Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: The fear of losing him
[Cosmo Restaurant and Bar]

“Girl, you should have just turned us down instead of dragging us here with your worried ass. Didn’t he say he was okay?” Gina voiced her displeasure, eyeing Winter, whose thoughts were still stuck on Kalix—even after he had reassured her and permitted her to hang out with her friends.

“She’s right. You should be grateful my brother let you come. So, sister-in-law, just chill,” Lilac assured with a smirk.

Winter wouldn’t have left Kalix if he hadn’t convinced her that he was feeling better and no longer had headaches. Yet, her anxious mind refused to settle.

“I’ll just call him once,” she muttered, quickly picking up her phone to dial Kalix.

Lily chuckled. “Love really changes people. Just look at her—she keeps denying it, yet she can’t stop worrying about him.”

“Look who’s giving lessons about love when she hasn’t dated anyone in her whole damn life. God, she doesn’t even spare a glance at anyone,” Gina declared, leaving Lilac stunned.

“No way… you’ve never been in a relationship?!” Lilac asked, disbelief evident in her voice.

Lily didn’t answer and simply continued sipping her drink.

“Girl, she literally shoos away any guy who tries to flirt with her. Let me tell you a secret,” Gina leaned in and whispered, “She beats them up.”

Lilac’s eyes widened in shock as Lily shot Gina an angry glare.

“She’s exaggerating. The guys I beat up weren’t flirting with me—they were flirting with her. Probably all of her exes,” Lily corrected, making Gina turn red with embarrassment.

“So what’s wrong with helping your friend?” Gina snorted, bringing her wine glass to her lips. “You know I can’t handle those strong guys with all that makeup on.”

Lilac shook her head, unable to believe that Gina was so self-obsessed that she even relied on Lily to deal with her exes.

“And what about Sean? Is he just another passing fling, or are you actually serious about him?” Lilac asked, staring at Gina intently.

Lilac and Sean might not have been blood-related, but from the moment their parents brought him home, he became an integral part of their lives—a brother, a friend, a guardian she could always rely on.

Yet deep down, she always wished he would find someone who truly loved him.

Gina was caught off guard when Lilac raised that question, and she exchanged a look with Lily, who simply ignored her.

“God, why is your brother not answering my calls?” Winter snapped, ending the call in frustration. The phone had rung endlessly, yet neither Kalix nor Sean had picked up.

Lilac frowned. “Brother never does that…” she muttered, finding it odd that neither of them had responded.

Before she could dwell on it further, the large television screen in the bar flashed with breaking news. A live report showed a collapsed building at the Hillstone site, with speculation that cheap materials were used during the construction.

A chill ran down her spine.

Winter’s eyes widened in shock.

“When did this happen?!” she gasped.

Lilac was equally stunned by the news about one of their construction sites. Wasting no time, she quickly reached for her phone and called Stanley.

The call rang twice before he answered.

“Stanley, where is my brother?” she asked urgently, drawing everyone’s attention to her.

“He’s at the construction site. I’m heading there now,” he replied.

Winter’s worry intensified, and as soon as Lilac ended the call, she turned to her anxiously.

“Many workers have suffered severe injuries, and my brother is at the site. I need to go to the hospital and check the situation there with Sean,” Lilac said, her voice tight with concern.

“I’ll head to the site,” Winter announced.

“Wait, let me come with you,” Lily offered.

“And I’ll go with you to the hospital,” Gina added, looking at Lilac.

Without wasting another moment, the girls split up and rushed to their respective destinations.

Throughout the drive, Winter repeatedly tried calling Kalix, but he still refused to answer.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Lily reassured her, speeding up to reach the construction site as quickly as possible.

Upon arrival, Winter was met with a devastating sight. The once-standing eight-story building had half crumbled into dust, with people frantically running in and out, trying to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble.

Her heart pounded as her eyes searched desperately for Kalix.

Lilac had said he was at the site, and yet—she couldn’t see him anywhere.

Stewart noticed Winter immediately and rushed toward her. “Miss Winter—”

“Where is Kalix?” she interrupted, ignoring his greeting. Her heart pounded with a growing sense of fear, her anxiety spiraling into something close to panic.

“Boss is inside, helping to get people out of the rubble,” Stewart informed her.

But before he could say anything else, a sudden, thunderous rumble echoed through the air.

Their eyes widened in terror as another section of the building collapsed into dust.

“Kalix!”

Winter screamed, her voice raw with desperation as she ran toward the destruction, shoving past anyone in her way. The fear of losing him clawed at her chest, suffocating her.

Her life had never been perfect, but with Kalix, everything had started to change. All her life she had been ignored and betrayed, yet he turned out to be someone entirely different—a man who valued her, cherished her with everything he had.

She had told herself she would never open her heart to him, yet she did. She had sworn she would never fall in love, but unknowingly, his sincerity had carved its way into her heart. And now, that same heart was being crushed by the unbearable thought of losing him.

The collapse had shaken the entire Andreas family. But while they reeled from the devastation, a certain someone watched from the shadows—reveling in the chaos, savoring the victory of turning Kalix’s life into a living hell.

And this was just the beginning.

There was more to come.

***

Upon reaching the hospital, Kalix was immediately rushed to the emergency room. He had taken a heavy blow to his shoulder, his body covered in scratches.

But the most severe injury was the large piece of glass embedded in his back, causing him to bleed profusely.

Roger and Sylvester arrived in a hurry, their steps faltering the moment they spotted Winter and Lily.

Roger hadn’t expected to see her so soon—not after everything that had happened at the company. Yet, despite the tension, seeing her standing there made his heart feel at ease.

After losing their parents, Roger had taken on the role of protector, raising his siblings with unwavering care. The thought of Kalix being injured, of nearly losing him, made his chest tighten painfully.

Lily, standing beside Winter, glanced toward the approaching figures. The moment her gaze landed on them, her breath caught, her body tensing involuntarily.

The unspoken exchange between them carried a longing for comfort—silent words neither dared to voice. But their stare was abruptly interrupted when the doctor stepped out.

Winter immediately rushed forward, her heart pounding. “Doctor, how is he?” she asked urgently.

“The patient is out of danger,” the doctor reassured. “He has a simple shoulder dislocation and a few stitches on his back. Fortunately, the glass didn’t pierce deep enough to damage any nerves.”

Winter’s eyes welled with tears. She had seen Kalix wince in pain, yet he had still managed to smile at her, reassuring her that he was fine.

“For now, he’s on strong medication and will wake up in a few hours. We’ll be moving him to another room soon, but I recommend only one person visit him at a time.”

Winter nodded in understanding, watching as the doctor walked away.

Soon, Kalix was moved to another ward, with Winter accompanying him.

Roger and Lily, sensing the need for privacy, exchanged a glance before excusing themselves, leaving the two alone.

***

Lily stepped out of the hospital building, pressing her phone to her ear as she spoke with Gina.

“Yes, everything is fine. He’s out of danger. What about the situation there?” She asked, her voice steady.

Unbeknownst to her, Roger had been silently tailing her, waiting for her to finish her call.

As soon as she ended it, her gaze shifted, only to find him standing beside her.

“Come, I’ll drop you home,” Roger said, nodding toward his car parked in the distance.

“No, thanks. I’ll take a cab,” she refused without hesitation.

Roger had no idea why Lily was being so difficult, but he wasn’t in the mood to hear her excuses. Before she could walk away, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her forcefully toward his car.

Thud!

The door slammed shut as Roger locked it, ensuring she couldn’t escape before striding to the driver’s seat.

“What kind of behavior is this, Roger?! You can’t just force me to come with you!” Lily snapped, turning toward the door to get out.

But before she could even reach for the handle, Roger leaned in, his voice dangerously low.

“Move, and I will seal your lips.”

Lily froze watching Roger lean in.

“…”