All Chapters of Seducing my daughter's dad: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

POV ClariceThe second the housekeeper’s attention slipped, I bolted without leaving a trace. She’d boxed me in, staring into my eyes hunting for an answer, sniffing around like a trained dog. She wasn’t nearly as slow as she seemed. That woman watched me constantly, and she knew exactly what I was after when I tried to sneak off toward Emily to catch that conversation.Someone summoned her a minute later; I glanced back twice, making sure no one saw me. Only Charlotte remained in the room, absorbed in her toys.I’d take whatever risk it took to save her.I took a breath, hunching my body low as I passed beneath the windows. I didn’t want to risk anyone spotting me. I ran to the other side, ducking behind the plants, pressing my back against the wall. My heart slammed against my ribs; the heat of a snowy day sent beads of sweat dripping down my forehead.Emily’s grating voice pointed me exactly where I needed to go. I looked down at the ground, at the dry leaves that could easily give

POV ClariceThe room’s air conditioning hit my face, but it couldn’t put out the fire burning through my nerves. My feet slid across the marble floor, moving toward him, until the door closed behind me.I’d told myself I was ready to do anything to save Charlotte, but walking into my boss’s bedroom and being alone with him definitely wasn’t part of the plan.I stopped near the door; I couldn’t make myself take another step. I turned my head back toward the closed door, thought about bolting, when I turned around again and found him right there, fingers gripping my chin, forcing me to look at him. With his other hand, he brought a cotton pad soaked in alcohol to my lips, and I winced at the sting.“You don’t need to do this.” I said, as the bitter taste of alcohol flooded my mouth.“You’d better stay quiet, unless you want to show up drunk to the ceremony.”He leaned in a little closer, and I held my breath. My eyes went wide, watching his every move. His lips curved as he blew warm ai

POV GabrielEmily fell silent the second I took her hand and led her toward the stairs. It was like she’d completely forgotten what had just happened upstairs. All that fury, the baseless accusations, the explanations I couldn’t give her, all deflated like a balloon let loose in the air.That’s when the guests’ eyes landed on the two of us — the applause, the fake smiles, the congratulations. My stomach turned the next second. Emily was glowing.She loved being the center of attention, and that only ever happened when she was with me.I clenched my jaw as the flashbulbs captured that moment. If they could only imagine what they’d be seeing next, they’d be diving under the tables.Helena’s voice, shrill and grating, cut through the noise. She smiled at me like she’d never smiled before, while I kept thinking about her words in the video Skay recorded, about her promises to get rid of my daughter no matter what it took. I already knew she hated Charlotte, already knew my mother was crue

POV ClariceHeavy breathing mixed with the sound of the voice coming from the phone. Watchful eyes, expressions twisting into every shape imaginable. Disbelief, doubt, and mockery until Emily’s hands lunged toward Gabriel in a hopeless struggle to wrestle the phone away from him.“Why are you doing this to me, Gabriel?” Emily’s voice, still hoarse from the strain, carried a note of forced composure. She was still trying to convince everyone of her innocence. “How can you believe some manipulated video? Do you honestly believe I’d be capable of…”“I have zero doubt you’d be capable of it.” He cut her off; bitterness crashed into his voice like a massive wave. “The nanny I hired to take care of Charlotte filmed you with my… mother.”Emily’s gaze landed on me. Every pair of eyes in the room fell on me now; a few people looked at me like they recognized me, but I looked nothing like the businesswoman I once was. I convinced myself it would be impossible for anyone to recognize me as the C

POV ClariceI froze, my eyes half-shut, straining to read the small print as the sun nearly blinded me. I was the headline’s leading character, the woman blamed for Emily’s chaos, her humiliation. I had to read it five times, and I still couldn’t accept this had actually happened.“You’re the reason the groom left his bride at the altar?” He let out a humorless laugh. “And now the papers are speculating about an affair between you and your boss, your daughter’s adoptive father.”My eyes shot to him, and my hand flew up to cover his mouth. I had to shut him up, glancing around, terrified someone might overhear.“I think it’s a little late to worry about that now.” He caught my hand and pulled it away from his lips. “After this story broke, it’s only a matter of time before someone looks at your photo and recognizes you.”“That’s not going to happen.” I said, though I wasn’t sure at all. Inside, I was terrified. “I look different now, I made sure of that.”“Did you change your hair colo