Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel) novel Chapter 177

Gabriel’s POV

I looked at Adrian—and for the first time, I saw something different. Adrian wasn’t fighting.

He wasn’t bluffing.

He was broken.

Humbled.

He wanted to make things right.

And in that moment, I knew—if I said no, I might lose him for good.

This wasn’t just about Clairessa anymore. It was about righting something that clearly mattered to him. And he needed me—not as a boss, but as a father—to back him up.

Fuck.

“Fine,” I bit out. “She can stay. But not more than a month.”

Relief washed over his face, lighting him up like the boy I hadn’t seen in years.

“Thanks, Dad,” he breathed, pulling me into a quick, tight hug.

I stood stiff for a moment, then patted his back, still not used to these moments.

As he pulled away and walked out, I turned back toward the window.

At least I had one consolation: Adrian’s vulnerability had given me leverage.

Now he’d listen.

Now he’d obey.

This was my chance to mold him—straighten him out, finally turn him into the man I knew he could become.

And if letting Clairessa stay a few weeks in Miami was the price for that, then so be it.

—---

The car ride was suffocating.

Adrian sat beside me, talking—probably about last night’s dinner, the mess I'd made of it, or how grateful he was that I'd finally agreed to let her stay. I couldn’t really tell. His voice faded into the background like static.

My eyes kept drifting to the rearview mirror.

To her.

Clairessa sat silently in the backseat, her hair falling around her face, her gaze locked on the city blurring past the window.

But every now and then, I caught her eyes shift toward me—quick, uncertain, like she didn’t mean for me to notice.

I did.

I noticed everything.

The way she bit down on her bottom lip like she was trying to keep something inside. The way she scratched at her wrist—nervous habit, one I remembered too well.

I hated that I still noticed.

Hated even more that I still wanted her.

Fuck…

It was complicated beyond reason.

Even if I could find it in me to forgive the lies, the betrayal—and God help me, some foolish part of me wanted to—she could never be mine again.

Not now.

Not with Adrian in the picture.

Not with Adrian sitting beside me, beaming over her like she was some kind of prize.

Not when I’d seen the way he looked at her—like she meant everything.

I wouldn’t fight him for her.

Couldn’t.

So I came up with something better.

If she was going to stay for a month, fine. Let her. But I’d use her presence—not in the way I used to, not with my hands or mouth or the ache that still haunted my body whenever she was near.

No.

I’d use her to get what I needed from Adrian. Her being here would force him to focus. To grow the hell up. To become the man he was supposed to be.

Discipline.

Responsibility.

Control.

The apartment building came into view, tall and luxurious against the sky. I pulled into the underground lot and shifted the car into park.

Adrian was out in seconds, circling the vehicle like some overexcited puppy.

He opened her door with a flourish. “My queen,” he said, grinning like a fool.

Clairessa gave him a faint smile. “You didn’t have to.”

“I insist.”

I sat there, watching. My jaw tightened.

The way he looked at her—like he’d just won the lottery. Like she was his to hold.

It made something ugly twist in my chest.

I grabbed the remote, popped the trunk. “Get the luggage,” I barked, already stepping out of the car without waiting for a reply.

Let him carry her bags.

Let him play the hero.

I was done with the charade.

—---

Soon, we were inside my penthouse.

My home.

And for the first time in days, I felt like I could finally breathe.

The dark room, tall windows, and deep silence made me feel protected.

I looked around. Everything was exactly as I left it—clean, orderly, untouched. Just how I like it.

Jane did well.

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