undeniable, constant-toward the woman

standing a few feet behind me.

"I'm not angry at you."

My voice came out low. Too calm.

Her eyes shot up, startled. She'd braced for the worst. Expected me to lash out.

But yelling was the last thing on my mind.

If only she knew-how badly I wanted to grab her by the waist and pin her to the

wall, my mouth crashing down on hers until her lips were swollen and slick with

want.

Until she stopped pretending she didn't want this-pressed her soft, wicked body against mine, gasping

into my mouth, her fingers digging into my shirt like she'd rathe@die than let me go.