All Chapters of Rejected, I Mated With Ex's Father: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

CLAIRE’S POV:I was startled by the sound of such rudeness. As I glanced up, I saw Nicole and her entourage approaching. Her lips were painted a bold, striking red, and she regarded us with arrogant disdain.I froze, the wine glass halfway to my lips.Jennifer glanced up too. “Excuse me? Who are you calling a bitch?” she said sharply.Nicole’s designer dress clung to her skin, revealing every curve. Her entourage stood behind her like a pack of perfectly-groomed hyenas.“She’s a bitch,” she repeated, pointing to me.I frowned. “What's your problem?”“I don't have a problem but you do. Now,” she said, making it sound like we were little ants she could trample on, “get out of my way, you brats!”I lowered my gaze, my heart sinking.Jennifer stood up, with visible anger. “There are plenty other empty tables. Find another one.”Nicole’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know who I am?”Jennifer folded her arms. “You’re obviously not the moon goddess. Just a very loud mosquito.”I nearly choked on my

THEO’S POV:I hate to admit it, but I was grateful when my phone rang. Otherwise, I wasn't sure I could have controlled myself much longer. Even drenched from head to toe, Claire was breathtakingly beautiful.But I couldn't allow myself to think of her in that way. She was far too young - close to my son's age - and I refused to be the kind of man who took advantage of a vulnerable girl.Gosh! But she was too close. Too tempting. Too… everything.I cleared my throat and gently nudged Claire back.“Excuse me,” I said, reaching for my phone. “I have to take this.”Of course, it was my mother.“Theo,” she began, “you haven’t forgotten about the family gathering tomorrow, have you?”“No, Mother,” I replied, glancing at Claire from the corner of my eye as she clutched my jacket tightly around her soaked frame. “I cannot forget such an event. It’s on my calendar.”“Good. Are you coming alone?” she asked.I paused then asked, “Are you expecting me to come with anyone?”“Of course, Theo. You'

CLAIRE'S POV:My heart was heavy and the tears wouldn't stop falling. I made sobbing sounds that could break even a heart made with stones.Jennifer was worried."Claire? What the hell?" Jennifer’s voice came muffled through my door before she pushed it open. "Oh my God—what happened?"I couldn’t even lift my face from the pillow. My sobs were loud and messy, and my cheeks were wet with tears.Jennifer sat beside me and rubbed my back in small circles. “Is your Dad okay? Did anyone die? Because if not, whatever happened had better be a damn good reason for making you cry like this.”“It’s Theo,” I mumbled, hiccupping through my tears.Jennifer paused. “…Theo did this? Wait—did he hurt you?”“No, no!” I sat up, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “He didn’t hurt me. Not physically. It’s just—I made a fool of myself.”Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “Start from the top.”So I did. I told her about the phone call that changed everything, how he went cold at the hotel, how I tried to sed

CLAIRE'S POV:I wore a slinky silver dress with a plunging neckline, and headed to the club with Jennifer. As we walked toward the bar, I noticed that a lot of men were staring at me with obvious interest."Damn, Claire," Jennifer whispered, as she nudged me with her elbow playfully. At this moment, were stepping through the velvet ropes into the club. "You have turned every man in here into a drooling mess tonight?"I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t help but smile. "You're exaggerating, Jenny. I'm not that attractive.""Exaggerating? Girl, look around."I glanced up, and sure enough, so many eyes were on us—no, were on me. Men at the bar paused with their drinks in their hands, staring at me. Some even suspended their conversations to stare..Who would blame them? The slinky silver dress clung to every curve in my body, the plunging neckline daring anyone not to look. For the first time in days, I felt noticed. And attractive."Okay, maybe you're right. They're indeed staring just

THEO’S POV:My mother looked pleased as she took Daisy's hand and gently escorted us both to the car."Be a gentleman, Theo," she said in a tone that left no room for argument. "Drive her home."I wanted to refuse. My jaw clenched tight enough in annoyance. And reluctantly, I agreed, not wanting to create a scene in front of the staff.People were watching us from the corners of the grand foyer. So, I swallowed my annoyance and nodded stiffly."Fine," I muttered.Once we were inside the car, I didn’t waste a second. I raised the privacy divider between the driver and the back seat. But Daisy and I didn't speak with each other for some moments.Then she shifted next to me, and her perfume filled my senses. "Theo, you didn’t touch your dessert," she said, trying to make her voice light and sweet.I stared out the window, not responding.She tried again. "It was nice... tonight. Don’t you think? Just like old times.""There are no old times to relive," I said sharply. "Let’s not pretend