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

Clairessa's POV

Adrian parked the car and turned off the engine. I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until he tapped my shoulder gently.

"We're here."

I stirred, yawning as I blinked the sleep from my eyes. But the moment I looked around, I sat up straighter.

We weren't at Adrian's loft. We were parked in front of a stunning mansion-like something straight out of a real estate magazine. The place looked more like a private estate than an apartment.

"Adrian, wait..." I gasped, turning toward him. "This isn't your apartment. Where are we?"

He smiled slightly, unbothered. “Well, technically, it's my dad's house just outside the city. One of many," he added with casual pride, leaning back in his seat.

I frowned. “I thought we were going to your apartment—not a private estate owned by your father."

He let out a small sigh. "Look, Claire... I told you the restaurant ran into financial issues. In order to keep the business afloat, I had to let the loft go. It was either that or lay off more people. This place was empty, and I needed somewhere to stay."

The shock was still settling in as I absorbed his words, It made sense, I guess, but still-my heart picked up pace

If this was Gabriel's private estate, what was to stop him from showing up at any moment?

There was no way this would work. I needed to be somewhere peaceful, somewhere I could breathe and figure out what to do next-not spend the weekend living in fear of Gabriel walking through the door.

"I can't stay here," I said suddenly, panic rising in my throat. "What if your dad shows up? Or worse..." I trailed off, realizing what I was about to say.

Adrian had no idea I'd been dating his father, and he wasn't about to hear the truth from me. That was why I was terrified. What if Gabriel just walked in and everything exploded?

Adrian leaned closer. "Relax. My dad won't show up. He and I rarely visit this place—there are memories here, especially ones he'd rather not revisit. He avoids it like the plague. I'm here because this place isn't on his radar. He couldn't care less about this property."

He got out of the car and walked around to open my door, stretching out his hand with quiet confidence.

"Trust me, you're safe. It's going to be just us this weekend," he said. "I promise."

I hesitated, but my fingers found his. What choice did I really have? I had nowhere else to go.

The estate was breathtaking.

The house sat on acres of lush land.

Trees lined the driveway, and the front lawn was so perfectly trimmed it didn't look

real, it didn't look real. Everything about it felt quiet. Peaceful.

Adrian opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter.

"Welcome to the home I grew up in," he said with a sad smile.

I stepped inside slowly, taking in the warm lighting, the soft-toned paintings on the

walls, and the glossy wooden floors beneath our feet.

Everywhere looked spotless-the kind of clean that felt lived-in and cared for.

"Oh..." I murmured. "This is where you were born?"

He shrugged, brushing his fingers through his hair. "Yeah."

"It's beautiful," I gasped, taking it all in.

Adrian twitched his lips, trying to play it off. "Beautiful interior," he said with a short laugh, “but the memories... not so much."

His face fell slightly, "I've only been here two days and I already can't wait to leave."

I glanced over at him, unsure what to say.

Then, as if switching gears, he gave me a brighter smile. "But who knows, maybe now that you're here, you can make it better. We could make new, better memories."

"Adrian... This isn't-"

"Shh," he cut me off gently, his tone teasing. "What you need right now is a hot bath and rest. No more scolding from you tonight."

I smiled faintly, too tired to argue. He was right. I needed to conserve what little strength I had left.

And I'd told him more times than I could count that nothing would ever happen between us. He knew it. I knew it. There was no point in repeating it now.

"Adrian... if you and your dad rarely visit here, how come it's so clean?"

He gave a small nod, like he expected the question. "Well, my dad pays a house manager who lives here and looks after the place. Her name's Mrs. Gretchen. I'll introduce you tomorrow. She turns in early."

"Okay," I said, absorbing that.

Adrian led me down a long hallway and stopped beside a room.

"This is my room," he pointed at a door right beside the one we were standing at.

Then he opened the next door,

revealing a cozy, well-decorated

space. It was surprisingly warm for a

guest room-like something out of a

luxury countryside

bed-and-breakfast.

"You can stay here," he said. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll grab you some clothes and toiletries."

"Thanks," I murmured, too drained to say more.

A few minutes later, he came back with a small stack-towels, a black T-shirt,

some shorts, a spare toothbrush, a bar of soap, lotion.

"I figured this would be enough for tonight," he said, placing them beside me on the bed.noveldrama

"Thanks," I said again, and this time, I meant it. Deeply.

When he left, I stood in the center of the room for a moment, taking it all in.

I never thought I'd be glad to see Adrian-truly glad.

But tonight, I was. Because right now, all I needed was to bathe, crawl into bed, and sleep until the pain went away.

I took off the dress I'd worn all day-grateful to be rid of it. It smelled like smoke

and all the drama I'd been through.

I left it on the floor and stepped into the bathroom.

It was large for a guest bathroom. A tub on one side. A walk-in shower on the

other. Elegant and warm, just like the room.

I filled the tub and sank in, the hot water wrapping around me like a blanket.

I closed my eyes.

I tried to breathe and push the memories away.

But the thoughts crept in anyway.

Gabriel. His touch. His promises.

His betrayal.

And then the fire.

My house gone.

My laptop The Hart app prototype. My designs. My work. All of it, potentially burned to ashes. I'd

backed up some files to the cloud, but not all. God, I wasn't even sure what I'd saved and what I hadn't.

It was all too much.

I buried my face in my hands and let out a shuddered sob.

The pain cracked through me-deep, choking me from the inside.

I rested my head against the edge of the tub, letting the tears come. Letting the

pain pour out of me.

No more pretending. No more forcing myself to be strong.

Everything was falling apart.

And I didn't want to feel anything anymore.