Chapter 178: My Secret And My Mistake

Clairessa POV

The day had finally gone by faster than I expected.

Adrian had settled into his downstairs room-claiming it was more convenient, already filled with his things-while I was placed upstairs.

It felt like life was playing another sick, twisted game on me, because he'd placed me in the room closest to Gabriel's.

He even joked about it—said maybe his dad would finally warm up to me, get to know me... even like me.

What he didn't know was that I already knew Gabriel. Intimately.

He was my secret. My mistake. My obsession.

The man I had once given everything to—and the one I still wasn't over.

And I knew this house-every hallway, every door, every room.

So when I left my room and wandered to Gabriel's door, I told myself it was just to say thank you for letting me stay until I figured things out, for not turning me away.

But a voice in my head warned me to go back. That nothing good would come from this.

Still, I didn't stop.

His door was ajar. I didn't knock-maybe out of habit, maybe out of instinct. I slipped through the narrow opening and—

Froze.

Gabriel stood in the middle of the room, his shirt already off one shoulder.

As if he sensed my presence, he turned, catching me in the doorway. Bare-chested. Eyes locked on mine.

His body was cut and sculpted, his abs defined in clean ridges. The slope of his shoulders, the dip of his hips leading down to that deep, infuriatingly tempting V that disappeared beneath low-hanging slacks.

My eyes betrayed me, tracing every line of him like a path I'd memorized too well. Too long.

He didn't move.

Neither did I.

I drank him in before I could stop myself, drawn in like a magnet to everything.

Every inch of him reminded me of what I'd lost.

What I wasn't supposed to want anymore.

he said my name, low and

was too drawn

had fallen back down

cock hung heavy between his thighs, and suddenly, the heat in my blood

And worse-I remembered.

how it felt to have him inside me, stretching and

his name, held onto him

throat tightened, and

knew he noticed. He

and I

said, half-amused,

you just going

"Oh my God—I'm sorry," I blurted, stumbling back a

mean to—I just― I didn't know you were- I came to thank you, that's it, I swear-

fumbling, breath erratic, heart

His voice was low, commanding.

entire body stilled. Shivers ran down my

to pretend," he added, stepping behind me close enough

not like you haven't seen me

He was throwing my

racing. My legs moved before

toward him until

"Why are you here?"

us.

piercing into every inch of

was hard to breathe-harder

it was hard not to look down

safer there-calmer. Not like his chest,

breath, trying

say thank you," I

after everything that happened between us, you had every

But you

myself for a jab-some bitter comment about manipulation or betrayal. Something to remind me how

was... distant. Cold, maybe.

thank. It was Adrian.

I nodded, not surprised.

flatly, "not

My heart skipped.

and full, almost making me dizzy. "Oh my God... thank you," I

know. Your house burned down. And I won't let anger cloud my sense of empathy. Especially when I know you need every cent right

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