Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel) novel Chapter 298

Gabriel’s POV

Detective Alvarez arched an eyebrow. “Marco?”

Adrian’s face went blank. “Dad, who’s Marco?”

My gaze met his, a cold knot twisting inside me at the thought of Clairessa in Marco’s hands. Saying the name aloud felt like calling up a bad memory. “A former business partner. Things went bad after he tried to take advantage of Clairessa. I beat him down for it. After that he started threatening us. He’s not the type to bluff.”

Alvarez inclined his head. “Mr. Storm, if you don’t mind, can we step aside?”

“Of course.” I laid a hand on Adrian’s shoulder, grounding him for a second. “I’ll be right back.” Then I followed Alvarez into a secluded corner. Adrian started to come too, but Alvarez raised a palm, “We won’t be long.”

Once we were alone, Alvarez lowered his voice. “Tell me about this Marco.”

I gave him everything. How I’d once considered Marco as an investor for her app, how behind my back he followed her into a restroom and tried to force himself on her, how I stopped him, fought him off, and exposed his embezzling to his co-owners. How that humiliation had left him locked up for a time.

Then I told Alvarez about the recent encounter, just days ago. Marco showed up at the restaurant where Clairessa and I were having dinner, how he tried the same game again, slipping into the restroom. How I’d beaten him bloody and warned him off, and the words he spat at us before leaving, promising we’d pay. Those words hadn’t stopped ringing in my head since.

Alvarez scribbled, jaw tight. “If he meant that threat, how would he act on it, what’s his pattern?”

I didn’t have to think. “He never does the dirty work himself. He’s got people, guys who owe him favors, muscle he pays off. He works through intimidation, bribes, fear. If he wanted her taken, he’d send someone expendable to do it.”

Alvarez gave a short nod. “So this isn’t random. He wants to get back at you.” His eyes lifted to mine. “Did you file anything, a formal complaint since he resurfaced?”

“I did,” I replied. “Filed it right before heading to work. I didn’t tell Clairessa, I didn’t want to scare her. But it’s on record.”

Alvarez made another note. “Good. We’ll pull that file, check surveillance in the area, and run through his known associates. Keep your phone on you. If he calls, we trace it immediately.”

—------

By evening we were back at my house. Adrian paced the length of the living room like a madman, running a hand through his hair. Angelique sat stiffly on the sofa, surprisingly worried about Clairessa.

The police had set up shop in my dining area, wires and laptops spread across the desk. Alvarez was there with two other officers, their determined urgency filling the space.

Adrian finally stilled, turning to me. “They said they still don’t have any leads. It’s been hours, Dad. Hours!”

I stepped closer and laid a hand on his arm, forcing my voice to sound confident even though inside I was more worried than he was. “They’re working on it, Adrian. They’ll find her. We have to trust them to do their job. Right now, panicking won’t help.”

Then I turned back to Alvarez. “It’s been hours, and I’m starting to lose patience.” The words came out harsher than I meant, my mind restless with every second she was out of reach. “Marco is dangerous. She’s out there with him, and I can’t begin to imagine…”

Alvarez lifted his hand, cutting me off before I could finish. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We’re tracking everything we can, his known devices, his associates. We would’ve traced her phone if it hadn’t been smashed and left behind. We’re running down every angle.”

“Not fast enough.”

“We’re doing our best,” he responded, then turned to the younger officer who approached, holding a tablet. “Detective,” his tone urgent, “we may have something. A street cam picked up Marco’s car a few hours ago, heading toward the outskirts.”

“Where?” Alvarez demanded.

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