ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 47

CHAPTER FORTY–SEVEN

GABRIELLE’S POV

I could barely contain my smile as I watched Anya’s family members leave.

I had no issues with them but I didn’t like how they made me feel. Just a few seconds more and they’d stop existing to me.

Anya walked down the stairs, carrying a small bag. “You look pleased, Gabrielle. Are you happy to see us leave?”

Everyone else her mother, three of her aunts, and two of her siblings–turned to look at me.

“She’s not,” Damon said, standing behind me. “I am.”

They burst into laughter.

I cocked my brows.

Nothing he said was funny.

Lila held on to her grandmother. “I’ll miss you. Can’t you stay another day?”

“No,” Damon answered before anyone else could. His tone stayed flat. “They have other plans and places to be.”

The grandmother chuckled like he’d told another harmless joke. “You’re such a serious young man, Damon.“,

Lila let go of her and they walked out of the house. Anya was the last to leave.

“Lila might have to stay here for a few days,” she started, patting the little girl’s hair. “I have somewhere to be for a day or two.”

I smiled. “This is her father’s house she can stay for as long as she likes.”

Lila didn’t turn to me.

Anya knelt beside her. “Your friend, Gabby, says you can stay. You’ll have so much fun together, won’t you?”

Lila finally raised her head, her brows in a frown, and said, “Gabby is no longer my friend and I don’t want to stay with her.”

Then she ran up the stairs.

I blinked, stunned for a second.

The hallway felt too quiet after her footsteps disappeared up the stairs. Anya straightened slowly, brushing her dress even though it wasn’t wrinkled.

“That was unnecessary,” she said, giving me a soft, polite smile. “She’s been a bit dramatic lately. She’ll come around. I’ll call later to check in. Let Damon know if she gives you trouble.”

I nodded because I didn’t trust my voice.

She walked past us without another word and offered me one last tight smile, then turned and left.

I exhaled slowly, trying not to let it sting. A kid’s opinion shouldn’t matter. A kid’s opinion was nothing.

But somehow it still sat wrong in my chest. Maybe she was mad I didn’t spend time with her on her birthday.

I bit my lips.

I was playing in the fountain with her father instead.

Heat crawled up my neck.

Damon stood in front of me. “I have some meetings to attend to.”

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

* 30 Bonus

I smiled and nodded at him. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“I guess.

His eyes lingered on me longer than usual

before he turned around and walked out. The moment he disappeared out the door, the house suddenly felt too big.

I walked into the dining room and caught Susan, the housekeeper, wiping the breakfast table with two staff members I hadn’t

seen before.

Susan glanced up. “Good morning, Gabrielle.”

“Morning,” I said, keeping my voice light.

One of the new maids, a girl with short curls and bright eyes, paused in her wiping to look at me.

I frowned. “Do I have something on my face?”

She shook her head quickly and went back to wiping, but Susan shot her a warning look.

I raised a brow. “What’s going on?”

Susan sighed quietly. “It’s nothing, dear. Don’t mind them.”

That made the unease in my stomach twist harder. “Susan.”

The girl froze again like she regretted breathing in my direction. Susan hesitated before finally setting the cloth down.

“Lila was crying earlier,” she said gently. “She told me you didn’t like her anymore.”

My throat tightened.

I didn’t say anything.

I couldn’t.

Susan reached out and touched my arm. “You know how children are. They get emotional over the smallest things.”

My chest squeezed painfully. “She thinks I don’t like her?”

“She’s just upset because she didn’t get to play with you yesterday, I think,” Susan replied softly. “But she’ll be fine. Kids bounce back fast.”

I nodded slowly, even though every word stung. I wasn’t her mother. I wasn’t even her friend anymore, apparently. But I still didn’t like being the reason she cried on her birthday.

Guilt lodged in my throat, refusing to budge no matter how many times I swallowed.

I turned toward the stairs, hesitating for a moment.

Then I started walking.

Lila was playing with her dolls and unwrapping her birthday presents when I walked into her room.

She raised her head and when she saw it was me, she went back to what she was doing without a word.

“I see you’re opening your presents,” I said, stepping in. “Can I help you with that?”

She didn’t look up. “No.”

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CHAPTER FORTY–SEVEN

+30 Bonus

She was just a kid, not even mine, but I still needed to know why she was mad at me. The guilt sat heavy in my chest.

Because if I’m being honest, even if I could go back to last night, I would still choose being in that fountain with Damon over being with her.

“Lila,” I said, and cleared my throat when my voice came out too small. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you on your birthday.”

She didn’t respond.

She kept twisting the doll’s blond hair around her finger, pretending she didn’t hear me. The silence stretched until it felt like it was tugging at my ribs.

“I really am sorry,” I said again, softer. “I should’ve been there.”

Her small shoulders lifted, then dropped. Still no answer.

I crouched down beside her little table. “Lila… did I do something else? You can tell me. I won’t get upset.”

Her jaw tightened the tiniest bit. She pushed one of the presents aside with her elbow and tore open another box, the cardboard ripping louder than necessary.

“You were with Daddy,” she said finally, her voice thin and pouty. “You didn’t want to be with me. You don’t even like me anymore.”

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