All Chapters of Rejected, I Mated With Ex's Father: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

CLAIRE'S POV:When I woke up the following morning, I noticed that Theo wasn't in bed with me. I touched his own side of the bed but it was already cold. He must have gone for a while otherwise, I would have still been able to feel the warmth of his body.The memories of last night flooded my mind and I couldn't help but smile. It was such an incredible experience and I wished I could have more.But where was Theo? Where has he gone so early?I glanced around the room and that was when I saw a note beside the pillow. It was written in Theo's handwriting. It was bold and precise.“Breakfast is waiting. Don’t leave without eating.”He made no mention about last night, and neither did he write any sweet words. Just a simple command.I wasn't pleased about the tone of that note yet I held it to my chest, inhaling the faint trace of his cologne. I wished Theo was still here with me. I just couldn't get enough of his presence.I forced myself out of bed and headed barefoot toward the small

CLAIRE’S POV:I went to work the following day but Theo was distant with me. Yet I could feel his presence even when I didn’t see him.All day, I caught glimpses of him in the halls. His height was unmistakable, his expression unreadable. He remained focused like nothing had happened between us.He didn't glance my way, didn't brush my fingers by accident. Not even a polite nod.It was nothing but silence from him.I told myself not to care. But I did. I just couldn't help the way I felt about him.When I left the office that evening, his light was still on. I stood outside his door for a moment. I wanted to go in and just say hello. But then I kept walking.My phone buzzed just as I reached the car.I glanced at the screen. It was my Mom.I answered with a sigh. “Hi, Mom.”“Claire, honey. Can you come home tonight? Your father had a rough day.”Mentioning my Dad was all it took to convince me.I headed in that direction.When I got home and walked through the front door, my heart dro

THEO’S POV:Daisy contacted me again, insisting that I should reconsider my stand about the project she had brought to my office the other day.Considering her project might actually help Claire, I agreed to meet her at an upscale restaurant. After briefly taking me through some basic details of the project, Daisy began reminiscing about the past.“This place hasn’t changed at all,” Daisy said, glancing around the candlelit restaurant. “Do you remember our first date here?”I nodded absently, staring at the wine glass in front of me.“I was so nervous back then,” she went on, laughing softly. “You were twenty minutes late, and I almost walked out, thinking you had stood me up.”“Mmm.” I continued to stare blankly at the wine in front of me, remembering the way Claire looked that night in the hotel.“And then you spilled red wine on your white shirt.” She chuckled. “God, you were so pissed I thought it was over before it started.”“Right.”She paused, tilting her head. “Theo, are you a

CLAIRE’S POV:I didn't want to disappoint my Mum or make her worried, so I agreed to go on a blind date with the guy she had arranged.I stirred my mocktail with the straw, watching the slice of orange swirl in lazy circles. The man sitting across from me hadn’t stopped talking for over twenty minutes.“…and that’s why I moved the client’s funds into a diversified portfolio.”“Mmmm,” I responded without paying attention.“The housing market’s a bit unstable right now,” he went on. “but if you watch the Federal Reserve’s movements..”He suddenly paused and stared at me. “Claire? Are you really listening?”I blinked. “Uh… yeah. Totally. The Federal… house… rates.”He chuckled. “Close enough. You don’t really follow the market, do you?”“Nope,” I admitted, sipping my drink. “Not even a little.”He leaned back, folding his hands across his tailored suit. “Well, you should. Most women these days ignore the importance of financial independence.”“Oh, I’m independent,” I said with a tight sm

CLAIRE'S POV:"Claire White, Mr. Valmont wants to see you in his office. Immediately."The receptionist’s voice came through the intercom, and I wasn't even surprised. I already knew what this was about.Theo had sent an email earlier and I was busy trying to round up a report I was working on. But it took me an hour to finish up and that was when I responded to his email.He's probably not happy about that. Or he's just looking for an excuse to pick on me.I stood up from my desk, smoothing down my crisp gray blazer. The skirt matched perfectly. My blouse was buttoned up to the neck, and I’d tied my hair into a ponytail. Not a strand of hair was out of place.I looked like a walking HR handbook on professionalism.Since that night at the restaurant, after getting my answer from Theo, I had been burying myself in work, doing everything I could to keep my distance.No emotion. No weakness. That was the goal.I knocked once and stepped into his office.Theo didn’t look up from his desk.