Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel) novel Chapter 273

Gabriel’s POV

I stood there, chest heaving, my fists still throbbing from where I hit my own son. The guilt hit like a tidal wave, but behind me, I heard her.

Clairessa’s breath hitched, and when I turned, her tears were spilling freely. She clutched the edge of the couch as though it were the only thing keeping her upright.

“Gabriel,” her voice cracked, trembling. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to ruin what you and Adrian had.”

I moved without thinking, kneeling in front of her, catching her hands before she could pull them away. She tried to retreat, but I held on.

“Don’t say that,” I whispered, though my voice shook. “Don’t you dare put this on yourself.”

She shook her head, her sobs breaking loose. “It’s all my fault. You just hit your own son, because of me.”

I drew in a jagged breath. The truth burned. Yes, I had struck him. And yes, it was killing me. But... “I wasn’t just going to stand there and let him tear you down. Demean you. Call you things you’re not. No, Clairessa. Not while I’m alive.”

Her bottom lip quivered. “Maybe I deserved it. Maybe I am...”

“No.” The word tore out of me, harsh, almost a growl. My hands came up, cupping her face, forcing her to meet my eyes.

My thumbs swept at her wet cheeks. “You are not a whore. You will never be one. Do you understand me? Don’t ever let those words touch you. Not even from him.”

Her eyes squeezed shut. “But the anger, Gabriel... the way he looked at me... like I’d destroyed him. And you...” her voice cracked again, “you and Adrian... you always had such a strong bond. I’ve ripped that apart. What if he never forgives you? What if I’ve ended everything between you?”

My chest twisted. I pulled her against me, holding her tight, her tears soaking into my shirt. She clung to me, fists gripping my clothes as though she were drowning.

“He looked at us like we were monsters,” she sobbed into me. “I don’t want to be the reason you lose your son.”

I leaned back just enough to see her face, brushing a tear from her lashes. “You’re not the reason. I am. My choices. My feelings. I knew exactly what I was doing when I touched you, when I let myself fall for you. And if I had the chance to do it all over again, I’d make the same damn choice.”

Her tears blurred her gaze, disbelief written all over her. “But how, Gabriel? How do we survive this? I can’t forgive myself if I’ve torn you from him.”

A low groan left me as I pressed my forehead to hers, refusing to let her go. “We’ll survive because I won’t let go of you. I love you, Clairessa. That hasn’t changed. That will never change. Rage, guilt, broken pieces, none of it can rip this from me. I love you. And you love me. That’s our truth.”

Her eyes searched mine, raw and desperate, like she wanted to believe but her guilt fought her every step.

So I kissed her. Not with lust, not with anger, but with a burning need to remind her we were still here. Still alive. Still burning for each other despite the ruin around us.

When I finally pulled back, my voice was hoarse. “We’ll fix this. Somehow. But don’t you ever doubt what we are. You’re mine, Clairessa Hartwood. And I’m not letting you go.”

---

I had helped Clairessa to bed, but now it was time to check on my own son. The betrayal in Adrian’s eyes still burned in me, I didn’t trust that he would be okay on his own. As much as the guilt weighed on me, I knew I had to face the consequences of what I’d done.

“Adrian!” My voice thundered through the hall. “Adrian!”

Nothing.

“Adrian!”

Instead, it was Angelique who appeared at the top of the stairs, her silk robe loosely tied, her expression dripping with mockery.

“Why are you shouting like a madman past midnight?” she asked, arching a brow. “What’s going on?”

I ignored her tone. “Is Adrian home?”

Her lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. “Home? After the little spectacle tonight? After his fiancée ran out in front of everyone, with you chasing after her like a desperate man?”

“I knew it.” Her voice dropped, filled with satisfaction. “You have a thing for that girl. I’ve seen it. The way you look at her.”

Her glass clinked softly against the table as she set it down and stepped closer.

“That little girl has you wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?” Angelique’s eyes burned into mine.

I refused to dignify the provocation with an answer. My mind was filled with worry for Adrian. I pulled out my phone, dialed Adrian’s number and it still went straight to voicemail.

But Angelique wasn’t finished. She never was.

“Answer me, Gabriel!” she pressed, as she moved in closer. “What does she have that I don’t? I want to know what it is that makes you lose yourself over her.”

I turned my back on her, running a hand over my face, trying to block out her words. I didn’t come here for this. I came here for my son.

But she didn’t stop.

“Do you remember us?” she asked, circling me slowly now.

“We used to be the best of couples. Everyone envied us. Our passion, our fire. What happened to that man, Gabriel? The one who couldn’t keep his hands off me?”

I let out a harsh breath. “Angelique, stop this madness. Nothing can ever happen between us.”

Her lips shifted into a mocking smile. “Nothing?”

Before I could react, she loosened the knot of her robe and let it slide from her shoulders, the silk dropping to the floor.

Beneath, she wore a black lace lingerie, and her eyes never left mine as she pushed the straps off her shoulders and let the garment fall away, leaving her completely naked.