Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 200: Where The Hell Was He?

Clairessa's POV

"Five minutes, Clairessa. Five freaking minutes-that's how late we are for the meeting," Nicole snapped from the doorway. "And your star boy is still MIA. Are you kidding me?"

I didn't look up. My fingers trembled as I hit redial-again. For what felt like the hundredth time.

Nicole scoffed behind me. "This is a joke, right? I knew this was a fluke from the beginning. I told you-Adrian wasn't cut out for this. And you vouched for him. You swore he could pull it off. Wow."

His phone rang once-then straight to voicemail.

Again.

The sound of that robotic voice telling me to leave a message only made my heart pound harder, like it was trying to outrun the panic rising in my chest.

I hung up and dialed again. Still nothing.

I hadn't seen him since our last conversation-since I told him there was no chance of us getting back together. He never returned to the house, never answered a single call or text, leaving me with no explanation for his whereabouts.

How could he just disappear-today of all days-just because I told him no?

Clearly, nothing had changed. He was still the same selfish man I'd always known.

“Clairessa,” Nicole's voice yanked me back to the present, grating against my last nerve. "Do you even have a plan? Because this was supposed to be his pitch. Mr. Storm is waiting. The entire damn board is waiting. And I'm not putting my name on something that's about to crash and burn."

"Nicole." My teeth clenched as I turned to face her, the heat rising in my chest. "Can you just stop for once? This presentation—this moment-affects both of us. It's about the company. Not you. Not me. Not whatever personal grudge you've got going. We're a team, whether you like it or not, and you breathing down my neck isn't helping."

She muttered something under her breath but backed off a step.

My hand was shaking so badly the phone nearly slipped. I slapped it down on the table, my head spinning. "Damn it! I just need a second to think, okay? Just give me a moment."

My brain was scrambling for solutions, but nothing was clicking.

God. I wanted to scream.

Nicole stood there, arms crossed, watching me like a hawk. "Fine. You're right," she said at last. "I'm on this project too, and we need a solution. But let's be honest-calling Adrian again is a waste of time. This is who he is. An entitled little rich boy who thinks the world should rearrange itself around his mood swings."

I shot her a dry look that said, tell me something I don't know.

She settled back in her seat. "Last time I saw you two, his pitch wasn't perfect, but he looked ready. Confident."

Then came the question. "So? What happened? Did you two fight? Step on his fragile ego a little? Because honestly, this disappearing act? It's textbook Adrian."

I shut my eyes, weighing whether to tell the truth. But what was the point in hiding it now?

"The last time we spoke... he asked if there was a chance we could get back together. I told him no."

a dry, mocking laugh.

tilted her head, sizing me up. "Knowing Adrian, you

him. Would've been the

I murmured. "I didn't want

"Well, congrats, Miss

my hair, tugging

"Unbelievable."

played along-done what Gabriel asked, gone

hear, made him believe the lie-just to get him to show up.

because I genuinely believed he'd changed. I

But I was wrong.

naïve. "Nicole, that's water under the

seat, eyes scanning the floor like she was working through

table, trying

mind was a mess. Gabriel

Adrian was, too. Wondering why I wasn't dragging

it was far too late to tell him the truth-that Adrian disappeared after I turned

probably have my head

pushed to her feet. "Alright. I think

"What?"

look like the answer was obvious. "You go in there and give the

flew wide.

this was your idea from the start. You were just helping Adrian find his footing. No one knows this material like you do. So walk in there and blow them

"You don't understand "

rolled her eyes.

can't," I whispered, backing away, shaking my head. "Gab-Mr. Storm," I corrected myself, "he made it clear Adrian was supposed to lead this. Not me. This was his project. His redemption

desk. "You don't have a choice! What, you

seek? For all we know, Adrian's in another country. Or passed out in some VIP

can't afford to travel right now. He's probably just crashing at

on a colder edge. "You thought you knew him, but you didn't see what I did. Every time you two fought, he came to me. We'd go out, drink, hit the

not right now, please," I snapped. "I don't care what you two had—or didn't. You can have him. I just

in there and

my heart thudding in

God. I

was supposed to seal the deal. Finalize the

it-prove himself, check every

let go. He'd have no reason to

anymore.

was the whole

But now?