ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 1

GABRIELLE’S POV

My jaw dropped.

I had spent enough time with Fiorella and Rhys to know they couldn’t stand each other and were constantly arguing.

From what Fiorella told me, they had never been on good terms before because Rhys was annoying to her.

That was all I knew about them.

So a sudden marriage sounded like something straight out of a fever dream.

Damon was beside me now, his hand resting on my waist and pulling me close.

I looked up at him.

He stared down at me.

Then we both turned to Rhys and Fiorella.

“Is this a joke?” I asked, raising a brow. “Because if it is, it’s not funny.”

Fiorella smiled. “It’s not a joke, Gabrielle. It just happened.”

Damon didn’t look convinced either. “Love just happened between you two?”

“And you got married without telling me?” I asked, my brows furrowing. “I thought we were best friends, Fiorella.”

She winced slightly. “I know. I’m sorry. It was… sudden.”

“Sudden?” I repeated flatly.

“Gabrielle,” she said, her voice softer now. “Please don’t be upset.”

“I’m not upset,” I said, then thought about it. “Okay, yeah. I am upset. How could you?”

I looked at Rhys.

He was watching his brother more than he was watching me, and I could tell he was bracing for something.

Damon hadn’t said a word since his last question and that was never a good sign.

His hand was still on my waist but I could feel the tension moving through him like a current.

“Rhys,” he said finally, his voice calm in the way that meant it wasn’t. “Can I speak with you alone?”

Rhys met his gaze. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of my wife.”

A muscle ticked in Damon’s jaw.

I pressed my hand lightly against his side—a quiet reminder that he couldn’t lose his cool with the kids around.

He exhaled once.

“Fine,” he said. “Are you happy?”

The question clearly wasn’t what Rhys expected.

Something shifted in his expression, just briefly.

“Yes,” he said.

Damon looked at Fiorella then, long and searching, the way an older brother would.

“And you?” he asked her.

Fiorella held his gaze. “Yes.”

A beat of silence passed.

Damon nodded once. “Then congratulations.”

It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold either.

It was Damon doing the best he could.

“But when I say we need to talk alone,” he continued, his voice calm but with an edge to it, “then we need to talk alone.”

Rhys’s lips parted to argue, no doubt, but Fiorella cut in.

“Rhys go speak with your brother,” she said, her eyes on me. “I need to speak with Gabrielle alone.”

At the same time, the doorbell rang, dragging our attention.

I exhaled and walked away to answer it.

A man who appeared to be in his late thirties was standing there. He was muscular with short beach blonde hair.

I gave him a once-over glance. “How can I help you?”

He smiled at me. “Are you Mrs Gravari?”

I raised a brow. “Who’s asking?”

“Apologies, ma’am,” he said, his eyes lingering on me for a second too long. “I am Aiden Marlow.”

“And you’re here because…?”

Fuck!

If Phoebe had blabbed about our meeting to Aiden, I wondered who else she had told and what exactly she had told them.

As soon as he drove out of the building, I called security.

One of them rushed towards me.

I lowered my voice. “Make sure he is never let into the premises again. Do I make myself clear?”

The security guard nodded. “Yes, ma’am. We’ll add his name to the system.”

I dismissed him after and walked back into the house, my heart thudding wildly in my chest.

Damon and Rhys were back in the living area when I joined them.

Damon reached for me. “Who was that?”

I didn’t want to talk about Phoebe in front of Rhys and Fiorella.

They had just shared a happy news.

I didn’t want to ruin it.

“Someone got lost,” I said finally, then turned to the new couple. “My husband and I have something to discuss. There’s a master bedroom at the end of the hall. You can both stay there.”

Then I turned to Damon.

“Let’s go,” I said.

He had a confused look on his face but he didn’t argue. He took my hand in his and led me up the stairs.

“What’s wrong?” he asked when we were far away from their hearing.

My hold on his hand tightened.

Damon had been dealing with a lot of guilt in therapy, and I was scared that telling him about Aiden would take him a step back.

But I didn’t want to keep secrets from him.

We swore to never do that, even in our wedding vows.

We had sworn to be one, no matter the situation so I knew I had to spill.

We walked into our bedroom and I told him everything, expecting Damon to make some calls and handle the journalist.

But instead, he said, “Then let him. Maybe I deserve it.”