Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Chapter 124: How are they connected

Lilac was momentarily speechless, not because of the chicken leg he mentioned, but because of the way his gaze lingered—on her.

The slit of her dress revealed just enough of her leg for his eyes to dwell on, yet he had the audacity to compare it to a piece of chicken.

“Do you have a thing for legs?” she mused, tilting her head. “Because if I remember correctly, you couldn’t stop kissing mine that night.”

Stanley choked on his food, caught off guard as she effortlessly flipped the situation on him.

Smirking, Lilac took another bite, savoring both her meal and his stunned reaction.

“You do remember quite a lot,” he mused, turning fully to face her. “Then you must also remember how much you wanted me deep inside you.”

Lilac’s lips twitched at the smirk playing on his face. They both remembered that night—how, for once, they had abandoned their insecurities, surrendering to raw desire. And yet, after everything, he had still drawn a line between them.

“Isn’t it a little much for someone to dwell on a night he once called a mistake?” She mocked, watching as Stanley’s smirk faded, his expression turning grim.

She chuckled when he suddenly went silent.

Lilac had long since decided not to bring up that night, knowing how it always made things awkward between them. His repeated refusals had made it clear—she would never force anything on him.

If he didn’t want to acknowledge it, so be it.

But the words he spoke next left her breathless.

“I never called it a mistake—if you remember it well.”

Stanley’s gaze pierced into her, as if seeing straight into her soul.

She had mistaken his silence for hesitation. And maybe, in a way, it had been. Because back then, all he had done was build walls between them—refusing to acknowledge what he truly felt for her.

Lilac let out a humorless chuckle. “Maybe you didn’t say it outright, but every time you pushed me away, you made it clear. You treated it like a mistake—something we had to get over.”

She refused to meet his eyes, unwilling to see the regret that always came too late. He had crushed her heart too many times for her to keep believing she could change his mind.

Maybe being friends was all they were meant to be.

Stanley exhaled sharply. “We both know I’m not good enough for you, Lilac. Then why don’t you—”

“That’s for me to decide, Stanley,” she cut in, her voice firm. “I get to choose what’s best for me. You don’t get to decide that for me—”

She stopped abruptly, realization hitting her like a bolt of lightning.

Her gaze snapped to his, suspicion creeping in. “You think you’re not good enough for me?”

Stanley said nothing. But his silence gave her all the answers she needed.

Her chest tightened. “Why would you feel that?”

She waited for him to speak, but instead, he turned away.

Not this time.

Before he could retreat further, she moved, crawling onto his lap and cupping his face, forcing him to look at her.

“You pushed me away because you think you aren’t good enough?” She whispered, searching his eyes.

Stanley never cracked in front of anyone. His emotions were always locked away, hidden beneath an impenetrable wall.

But with Lilac, it was different.

She had a power over him no one else did—the power to unravel him. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to open up about the darkest past he had buried deep within.

“I think you should leave,” he said, gently pulling her hands away from his face.

But Lilac, stubborn as ever, refused to budge. He had already made the mistake of spilling the truth—he had no right to shut her out now.

“No,” she said firmly. “First, tell me—do you have feelings for me?”

Stanley froze, caught off guard.

Was that even a question? Wasn’t it obvious?

And yet, the words refused to leave his lips.

Lilac’s lips curled into a playful grin as she leaned in, their chests brushing, her warm breath fanning over him.

“You do,” she teased, her voice dripping with confidence. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have confronted Damien.” She shook her head, as if suddenly realizing the truth. “God… I should’ve known. The way you act all grumpy whenever you see us together—you were clearly jealous.”

She couldn’t contain her smile.

How had she ever believed his words when his actions had been screaming the opposite all along?

Stanley dropped his head back, staring at Lilac in disbelief. One slip—one mistake—and now, he was completely exposed. There was no undoing it.

***

The next morning, Sean and Stanley arrived at the penthouse to hand over the drive containing Kingstone’s confession to the cops.

Winter and Kalix listened intently, their expressions unreadable as the call recording retrieved from Kingstone’s phone played.

Everything he told the cops was true, yet something about it still didn’t sit right.

“How come he never mentioned Dianna?” Winter murmured, brows furrowing. “And who was the man who paid him?”

The details nagged at her, an unsettling feeling creeping in as she replayed the recording over and over.

“Anything suspicious besides seeing them leave the club back-to-back?” Kalix asked, his gaze sharp.

Stanley shook his head. “I’ve been keeping an eye on her, as per your orders. She didn’t leave the house until the evening—drove straight to the club. But she was there for barely any time before leaving. Dorothy and Agnes followed shortly after.”

Kalix’s jaw tightened. “Have you checked the security footage inside the club?”

Stanley nodded. He had already cross-checked it with a friend who worked there.

“It’s confirmed,” he said grimly. “They were together.”

“Something is definitely going on between them,” Kalix said, his voice laced with suspicion. “First, it was just Agnes. Now even her mother is involved with Dianna. Don’t you think it’s oddly obvious that the three of them are working together?”

The doubt in his heart refused to fade.

Winter’s brows knitted together. “Sean, are you sure the recordings aren’t fabricated?”

Sean nodded without hesitation. “They’re real,” he assured her.

Kalix noticed the skepticism on Winter’s face and frowned. “What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to seize her attention.

But instead of answering him, she turned to Sean.

“Sean, can you confirm that the voices in the recording are real?”

Sean was taken aback by her doubt, but he didn’t question it. Instead, he gave her a nod. “I’ll double-check,” he assured her.

After wrapping up the meeting, Stanley and Sean left the penthouse.

The aftermath of the accident had taken a toll on Kalix, forcing him to rest and handle half of his work from home. Winter, determined to assist him, stayed by his side.

Now that their relationship was public, there were no more prying questions—especially directed at Winter. She was grateful for that, as it allowed her to focus on taking care of Kalix without unnecessary scrutiny.

“What’s going on in that mind of yours?” he murmured, running his fingers through her cascading hair.

He enjoyed the feel of her soft, feathery strands between his fingers. But what he didn’t enjoy was how she kept things to herself, unaware of how much it was starting to bother him.

“Why would Kingstone risk his entire career just like that unless he was certain he’d be protected in the end?” Winter mused, her eyes locking onto Kalix.

He exhaled, considering her words. “Maybe he knew he’d get away with it by pinning the blame on me—diverting everyone’s attention. But why?” His brows furrowed. “We hardly know each other. What would be his reason?”

“See? Now you understand why I doubted Dianna in the first place,” Kalix said. “Kingstone came through her.”

It was then that Winter realized what she had overlooked. The connection was obvious—Kingstone knew Dianna, making her the first suspect. But what about Agnes and Dorothy? How were they involved?

“And now you’re wondering how Dorothy and Agnes fit into all of this,” Kalix added, taking her by surprise.

Winter gaped at him in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you read minds?”

Kalix chuckled and pinched her cheek. “Not everyone’s,” he said, smirking. “But yours? Yes, I do.”

She scoffed, pulling her face away. “I was being sarcastic, and yet you actually believe me?” she muttered, shaking her head at his teasing.

Of course, he didn’t read minds—but he always seemed to know exactly what was going on in hers.

Kalix didn’t respond, simply continuing to twirl a strand of her hair between his fingers, enjoying the moment.

Until James arrived with news.

“Sir, your grandfather is here.”

Kalix sighed, his jaw tightening. He had expected this. After relentlessly ignoring his grandfather’s calls, he should have known the old man wouldn’t give up so easily. And now that he had come in person, there was no avoiding him.

It was time to face him.

“Here comes the scolding,” Winter muttered playfully as they made their way downstairs.

Kalix sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You have no idea.”

Winter smirked as they finally faced the infuriated Sylvester in front of them.