All Chapters of Seducing my daughter's dad: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

POV ClariceThat was the moment I walked into that office and realized exactly what mistake I’d made.I’d been downstairs, gathering my things to leave, when I saw Gabriel arrive. I should have simply ignored him if it weren’t for one of the rules in my employment contract: always check in when I arrived and never leave without saying goodbye.I was forced to go to him, even with no way of predicting his mood.One moment he was harsh; the next, he was gentle and strangely magnetic. I looked at his bare chest, and this time, I couldn’t make myself look away. That man was dangerously handsome in a way I couldn’t even explain to myself.His blond hair was tousled, falling over his forehead, which somehow made him even more handsome. I stopped at a safe distance, bracing my legs against the back of the chair to keep them from shaking. He set the empty glass aside; the sweet smell of alcohol filled my nose. It reminded me of Murilo, of his coldness, of the cruel way he always treated me.“

POV GabrielMy eyes stayed fixed on the still-open door, on the empty space, unable to understand why Scarlet had this paralyzing effect on me. Emily’s voice sounded so distant now that I only realized she was still arguing when her hands touched my arms.My eyes dropped to her hands, to those long, painted nails digging into my skin, making the spot itch. That was the effect she had on me: endless irritation. Her voice was a thin, grating shriek drilling into my eardrums until my head throbbed. Nothing but demands, judgment, and bitter words poured from her lips. It seeped into me and turned my stomach.“Enough!” I hadn’t heard a single word she’d said, but looking at her made-up face, I knew exactly what she meant. “I already explained what happened here. I said this conversation was over.”“I want you to fire her!” She screamed for the tenth time. I had to fight the urge to rub my ears from the irritation settling into them.A scowl formed on my face the moment I lifted my head and

POV ClariceThe schedule was the same as always. I’d been in that house for three days, and it still felt like the first time, every single time I set foot in that place: the knot in my stomach, the chill down my spine, the anxiety of seeing her again. The disapproving looks, the whispers, the friction, and him.Gabriel Lancaster was, without question, the person I least wanted to run into. Something strange happened every single time we crossed paths. He was ruthless, cold, arrogant, but the way he treated Charlotte pulled me toward him, anyway.I tilted my head, glancing around, dreading running into him. The house sat eerily silent, until footsteps came running toward me and Charlotte’s laughter filled the emptiness. Her face was sweet, her laugh dipped in honey. Her eyes shone bright. I’d never seen her this happy since I’d arrived at that place.Something warm curled inside me. It felt good seeing her in such high spirits. She ran down the stairs, my eyes glued to her, my lips cu

POV ClariceNearly an hour had passed since Charlotte left me behind, walking off with Emily like I was some disposable, worthless object. I was still churning through all those awful feelings. I still blamed myself for not going after them, watching closely, trying to figure out what that woman did the moment no one was looking.I shouldn’t have given in so easily.In the end, my plan to win Charlotte over to keep my job had failed. It was time for a plan B.Except I didn’t have a plan B.I sat on the bed in Charlotte’s empty room, swallowing back my sobs as I relived that humiliating day. I had to do something; I couldn’t let things end like this, not after three years spent searching for her. Endless days of suffering and hope, only to be tossed aside without a single chance to get my daughter back.I got up, wiped away my tears, and left, without any real idea where I was supposed to go.The next minute, I had my answer.Saying I was heartbroken didn’t even come close; I was devas

POV ClariceI never planned ongoing to my boss’s wedding, especially not when I wanted to destroy it.Baltazar’s words kept hammering through my mind, no matter how hard I fought it. They haunted me day and night. I had nightmares about it. I woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, a muffled scream caught in my throat, dreaming of Charlotte being torn away from me all over again.I wouldn’t let that happen again.I shook my head as someone dropped me off in the middle of the mall to pick out my dress alone. Someone handed me a card;The thought that Emily wanted to get rid of Charlotte wouldn’t let me think about anything else.I still hadn’t found a way out. I watched her closely whenever she was nearby, but Emily never, or rarely, said anything incriminating in front of me. She was careful, slippery as a snake.I’d survived smaller hells for far less than this, and I’d always found a way out of every single one, but now I found myself lost in the middle of a crowd, with