All Chapters of Falling for My Best Friend's Dad: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Eugene's POV I closed the office door behind Emily, cutting off the heavy silence of the living room. She didn’t sit down. She stood right in the center of the room, her shoulders tense, her hands jammed into the pockets of her loungewear. She looked smaller than she usually did, stripped of the confident designer persona she wore during the day."Why is she here, Dad?" Emily’s voice was incredibly thin. "Why did you let her into the house?"I walked over to my desk but didn't sit down either. I leaned against the heavy wood, keeping my eyes fixed on her. "She showed up while I was at the firm. The housekeeper called me. She says she wants a chance to know you, Emily. She says she’s been through therapy and wants to fix the past."Emily let out a sharp, bitter breath, looking down at the carpet. "And you believe her?""It doesn't matter what I believe," I said bluntly. "What matters is what you want. Twelve years is a long time. I don't want to be selfish by denying you a chance to k

Eugene's POV The door clicked shut behind me, the sound final and hollow in the quiet hallway. I stood outside Flora’s room for a long moment, my hand still resting on the brass handle. Something had shifted. It wasn't just the exhaustion from the stomach bug she claimed to have, or the shock of Victoria showing up on our doorstep. It was something deeper, colder. When I had pulled her against me, she hadn't melted into my chest the way she usually did. Her body had stayed stiff, a subtle wall erected between us that hadn't been there this morning. The way she had whispered that we needed to stop—it felt less like a temporary precaution and more like she was stepping back from the edge of a cliff. A heavy, grounding knot of worry tightened in my gut. I hated not knowing what was going on in her head. I dragged my feet down the stairs and walked into my private study, desperately needing a distraction. I opened my laptop to check the afternoon updates from the logistics center, bu

Flora's POV The back patio was a beautiful mess of fresh flowers, modern patio chairs, and stacks of serving platters. I kept myself moving, wiping down the outdoor glass tables and adjusting the cushions just to keep my mind from wandering back to the clinic. I pulled out my phone and dialed Marcus's number. He answered on the second ring, his voice loud and cheerful over the line. "Flora! Hey," Marcus said. "Are we still on for this weekend?" "Yes, definitely," I smiled, leaning against the stone railing of the patio. "I wanted to call and confirm. You’re still bringing your girlfriend, right?" "Oh, absolutely. Sophia is already excited," Marcus chuckled. "She's been wanting to meet my college friends anyway. What time should we head over?" "Come around two in the afternoon," I said, looking out at the massive backyard. "We’re just going to hang out by the patio and the lounge. It’s going to be very casual." "Perfect. Send me the address pin, and we’ll be there. Can't wait t

Eugene's POV The second the heavy door clicked shut behind Flora, the fucking wall I'd been crashing into all week finally broke. I didn't give a shit about the logistics reports on my screen. I didn't care that Victoria was lurking around my house, or that a bunch of noisy twenty-somethings were unpacking upstairs. All I knew was that the woman who had been freezing me out for days was finally standing in my office. I stood up so fast my chair slammed hard against the hardwood floor. Flora barely had time to blink before I crossed the room and cut off her path to the door. "Eugene, I just came to give you an—" I didn't let her finish the damn sentence. I grabbed her waist, pulling her hard against my chest. She gasped, but I swallowed the sound, slamming my mouth down onto hers with a fierce, unchecked hunger. For days, she had been pulling away, hiding behind polite manners and quiet excuses. It was driving me fucking insane. The sheer panic of losing her, of watching her slip

Eugene POV The heat from the charcoal rolled against my face, a stark contrast to the freezing shower I’d taken twenty minutes ago. I kept my eyes locked on the grill, flipping the seasoned chicken breasts with steady, deliberate movements. For the first time in an entire week, the suffocating weight in my chest felt just a fraction lighter. Looking out across the sprawling green lawn, I watched the two most important women in my life. Emily was standing near the edge of the stone steps, a genuine, bright smile lighting up her face as Josh whispered something in her ear. She threw her head back and laughed—a sound I hadn't realized I was starved to hear. All week, she had been carrying the heavy, bitter burden of her mother’s sudden return, walking through the halls like a ghost. But right now, with Josh’s arms wrapped around her waist, she looked light. She looked like a normal twenty-something girl, completely safe and completely happy. A deep sense of relief washed over me. I