Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 190: On My Best Behavior Adrian POV The moment Clairessa stepped out and leftalone with my father, I knew something was off.

Why her? Why make her the one in charge of me? There were plenty of other senior project coordinators who could've taken the lead on this, but no-he specifically picked Clairessa.

Dad never did anything without a motive, especially not in business.

I shifted my weight and glanced at him. He sat back in his chair, turning to facefully, arms crossed, the usual sternness etched deep into his expression.

My dad's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"This is my company. You don't ever question my instructions. Especially not in front of someone who works for me." My body went still.

That tone wasn't a warning. It was a line drawn in stone.

Before I could speak, he added, voice cooler but no less stern, "I don't care if she's your ex. Or if it stings your ego. You crossed a line back there, and you won't do it again." I swallowed hard. "I wasn't trying to " "Don't," he interrupted, eyes narrowing. "You want to learn? Start by listening." A long silence passed, and I didn't say a word—not because I agreed, but because I knew better.

I couldn't take him on. Not now. Not here. And not when my future in this company -my entire damn fate-rested in his hands.

Then, as if that outburst had never happened, his tone mellowed into that maddening mix of logic and control.

"I did this for you." I frowned. "For me?" "You and Clairessa once had a relationship. Regardless of how it ended, I know the kind of influence she has on you. And I know how talented she is at her work. There's no one better to guide you right now." His gaze didn't waver. "But if you think your feelings for her will compromise the work, I can reassign you to someone else." "No." The word cout too fast. "It's not that. I just thought... maybe you'd wantto work directly with you. So I could learn the ropes straight from the source if I'm going to be taking over from you." He let out a dry, unimpressed breath. "No, Adrian. I want you to succeed. To do that, you need to understand how this company works from the ground up. The details. The pace. The stress. You need someone to lead you, challenge you, and yes, keep you in line." He rose from his seat and began walking slowly toward me.

"And you should be grateful I didn't start you at the very bottom, like I originally planned. Instead, you're Assistant to the Project Coordinator. People would fight tooth and nail for that seat. I expected more appreciation." That one hit. I straightened.

"You're right," I said. "I was acting like a spoiled kid. I'm sorry. Thank you for the opportunity." He gavea brief pat on the shoulder.

"I am happy," I added. "Just... nervous too. I mean, this is my chance to finally prove myself. And yeah, maybe a part ofis hoping that if I do this right... if I show her I've grown-" He raised a brow.

"I know, I know," I rushed to say. "It's not about her. I get that. But it's pressure. I don't want to mess up in front of her either. What if she looks atand just sees the simmature guy I used to be?" For the briefest moment, something in his face softened.

"Adrian... I believe in you. That's why you're here. So stay focused. Follow her lead. Learn everything you can. She knows the job better than most. If you're willing to listen, you'll cout of this stronger." Then his eyes locked on mine-serious again.

"But if I even sense that you're using this position to chase her around or pull her off-track, I'll shut it down. Fast. No second chances." I held up my hands. "Alright. Message received." A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. "But con, Dad...

me? She's a hard temptation to resist." His stare stayed flat. "I taught you better. Control it." I huffed a small laugh. "I'll try." But deep down, I knew the truth.

This wasn't just about proving myself to my father.

It was about proving something to her, too.

an you blAnd if becoming the man I should have been all along was the only way to earn her trust again-then I'd do it.

No matter what it took.

I stood outside Clairessa's office for a second and knocked twice, then opened the door slightly and peeped my head through the gap.

She was sitting at her desk, eyes fixed on her laptop, brows slightly furrowed in concentration, her fingers moving gracefully over the keyboard.

The late afternoon sunlight hit her from the side, making her skin glow slightly.

God, she looked... focused, beautiful, composed.

Like she belonged here more than anyone else.

I cleared my throat lightly. "Can I cin?" She looked up and finally met my gaze.

"You're already in," she replied-not unkindly, but not exactly welcoming either.

"Right." I shut the door behind me.

Suddenly, this didn't feel like a punishment. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. I'd been too wrapped up in the humiliation, the awkwardness of being "assigned," that I hadn't seen it for what it truly was-an opportunity.

A divine one, probably orchestrated by the controlling man sitting in the office across the hall.

One opportunity. Two victories.

My father basically handedthe two things that mattered most-earning my place in the company and winning her back.

"So," I began, trying to sound casual, “looks like we'll be working together." She raised an eyebrow. "No," she corrected, her tone firm. "You'll be working under me. As my assistant." I blinked, caught off guard-but damn, that fire in her eyes. That was familiar. "Wow. Okay. I see you're already asserting your dominance. I respect that." She gave a tight smirk. "I just want you to understand what this role requires, Adrian. This isn't a joke or a stepping stone for you to float through. I take my position very seriously. And regardless of el. ned past, I expect the scommitment from you." gave her a mock salute. "Aye, Captain." She didn't laugh. Not even a twitch of amusement. Tough crowd.

"I'm serious," she warned.

"I know," I replied, letting the teasing drop just a notch. "And I'm serious too. I plan to take this role seriously. Fully. And truthfully..." I leaned slightly on the edge of her desk, lowering my voice just enough to draw her attention. "There's no one else I'd rather be learning from." She subtly pulled her chair back, maintaining her space. "That's good," she replied, cautious. "Because I'm not here to babysit you, Adrian I'm here to lead a project. If you're going to shadow me, you'll need to match my pace, my expectations, and my ☐ professionalism. Understand?" "Yes, ma'am." She gavea stern look.

"Kidding," I added quickly. "Sort of." She sighed and shook her head slightly, probably wondering how she ended up saddled withagain. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"So..." I pushed off the desk and took the seat across from hers. "What's the agenda? What's first on the to-do E list for your reluctant assistant?" Her expression shifted-straight into business mode. The sClairessa I remembered... minus the warmth.

"We're in charge of the Randolph Project," she said, her voice firm. "It's a full-scale system upgrade for bhe of the biggest tech platforms in the country. We're talking servers, all sites, systems, tools-pretty much everything. The company's rebranding, and they've trusted us to manage the transition." She barely paused before continuing. "You'll assistdirectly-team meetings, status reports, testing schedules, even sclient calls. It's fast-paced and intense. No room for mistakes." I nodded slowly, pretending to take it all in. But truthfully, I'd stopped listening somewhere around "closely with me." Her voice kept flowing, full of detail and precision, like it always was when she talked business.

But I was caught. Stuck on the shape of her mouth when she pronounced technical terms.

The slight furrow of her brow when she concentrated. The focused way she tapped her pen against her notepad.

How she didn't even glance atonce while she spoke, like I was just another junior staffer who needed guidance.

God, I was in trouble.

This job wasn't going to be hard because of the workload.

It was going to be hard because she was here-three feet away-brilliant, beautiful, and completely out of reach.

And I had to sit through meetings pretending I wasn't still half in love with her.

Perfect.

"...and we'll be attending the first review meeting tomorrow," she went on. "Did you get all that?" "Hm?" I blinked. "Yes. Definitely. Randolph. Status reports... um, shadow you on calls... yeah." She narrowed her eyes on me, because it was clear I hadn't been paying attention.

"I'm listening," I promised, forcing myself upright. "I swear." She leaned back, watchingfor a second too long. "This is going to be harder than I thought." "For you?" I grinned. "Or for me?" "Both," she muttered.

The next few weeks, I was going to be on my best behavior-no slacking. I'd

impress her so thoroughly, she wouldn't even realize when her guard ealize dropped and she started falling forall over again.