Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel)

Chapter 130: Making It Clear No One Challenges Me

Gabriel's POV Clairessa's message burned in my mind. I stared at my phone, barely registering the droning voice of Tesco, the CEO of Zenco, seated across the large conference table. His associates, lawyers, and executives were seated around him, their expressions a mix of forced attentiveness and boredom. He was attempting to renegotiate terms that were already set in stone, but my attention was elsewhere. My grip tightened around my phone, heat rising in my veins. She thought this was a game. She thought she could push me, test me, and get away with it. She had no idea who she was dealing with. 'Mr. Storm?" Tesco's voice cut through my haze. I lifted my gaze, finally acknowledging the man sitting across from me. He offered a coy smile before continuing. "Mr. Storm, as I was saying, we believe the current valuation does not fully reflect the potential of our company, and we would like to revisit the-" He had been spewing the same nonsense for the past hour, trying to squeeze more money out of a deal he was lucky to even have on the table. Greedy bastard. He was wasting my time-and worse, I wasn't even paying attention. Normally, I would drag this out just to watch him squirm, but not today. Not when Clairessa had decided to play with fire. "Enough." I waved a hand, cutting Tesco off mid-sentence. I didn't bother to look at the executives, lawyers, or board members seated around the long conference table. I didn't care how they saw it. My patience had run out. "I'll consider your proposal, Mr. Tesco. Thank you for your time." Silence. Tesco blinked, his brows drawing together as he struggled to process the abrupt shift. "Mr. Storm, with all due respect, I was under the impression-" "This discussion is over," I interrupted, my tone leaving no room for argument. Shock registered across their faces. A few exchanged confused glances, mouths slightly parted, unsure of how to respond. Tesco pushed back his chair slightly, as if weighing a challenge, but then he thought better of it. A wise decision on his part, because! was seconds away from scrapping the entire deal. The way I saw it, I was doing him and his company a favor. Zenco had once been a powerhouse in the financial tech world, commanding waves across nations. Now, it was drowning in debt, thanks to Tesco's reckless spending on gambling, women, and cars. They were at my table hoping I'd buy them out, inject life back into their sinking ship, and fold them into Storm Innovations. So they would wait. As long as I wanted. If they didn't like it, they could take their crumbling company and get the hell out of my building. I pushed back my chair and stood. "Have a great day, everyone." With swift, controlled movements, I buttoned my jacket and walked toward the elevator. Murmurs broke out behind me, hushed and uncertain. They had expected negotiations, drawn-out back-and-forths, a chance to push their luck. Instead, I had dismissed them outright. Because I had far more pressing matters to attend to. Like putting Clairessa in several different positions and fucking her until she forgot how to play games with me. Borderline psychotic behavior for the corporate world? Maybe. Did I care? Not in the slightest. My blood pumped hard, my body vibrating with a need so raw it blurred the edges of my self- control. I could picture her now-perched at her desk, legs parted, teasing herself with the thought of breaking a rule she had no business breaking. She knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted a reaction. She was about to get one. Stepping into the elevator, I met my own reflection in the mirrored walls-dark eyes, a taut jaw, restraint hanging by a thread. The doors slid open. I stepped out, moving with purpose down the hall to her office. I pushed the door open without knocking. She was seated, her chair angled toward the window, head tilted, hands suspiciously low. She better not be doing what I thought she was. "Clairessa." My voice was low, edged with warning. She spun around, eyes widening in shock. Good. She hadn't expected me this soon. In three long strides, I was in front of her. My fingers wrapped around her wrist as I pulled her up from her seat. A soft gasp escaped her lips. "Gabriel... what are you doing?" She stammered, weak protests spilling from her lips. I wasn't listening. Leaning in, my breath brushed her ear as I murmured, "You want to push me?" My fingers tightened around her wrist. "Let's go." She blinked up at me, stunned. "W-What?" I didn't answer. Because I didn't owe her one. Instead, I took her hand and led her out of the office, walking through the hall without stopping. She squirmed, whispering, "Gabriel, people are watching..." She tried to yank her hand free, but my grip held firm. "You have to let go-" A dozen eyesnoveldrama

⚫ followed us. Curious. Suspicious. My employees on the floor kept their heads down, pretending to focus on their work. But I wasn't fooled. It was all an act. I could sense their speculation as we walked past. And I didn't give a damn. After all, no one dared to challenge me. Because they knew better. I could replace every single one of them by morning if I wanted to. I shot her a warning stare, and she stopped resisting. "Let them." "Where are we going?" she pressed. I didn't respond. I wasn't in the mood to explain myself. I kept walking. Straight into the elevator. Straight to where I could have her alone. She had played her little game. Now, it was my turn. The moment we stepped into my private elevator, I turned to face her. She was flushed, slightly nervous, but her pupils were blown wide with anticipation. She liked this. She liked me like this. The second the doors slid shut, trapping us in, I grabbed her-yanking her into my arms, crushing her against me as I captured her lips in a searing, possessive kiss. She gasped into my mouth, her fingers tangling in my hair before tugging hard- almost as if she wanted to punish me for dragging her here. A weak attempt at control. A desperate move to shift the balance. But it only pushed me further. She started this game, but I was the one who would finish it. I kissed her harder, my teeth grazing her lower lip before I licked the sting away, swallowing the soft moan that escaped her throat. "Gabriel," she panted between kisses, her nails digging into my shoulders as I backed her against the elevator wall. I wasn't gentle. I didn't want to be. "You think you can tease me?" I growled against her mouth, gripping her hips tight. "Send me those filthy little messages and get away with it?"