Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel) novel Chapter 191

Clairessa’s POV

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. It was finally the weekend, and I was grateful for the silence—for the chance to just breathe.

There was no reason to rush. No alarms. No buzzing phone. No morning meetings. Just stillness. A well-earned pause.

I padded to the window and pulled the curtains open slightly, letting in the warm, golden morning light. I shut my eyes and let the sun wash over my skin—just for a moment—as my mind drifted.

Three weeks had passed. Maybe a little more. The Randolph Project had consumed everything—days, nights, weekends. Everyone was working overtime just to keep up with the system updates and impossible deadlines.

The final presentation was coming up in three weeks. Gabriel’s email had made the stakes clear: “Impress the CEO. No excuses. Failure will have consequences.” I didn’t need to be told twice. I wasn’t about to find out what those consequences looked like.

I just wanted it all to be over.

Thankfully, Adrian was pulling his weight.

I hadn’t expected much from him at the start—not with his carefree attitude and that cocky belief that, because his father owned the company, the rules would bend for him. But he’d been... surprising. Focused. Reliable. Even thoughtful.

He showed up early. Paid attention. Took notes. Asked the right questions. And when I was too busy to grab lunch, he made sure something ended up on my desk—always something he knew I liked. Some evenings, dinner too. Not overbearing. Not pushy. Just... helpful.

At first, I thought it was all an act to win me back. But he kept it up. Day after day. No slip-ups. No excuses. Almost like he was genuinely ready to step into the role his father had carved out for him.

Working with him had been easier than I’d imagined. Maybe even... nice.

The anger I used to feel toward him? It was gone. Not because I was falling for him again—I wasn’t. But because I’d made a choice.

I was done holding on to old hurt. I had bigger things to focus on, and I couldn’t afford to stay stuck in the past. Keeping Adrian in line felt like a small price to pay—and since he was cooperating, it meant I could be done with all of this faster than I thought.

This time, I wasn’t doing it out of revenge or spite. I was doing it for my future.

Once my Hart app was up and running, I’d finally make my mark in the business world. My greatest dream would come to life—and I’d be set.

No more working for anyone else. I’d hire my own team. Build something from the ground up. My company. My vision. And with Gabriel’s promised funding, that future didn’t feel so far away anymore.

Speaking of Gabriel…

I barely saw him these days. He left before sunrise and came back late, usually after the house had gone quiet. We lived under the same roof, but it felt like we existed in two different dimensions.

Still, on the nights I couldn’t sleep, I found myself at the window. Waiting. Watching. Like a bad habit I hadn’t managed to break.

His headlights would appear, then fade as he parked. He always sat in the car a little too long, like he was gathering himself. He never looked up. Not once. Then he’d slip into the house quietly—like he was avoiding me.

Maybe that was for the best... so I could forget him completely.

I turned from the window and opened my drawer, pulling out a pair of joggers and an oversized sweatshirt. I had no plans for the weekend. Just sleep.

I dropped the towel and slipped into the joggers.

I was just about to pull the sweatshirt over my head when my door flew open.

“Clairessa—oh, crap!” Adrian froze mid-step, eyes snapping shut. “Sorry! I swear I didn’t see anything.”

I yanked the shirt down and glared at him. “Adrian, what the hell?”

“I’m sorry! I knocked—I thought you were dressed!”

I sighed and tied the drawstring on my pants. “It’s fine. You can turn around now.”

He peeked through one eye, then relaxed. “I just came to invite you down for breakfast. It’s been a chaotic few weeks, so I planned something relaxing for us.”

“I’m not really hungry,” I muttered, tossing the towel into the hamper.

“Clairessa,” he said, narrowing his eyes, “you know I’m not going to take no for an answer, right? You’re coming down for breakfast. Besides”—his gaze flicked over me—“you look beautiful and dressed. So you're definitely coming down.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could form a word, he grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the hallway. I resisted just enough to be difficult, but he was laughing—and somehow, I was laughing too.

“Adrian, slow down!”

“Nope. You’ll change your mind if I do.”

He dragged me downstairs, his hand still wrapped around mine. I was halfway through calling him ridiculous when we reached the dining room—and then I froze.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify