All Chapters of Claimed By My Boyfriend's Father : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I should have known the moment Aiden's hand tightened around mine in the restaurant parking lot."He's... intense," Aiden said, his usual confidence flickering. "But he'll like you. Everyone likes you."I smiled and squeezed back, trying to ignore the knot forming in my stomach. Six months of dating, and I was finally meeting Jamie Whitmore—the man Aiden spoke about with equal parts admiration and fear.The restaurant was the kind of place where they don't list prices on the menu. Slate-gray walls, Edison bulbs casting amber shadows, and a hostess who looked like she moonlighted as a runway model. I tugged at the hem of my black dress, suddenly feeling like an imposter."Whitmore party," Aiden told her, his voice steadier now that we were inside.She led us through the dimly lit space to a corner booth where a man sat alone, phone in hand, his attention elsewhere. He didn't look up as we approached. Didn't acknowledge us at all."Dad."The word hung in the air for a beat too long befo

The apartment felt smaller with him in it.I sat on my couch, pretending to read a book I'd already forgotten the title of, listening to the sound of water running through pipes. Jamie was in the shower. In my shower. Using my soap, my towels, standing where I stood every morning.The water stopped.My fingers tightened on the pages.Footsteps crossed the hallway. A door opened, then closed. Silence settled again, but it was the wrong kind—the kind that pressed against your ribs and made you count your own heartbeats.I gave up on the book and went to the kitchen. Poured myself a glass of wine I didn't want. Poured another. Set it on the counter for him, then immediately second-guessed myself and poured it back into the bottle.Too familiar. Too inviting.Behind me, floorboards creaked."Can't sleep either?"I turned. Jamie stood in the kitchen doorway wearing dark sweatpants and a white t-shirt that clung to his chest in ways his expensive suits never did. His hair was still damp, pu

Aiden insisted on giving me the grand tour."Dad renovated last summer," he said, pulling me through the cabin. "Wait until you see the master bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake."His hand was warm in mine. Trusting. I wanted to rip it away.Jamie followed behind us, silent as a ghost. I felt his presence like a brand between my shoulder blades."You'll take the guest room on the second floor," Aiden continued. "Right next to mine. Dad's on the first floor because of his back."Convenient. Separate floors meant separate worlds. Meant I wouldn't have to hear Jamie breathing through the walls.Except I'd still know he was there. Beneath me. Close enough."It's beautiful," I said, because Aiden was waiting for a response."Right?" He grinned and kissed my temple. "I'm going to make us drinks. Dad, help Lilith with her bags?"He disappeared downstairs before either of us could object.The silence crashed in.Jamie picked up my suitcase without a word and headed for the

Jamie answered his phone on the fourth ring."Richard, I can explain—""Explain what? That you're screwing your son's girlfriend? The photos are pretty self-explanatory." The voice on speaker was sharp, furious. "The board wants you out. Today.""You can't make that decision alone.""I'm not alone. I've got seven votes already. Emergency meeting at nine. Don't bother showing up."The line went dead.Jamie's phone immediately rang again. He declined it."How bad is it?" I asked."Career-ending." He scrolled through his messages, face hardening with each one. "Half the board wants me removed. The other half wants a full investigation. Either way, I'm done.""Can they actually fire you? You built that company.""I'm CEO, not owner. And morality clauses exist for a reason." He looked at me. "They'll use this to push me out, install someone cheaper, claim they're protecting company values."My phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Unknown numbers. News outlets. Someone had already leaked my name."

They let us go to the hospital under police escort. "If he dies," Chen said as we climbed into the back of her car, "you're both looking at manslaughter charges." Jamie didn't respond. He stared out the window with dead eyes. I reached for his hand. He pulled away. The hospital was chaos. News vans lined the parking lot. Reporters rushed the car when they saw us, shouting questions through the windows. "Mr. Whitmore, did you drive your son to suicide?" "Lilith, how does it feel knowing you destroyed a family?" "Is the affair worth a man's life?" Chen muscled us through the crowd and into the emergency entrance. A doctor met us in the hallway. "How is he?" Jamie's voice cracked. "Stable. We pumped his stomach in time." The doctor consulted his chart. "He ingested approximately thirty sleeping pills mixed with alcohol. Another hour and he wouldn't have made it." "Can we see him?" I asked. "Family only." "I'm his father." The doctor glanced at Chen, who nodded. "Five minutes