ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 125

CHAPTER 125

GABRIELLE’S POV

By the time we got home, the sun was almost up.

I must have fallen asleep in the car because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in a clean nightdress Damon had carefully slipped onto me after bathing me.

It still didn’t feel like enough rest, so I decided I’d go back to sleep after breakfast.

Damon had already left for work before I woke up.

He didn’t even get a second of sleep and my heart tightened, feeling bad for him. He was a hard worker, I knew that–but sometimes I wished he’d just take a break.

So much had happened last night that it felt longer than it actually was.

I was no longer shaken from my attack but there was still something weighing heavily on my mind.

I had to decide what to do about Emily.

Jared was going to rot in jail for life. Death would be too easy on him for what he did to me. He had to suffer just like I did.

But my sister…

I just couldn’t bring myself to hurt her, and I also couldn’t leave her in the asylum forever.

And then, there was Father.

He hadn’t reached out to me yet and I was beginning to worry. It was unlike him to be this mad at me for long.

What if he called me now?

What if he asked about my twin?

What would I tell him?

I groaned, wishing all my problems would just disappear.

I forced myself out of bed when my stomach started twisting and growling from hunger. I freshened up quickly and went downstairs for breakfast.

My legs froze for a second when I saw Anya sitting there.

I had forgotten about her for a second.

I wondered how long she’d be staying, but I knew better than to ask directly. This was her child’s father’s house, and with Lila sick, questioning her presence would make me look heartless.

It would be insensitive.

I forced down the negative emotions that rose in me and I exhaled as I walked to the table. “Good morning, Anya,”

I didn’t want to talk to her, but I felt I was way past the pettiness that she was trying to get out of me.

And besides, I needed to check in on Lila without crossing lines.

She turned to me and pasted a fake smile on her face. “Morning.”

I took the seat across from hers. “How’s Lila feeling now?”

“She’s recovering,” she responded stiffly, her eyes glued to her phone now.

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CHAPTER 125

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I nodded and we sat there quietly for a couple of minutes.

Susan and two other staff came in just when the silence was beginning to suffocate me.

They began plating the food carefully, setting down toast, waffles and eggs, fruit, and orange juice.

“Did you sleep well?” Anya asked suddenly, still not looking at me.

“Well enough,” I replied evenly. “You?”

She shrugged. “Lila woke up twice. She kept asking for her dad.”

Something sharp twisted in my chest, but I kept my expression neutral. “He’ll see her later.”

Her eyes flicked up at that. “He’s busy?”

“He’s always busy,” I said calmly, reaching for my glass of juice. “But he’ll make time.”

She raised her head, and the air between us thickened again. “You guys didn’t come home until this morning. You do realize he’s a father, right?”

Susan stiffened, and I saw her exchange glances with the other staff..

I kept my voice as neutral as I could. “I do. And I’m sure he does too. Why do you ask?”

“Because he was supposed to tuck Lila into bed yesterday,” she said, her eyes hardening. “She’s in this condition because she misses him.”

Damon would have been home earlier if he hadn’t been busy saving me and helping me get my revenge.

Guilt nudged in my throat but I pushed it down quickly.

If he hadn’t been there to save me, I’d have ended up falling over the railing after the stranger had his way with me.

I took a slow bite of toast, pretending not to notice the way her jaw tightened. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to forget.”

Anya scoffed and dropped her phone on the table harder than necessary. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to. He always remembered to come home early until he married you.”

There it was.

She wanted to cause a scene but I was determined to disappoint her.

I gave her a small smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “This is a lovely breakfast, don’t you think?”

She blinked, caught off guard by my response but she caught herself quickly. “I suppose it is the way you’re devouring it.”

Oh, hell no.

After healing from ED and body dysmorphia during my teenage years, I couldn’t stand comments about the way I ate.

My fingers tightened slightly around my fork but I forced them to relax.

“Not everyone likes to see their spine from the front,” I said calmly. “And I eat when I’m hungry. You should try it sometime.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Of course you did,” I replied softly, taking another bite of my waffle. “But that’s fine. I’m not offended.”

That seemed to irritate her more.

She sat upright and stared down at her plate. “What is this? I requested pancakes, not waffles.”

CHAPTER 125

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Susan glanced at me before responding. “The boss’s wife wanted waffles, ma’am.”

Anya’s face paled immediately and I took too much delight in that. She turned to me, parted her lips to speak, then shut them at

the last minute.

Her hands were fisted on the table, and a single vein had popped on her forehead.

I lifted my glass and took a slow sip of juice, letting the silence stretch just enough to make her uncomfortable.

“You should eat before it gets cold,” I said mildly.

Her jaw tightened. “I don’t like being blindsided in my own… in this house.”

“This house?” I tilted my head slightly. “You were about to say something else.”

She swallowed, stuttering over her words. “I–I was going to say in my own child’s home.”

“That’s fair,” I nodded. “It is her home. But I guess we’ll just have to eat what the staff made.”

Anya exhaled sharply through her nose. “I just think it’s interesting how quickly things changed around here. Am I not welcome anymore?”

I didn’t respond.

I let the silence speak for itself.

After a while, she leaned back into her chair, eating just the smell of the food. We fell into silence again and after a few more bites of food, I decided to leave.

Maybe she didn’t feel comfortable eating in front of me.

I dabbed the corner of my mouth with a napkin. “It was nice having breakfast with you.”

“I’d prefer if you cared that your husband has a daughter instead,” she retorted.

There it was again.

I set the napkin down carefully. “I do care.”

“Then why does it feel like you don’t?”

Because last night I almost died.

Because your child’s father was holding a man down while I told him how hard to hit.

Because our lives are not as simple as you think.

But I didn’t say any of that.

Instead, I met her gaze. “Me being his wife doesn’t take away from Lila. She will always come first in the ways that matter.”

She studied me as if trying to find the lie in that statement but there was none.

I softened my tone just slightly. “There’s no competition here, Anya. At least not from me.”

Anya’s eyes lifted, searching my face for something I couldn’t tell. She threw her napkin on the table and walked away without another word, rolling her eyes.

I turned to Susan and the other two girls beside her. “She won’t be able to treat you like shit while I’m here.”

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