Clairessa’s POV
Gabriel strode into the restaurant, tall and commanding as always. But this time, he wasn’t alone. A stunning blonde in a red dress clung to his arm. She was tall, confident, and effortlessly beautiful.
Our eyes met briefly, and my heart sank. For a moment, I thought he might storm over to our table like he usually did when he saw me with Daniel. But he didn’t. Instead, he broke eye contact and guided the woman to a table across the room.
I hated how my eyes followed him across the room, hated the ache in my chest at the sight of him with someone else.
“Clairessa?” Daniel’s voice gently pulled me back to reality.
I blinked, realizing I’d been staring. “I... um... sorry. I just got caught off guard,” I stammered, quickly looking away from Gabriel. The last thing I wante
