Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 187: Winning My Way Into Her Heart

Adrian's POV

Corporate bullshit.

That's what this was.

I stared at the screen-project timelines, team performance updates, and task

completion rates. None of it made any damn sense. Dad said this would be easy. Just sit in, observe, learn.

But the moment I opened my laptop, I knew I was in way over my head.

This wasn't my world.

I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be back in my restaurant-sleeves rolled up,

fire beneath the pan, knives gliding clean through ripe tomatoes.

That was me.

This? This was a cage dressed in fancy walls and giant windows.

But I was here because of Dad-and his threat to cut me out of the will.

I wasn't about to let him hand over everything he built to strangers. I was his only blood. His legacy-whether he liked it or not.

Still, I couldn't call his bluff. I knew my father well enough to know he never made empty threats. He'd do it just to prove a point.

And maybe just maybe there was still a part of me that wanted to make him proud. Wanted to see that look in his eyes that said I wasn't a disappointment. Because if I was being honest, I hadn't exactly been the ideal son.

And if I ever wanted him to take me seriously-if I ever wanted to be more than just the screw-up son who blew every shot he was given-then I had to prove it.

Not just with words. With action. With follow-through.

If sitting through board meetings and learning the business was the price to pay, then so be it-no matter how much I hated it.

Because this wasn't just about him.

There was also Clairessa.

She worked at Storm Innovations, and being here gave me a real shot at getting close to her again.

I didn't just let her slip through my fingers-I pushed her away. I hurt her. And somewhere deep inside, I was still bleeding from that.

in my life, everything made sense. My restaurant thrived. I thrived. She brought

fate had dragged her back into my life without me

burned down, but I wasn't about to waste the chance to use her staying at my dad's

in her eyes every time she looked at me. But what she didn't understand was that

exactly how to make a man lose his mind. But Clairessa...

I couldn't let

regular-the ones who chased the fast cars, the

the fake smiles. Done with women who only saw the name or

I had, but gave

woman any sane

Homely. The kind of woman who'd walk beside me while I tried

trusted her. She wasn't the type to lie or play games. Too soft-hearted. Too

fallen out of love with me. Barely looked at me. Only

I knew she was pretending. Pretending because I hurt her. But love? It was still there. I could

was no way she stopped loving me just like

there was someone

Shit.

she was about to tell

him,

didn't let her finish. I couldn't.

her, knowing

fling? A rebound? Is she

fling. She only

the Clairessa I knew wouldn't let just any man touch her-unless he was

tried for a long time to get her to sleep with me, and she always turned me

to

I agreed-at

with

on and she wouldn't

That's when Nicole came into

gave herself to someone else. I'm certain my Claire- baby is still a virgin.

to do

hard, she won't just fall

I checked the time.

12:04.

Lunch.

shut my laptop with a sigh-not like I understood a damn

I needed air. Wine. And

replied to the text I sent