Chapter 4 Finding Out I Kissed My Boyfriend's Father

Clairessa’s POV I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, squinting at the bright screen. Several missed calls from Adrian stared back at me, twisting the knife already lodged in my chest. I had thought he was the love of my life, the one I would marry and finally give myself to on our wedding night. But all those dreams shattered when I found him in bed with another woman. My fingers hovered over the call log, but I couldn’t bring myself to listen to his voicemail. I tossed the phone onto the bed, the pain of his betrayal still fresh. Last night, I had tried to forget what I’d seen, but it was still there, hiding beneath the surface, ready to pull me down again. Jess sat beside me, watching my expression. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. “I don’t know,” I said, my voice low. “I feel... confused. I just saw Adrian’s missed calls and voicemails, and now I feel like I cheated on him. Damn it... I feel just like him." Jess shook her head. "No, you’re nothing like that jerk." "I am," I muttered, clutching my head as more memories of Gabriel’s hands and lips came flooding back. "Claire..." Jess grabbed my shoulders, shaking me a little. "You’re not like Adrian. What happened with Gabriel was a reaction to what Adrian did. You’re not at fault." "But I am." I groaned. "You warned me to stay away from the dangerous man at the club, but I didn’t. I followed him into a dark hallway, and we... we..." My voice faltered as I tried to piece together what happened. "We had sex, I think... I’m not sure. Everything’s a blur. I regret it all now... My first time, with a stranger, in a hallway." "Are you talking about Gabriel?" Jess asked, unsure. "Yes... Gabriel... that’s what you said his name was." Jess gave me a small, knowing smile. "Don’t worry. I don’t think you guys went that far. His men came to find me at the club. They told me you passed out in his arms." "Are you sure?" I asked, panic rising. The blurry images in my head didn’t add up. "I don’t know everything, but I don’t think it went as far as you fear," Jess reassured me. "But right now, you need to get ready. Don’t let last night mess up your first day at your dream job." "My dream job is at Adrian’s father’s company. And now, after everything, I don’t know if I can do it," I admitted, feeling torn. Jess gave me a sympathetic look but clapped her hands together, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You worked hard to get this job. You went through all those interviews and screenings, and now your app—that assistant thing—is going to change the business world.” "You mean my Hart app," I corrected her, knowing Jess didn’t really get what it was about. "It’s an app designed to help businesses organize data in one place." "Yeah, yeah," Jess waved her hand. "This is your chance to work your way up and pitch it to the CEO for funding. Don’t let some jerk ruin what you’ve been working on since college. Enough wallowing, Claire. Show them who’s boss." "You’re right! Forget Adrian!" I said, feeling a surge of energy. "I earned this. No one there knows we were dating. I’m going to show them I belong at Storm Innovations." The determination I needed rushed back as I jumped out of bed and hurried to the shower, ready to shake off the hangover and emotional baggage. After my shower, I stood in front of my closet, unsure of what to wear. Today, I had to make a strong impression. The old Clairessa would’ve chosen something simple, but today, I grabbed the navy blue body fitted dress Jess had given me for my birthday. The dress screamed confidence and power. This was the new me—not the girl who had been cheated on and betrayed. Dressed and ready, I met Jess in the living room. "How do I look?" I asked, smoothing down the front of my dress. Jess grinned and gave me a thumbs-up. "You look like you’re ready to take over the world. Go get ‘em." With a deep breath, I grabbed my bag and rushed out the door, determined to leave the past behind—at least for today. --- When I arrived at Storm Innovations, I was greeted by Sandy, my manager. She was friendly, introducing me to the team with a warm smile. “We’re having a meeting with the CEO shortly,” she said as we walked through the sleek, modern office. My heart raced with excitement. Working at a top tech company has always been my dream. Adrian had once offered to set up a private meeting with his dad so I could pitch my app to him, but I turned him down. I wanted to earn my place, not get it because I was Adrian’s girlfriend. That’s why I applied for the job and entered their Storm Generation contest. The competition was open only to company engineers, and the interview process was tough, but I made it. It felt like a dream come true. My goal was to win the contest, pitch my app, and get it funded. As we approached the boardroom, anxiety bubbled up inside me. I stepped in and found a seat as everyone settled in. "Let’s all get settled. Mr. Storm will be joining us shortly," Sandy said with a smile as she took her seat. Everyone went quiet, and my heart pounded. I was finally going to meet Adrian’s father. A knot formed in my stomach. I hoped he wasn’t like his lying, cheating son. But none of that mattered—all I needed was funding for my app. My breath caught in my throat as the powerful man from last night walked in and sat at the head of the table. I closed my eyes for a second, wondering if I was dreaming or if my mind was playing tricks on me. When I opened them again, our eyes locked for a second, both of us clearly shocked. But then, just as quickly, he switched to a calm, professional look, acting like he didn’t know me at all. "This can't be real..." My thoughts raced. It was him. I couldn’t stop staring. He was just as handsome as I remembered. How could I forget those dark eyes that seemed to look right through me? Those hands that brought me so much pleasure... My gaze dropped to his hands resting on the table. "Hello, everyone. I'm Gabriel Storm, CEO of Storm Innovations. Welcome to our first meeting for the Storm Next Generation contest." My head was spinning. His name was Gabriel Storm… Adrian Storm. That meant he was Adrian’s father. Oh, my God, The man from last night at the club who I made out with was my boyfriend's father. My stomach dropped..