Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel) novel Chapter 275

Gabriel’s POV

I closed my eyes, exhaling the truth. “A while.”

Adrian’s expression shattered. “A while?” He staggered back, disbelief shifting into anguish. “So you’ve been screwing her in this house? While I was here? While I…” His voice broke, and I couldn’t bring myself to answer.

Adrian’s chest heaved. “Your silence says it all.” His voice dropped lower. “Did you know she was my girlfriend when it started? When you began… whatever sick thing you both have been up to?”

I met his furious stare. “Clairessa and I met at a club. We had a passionate moment. I didn’t know she was your girlfriend. And she didn’t know I was your father.”

“Liar!” he spat.

“You wanted the truth,” I barked back. “That’s the truth.”

His laugh was harsh. “Fine. Let’s say I believe that. What about when you found out? Did you stop?”

I drew a deep breath, my throat tight. “Lord knows I tried. I broke up with her when I realized. I fought my feelings, but I couldn’t… it was impossible. With time, we found our way back to each other.”

Adrian’s face contorted with grief and fury as he pieced it together. “All this time… you acted like you hated her. That’s why you didn’t want her here.”

“Yes,” I admitted, my voice low. “I thought pushing her away would kill what I felt. But it didn’t. And when you insisted she stay, I… I couldn’t fight it anymore.”

His lips trembled. “So… it’s my fault.”

“No,” I snapped, shaking my head. “It’s nobody’s fault. It just happened.”

“No, it didn’t!” His voice shattered

“You both could’ve stopped when you found out, but you didn’t!”

“We couldn’t,” I admitted, my voice heavy with pain. “From the first night, we were already in too deep. I knew in my heart she was different, there was no letting her go.”

“No… Dad. No. I love Clairessa. She’s my woman, and you stole her from me.”

“Once she was yours,” I murmured. “And you lost her. That’s not on me. But she’s mine now.”

“You think you can just say that?” His laugh was broken. “Mine now? Like she’s some trophy you can snatch away? Do you know what you’ve done to me?”

“I know I hurt you…”

“Hurt me?” He spun on me, eyes welling up though he fought to hold it back. “You destroyed me! You humiliated me. Do you have any idea what it feels like to stand in front of the woman you love, offer her your future, only to find out she was already in your father’s bed?”

“Adrian, it wasn’t like that…”

“Don’t lie!” he roared. “Don’t you dare downplay it. Every time I looked at her, every time I touched her, she was probably thinking of you. Do you know how pathetic that makes me feel?”

Adrian began pacing, his hands tangled in his hair. I reached out, trying to grip his shoulder, but he jerked away like my touch burned.

“Son…”

“No!” He cut me off, chest heaving. “She can’t be yours. You’ll end it, or you’ll lose me forever.”

My heart broke under the weight of his words, knowing deep down what my answer would be. “Don’t… don’t ask me to choose.”

“Your own son, or that cheap girl.”

I shut my eyes, letting the insult against Clairessa slide, despite how much it infuriated me to hear him speak about her like that. Forcing myself to steady my voice, I responded, “Adrian… I love you. All these years, I’ve proven my devotion as your father. I won’t break up with Clairessa.”

He closed the distance, his scowl hardened.

“Then you’re dead to me. I can’t have a father who would choose a woman over me, his own son.”

The words tore through me, deep.

“Don’t say that,” I pleaded, my chest aching. “We can work this out…”

But he was already walking away. Then he paused and glared at me. “There’s no coming back from this.”

I lurched forward, desperate to stop him, but Angelique’s hand pressed firmly against my chest.

“Let him go,” she said coldly. “Let him cool off.”

Her eyes shifted to me, and I wasn’t sure if I also saw pity. But what I knew was that for the first time in years, I felt powerless, watching my son walk away, with nothing I could do to stop it.