Page 69 of Her Possessive Daddies

Chandler’s jaw tightens, and he steps forward, his eyes locked on Abbie. “Know each other? Dad, she’s my—” he stops himself, like he can’t even get the words out. “Are you serious right now? Are you fucking my ex-girlfriend?”

The room goes silent. Even Seth stops mid-sip of his wine, his eyebrows shooting up. Donovan’s leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, and I see the smirk playing on his lips like he’s enjoying the chaos.

Abbie finally finds her voice, and it’s small but sharp. “Ex-boyfriend. Emphasis on theex.”

Chandler scoffs, throwing his hands up. “Yeah, sure. Ex. That’s why you’re here, standing next to mydadof all people, looking like—like—” he gestures at her, his words failing him.

“Chandler.” My voice cuts through the room, and he stops mid-rant. “Watch your mouth.”

His head snaps to me, his eyes blazing. “My mouth? Seriously, Dad? You’re... this is... what the hell is even happening right now?”

Abbie steps forward, pulling her hand from my arm, and I see the fire in her now. “What’s happening is I’m here for dinner, and you’re making a scene. So maybe take a breath and think before you say something else you’ll regret.”

Chandler’s date, Mara, looks like she’s debating whether to laugh or bolt. She’s standing awkwardly by the door, clutching her purse like she’s ready to make a run for it.

“Abbie, you don’t get to—” Chandler starts, but Seth interrupts.

“Alright, alright,” he says, standing up and clapping his hands. “Enough. Everyone take a seat. This is supposed to be a dinner, not a Lifetime movie.”

Seth moves between Chandler and Abbie like a referee at a boxing match, his usual easy smile replaced with something more serious. "Everyone needs to take a breath and sit down. The food's getting cold, and we're all adults here." He shoots me a look that clearly says 'fix this.'

Donovan pushes off from the wall, running a hand through his hair. "Jesus Christ, kid," he mutters to Chandler. "Of all the chicks in this city..." He shakes his head, then turns to me. "And you. Couldn't have mentioned this little detail beforehand?"

"I didn't know," I say, my voice tight. The irony isn't lost on me – I've been worried about Seth's interest in Abbie when I should've been worried about my own son's history with her.

"Well, this is..." Seth gestures vaguely at the tension-filled room, "definitely not what I expected when I got dressed for dinner." He grabs the wine bottle from the table. "Anyone need a refill? Or maybe something stronger?"

"Stronger," Chandler and Abbie say in unison, then glare at each other.

Donovan moves closer to Chandler, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Listen, godson or not, you're going to sit down and act like the adult you claim to be." His voice drops lower. "You hear what I'm saying?"

Chandler's face flushes darker, if that's even possible. "This is different, Don. This is?—"

"Your ex-girlfriend, yeah, we got that part," Seth interrupts, already pouring generous amounts of whiskey into fresh glasses. "Now sit down before you give your old man an aneurysm."

"Enough!" My voice cuts through the chaos like a blade. The room falls silent, everyone freezing mid-motion. "Everyone sit down. Now."

They comply, though Chandler looks like he's about to burst a blood vessel. I turn to Abbie, who's gripping her glass like it might shatter. "Abbie, please explain what happened between you and my son."

Her eyes dart between Chandler and me. "We dated for a couple of years. He broke up with me a recently because I wasn't 'fun' anymore. Said I was too focused on school and finding a real job." Her voice steadies as she continues. "That's when I applied at the Velvet Room. I had no idea it was connected to you, or that Chandler was your son."

"You didn't think to mention who your dad was?" Abbie asks Chandler, her voice sharp.

"Like you ever asked," Chandler snaps back. "And anyway, I was coming here tonight to tell Dad I wanted to make changes. Go back to school. Maybe..." He glances at Mara, then back to Abbie. "Maybe try again with you."

Mara's steps forward, furious. "Try again? Are you fucking kidding me?" Her face flushes red. "We've been dating for four months, Chandler. Four months! What am I, your placeholder?"

"Four months?" Abbie's eyebrows shoot up. "We only broke up a few weeks ago."

"Oh shit," Seth mutters into his glass.

Chandler's mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. "Mara, I can explain?—"

"Don't bother." Mara grabs her purse. "You're exactly the immature asshole everyone says you are." She turns to me. "I'm sorry, Mr. King, but I won't be staying for dinner."

The front door slams behind her, leaving us in stunned silence.

Chandler's face twists into something ugly, a sneer I've never seen on my son before. "So what, you're just a whore now? Spreading your legs for anyone with money?"

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