All Chapters of Falling For My Ex's Dad: Chapter 171 - Chapter 179

Clairessa’s POVAdrian turned his head to look at me, eyes narrowing slightly. “What do you mean?”“I was angry that you cheated on me,” I whispered. “So I decided to get even… and I started seeing someone.”Adrian’s expression darkened; hurt flashed through his eyes before he quickly masked it. “Okay. So you were with someone while we were apart. If I’m being honest, I kinda suspected it… based on how quickly you seemed ready to move on from us.”He gave a short, shaky breath. “If that’s what this big talk is about, then… Clairessa, that’s not a crime. We weren’t together. You don’t have to beat yourself up over that. We can move on from it.”“Not when you find out who it was…”Adrian shifted and reached for my hands. “Claire, listen. I don’t need to know who the guy is. It doesn’t matter.”I stared at him, my throat tightening. “You don’t understand—”“Shhh…” Adrian hushed me gently, pressing two fingers to my lips. “I understand what you’re going through. I’ve carried my own guilt

Gabriel’s POV I paced the room, anger and heartbreak twisting so violently inside me I thought they’d tear me in two. My fists clenched and unclenched at my sides as I stared out the window into the night sky—the only thing that made any sense in this goddamn chaos. Then I heard the door push open behind me. Adrian stepped in, shutting it with a firm click. “Dad,” he said, frustration clear in his voice, “why did you react that way? You just walked out of dinner because I asked you to let Clairessa stay? I don’t get it. What’s so hard about that?” “Adrian, not now,” I muttered, my voice low. “We’ll talk later.” But he didn’t back off. “Why not now?” he pressed, stepping closer. “Why can’t we talk about it now? What is it? What do you have against Clairessa? It feels like you don’t like her—you’ve never liked her, not from the first time you saw her. What is it? Is there something you know that I don’t?” I didn’t want to do this. Not now. Not while my mind was still spinning… n

Clairessa POVThe day had finally gone by faster than I expected. Adrian had settled into his downstairs room—claiming it was more convenient, already filled with his things—while I was placed upstairs. It felt like life was playing another sick, twisted game on me, because he’d placed me in the room closest to Gabriel’s. He even joked about it—said maybe his dad would finally warm up to me, get to know me… even like me. What he didn’t know was that I already knew Gabriel. Intimately. He was my secret. My mistake. My obsession. The man I had once given everything to—and the one I still wasn’t over. And I knew this house—every hallway, every door, every room. So when I left my room and wandered to Gabriel’s door, I told myself it was just to say thank you—for letting me stay until I figured things out, for not turning me away.But a voice in my head warned me to go back. That nothing good would come from this. Still, I didn’t stop. His door was ajar. I didn’t knock—

Clairessa’s POVAdrian's hands shot out, steadying me before I could stumble back. “Whoa—where are you dashing off to?” he asked, eyes searching mine.I opened my mouth, but no words came. My throat closed around them. “I—I just…” I stuttered, glancing away.“What’s wrong?” he asked, voice softer now. “Talk to me.”I tried to pull away, but his grip on my hand tightened—not enough to hurt, just enough to hold me there.“Nothing. I just need to be alone,” I muttered, trying again to slip free.“No, you don’t.” His voice was firmer this time. “You don’t need to be alone right now. Something happened. I can see it all over your face. Please, talk to me.”The kindness in his voice made something in me crack. But I couldn’t tell him the truth—where I was going, what had just happened. And I knew if I said too much, he’d want to follow.“I just…” I exhaled shakily. “I need to go back to my apartment. I want to see what’s left. What I can salvage.”Adrian’s expression darkened with concern,

Gabriel’s POV“Mom, please don’t go... come back…”My voice cracked in the dark as I reached for her—but the door slammed before I could move.I jolted awake, heart pounding, drenched in sweat.The alarm blared beside me like it wanted to yank me out of more than sleep.4:30 AM.I shut it off and sat there, breathing hard, trying to understand why that dream had come back—after all these years.I hadn’t thought about her in so long. I buried that part of my life so deep I almost convinced myself it never happened.But her face lingered—clear as day.That day—when she packed her bags, shouted that she was done, and walked out to be with another man. She didn’t look back. Just said my dad would hear from her lawyer about the divorce papers, then slammed the door like we were nothing.She left us like we were just another chapter she couldn’t wait to rip out.I was ten.My dad—God. He picked up the pieces. I still remembered the look in his eyes, the way he forced a tired smile through a