Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: She has to give us a lead
“What lovebite?”

“No lovebite!”

“Mosquito bite. Okay, bye.”

Sean panicked, bolting out of the office like a man on fire, leaving both Kalix and Winter blinking in stunned silence.

His footsteps echoed down the corridor, fast and frantic—more like an ostrich in full sprint, legs flailing as if he could outrun embarrassment itself.

Winter let out a scoff, equal parts amused and baffled. “Who even runs like that?”

But her amusement faded as her eyes snapped back to the real culprit—the man she had stormed in to scold.

“You scared him, Angel.” Kalix’s voice was maddeningly calm, casual even. “Who mentions a lovebite to a virgin like him?”

Her frown returned, hard and instant. She marched further into the office, heels clicking with purpose, stopping just shy of his desk.

“He won’t be a virgin for long,” she shot back coolly. “I’m sure that was a lovebite… courtesy of a certain female mosquito I like to call Gina.”

Kalix chuckled, that deep, lazy sound that always grated her nerves.

But Winter wasn’t done.

“Now, tell me something,” she demanded, arms crossing. “Why did you scare Felix off when I had already rejected him? He came crying—literally bawling—convinced you were stalking us from the shadows.”

Kalix’s smirk widened.

“Is that so?” he mused, clearly amused with himself.

Winter stared at him in disbelief. “That’s not funny, Kalix,” she said sharply.

“But it sounds funny,” he replied with a chuckle, completely unbothered.

Winter exhaled heavily, her patience thinning. “You are impossible, Kalix.” She turned on her heel, ready to leave, but his hand shot out, gently grabbing her wrist.

“You can’t be upset with me because of him,” he said, his voice softer now.

She turned slowly to face him, eyes fierce.

“And what do you think I should do?” she snapped. “He’s not just an employee, Kalix. He’s a friend. I won’t tolerate you scaring him off like some sort of territorial—”

“Territorial what?” he interjected with a smirk, but the look on her face silenced the joke.

Kalix sighed, his gaze meeting hers more seriously this time.

“Fine,” he relented. “I won’t scare him. But I can’t help it if he’s scared of me. After all I am the boss.”

Winter could only stare at him, silent. As much as she hated to admit it, Kalix was right. No matter how gently he handled Felix—or anyone else in the company—he was still their boss. Respect wasn’t optional, and crossing lines came with consequences, even if unspoken.

“You win,” she muttered, defeated.

A grin tugged at Kalix’s lips immediately, smug and boyish. “So… shouldn’t I be rewarded?” he asked, leaning in just enough to make her breath hitch.

But before his lips could reach hers, Winter raised her palm and pressed it against his mouth.

“I have work to finish, Boss. If you’ll excuse me.” She stepped back smoothly, reestablishing distance with a polite bow, then turned on her heel and walked out.

Kalix laughed under his breath, amused as always by her ability to dodge him with grace. But just as he moved to return to his seat, his phone buzzed.

A message from Stanley lit up the screen: “Dianna is back at her parents’ place.”

Kalix’s smile faded. His eyes darkened as he read it.

“Okay,” he texted back, before slowly lowering himself into his executive chair, his mind already spinning.

His fingers drummed once against the desk.

“She has to give us a lead,” he muttered to himself, a tinge of steel lacing his voice. There was no room for loose ends and he was confident he would grasp it.

***

“Tell me, Dianna—what have you done? How deep have you buried yourself in the mud that the cops are showing up at our door?” Beatrix’s voice was sharp, eyes blazing as she stared down her daughter.

But Dianna said nothing.

Since the moment she revealed Kalix had fired her, Beatrix had tried to contact Sylvester. Dianna, however, had stopped her cold.

“There’s nothing the old man will do,” she’d said with a bitter edge.

Now, Beatrix watched her carefully. There was something simmering behind Dianna’s silence, something she couldn’t quite place—but whatever it was, it unsettled her. And worse, she was helpless to stop it unless her daughter spoke up.

“Mom, please,” Dianna snapped suddenly, her voice tight and frayed. “Just shut up. I’ve already been grilled by the cops—don’t make it worse.”

“Then at least speak up, damn it! How am I supposed to cover for you if I don’t even know what I’m covering? And don’t fool yourself—this won’t be your last visit to the police station.” Beatrix’s voice cracked with frustration, worry seeping into every word.

“You already know the answer, Mom!” Dianna snapped, rising from her seat. “And now I’m doing everything I can to cover it up.”

Without waiting for a response, she stormed upstairs, her footsteps heavy with anger and panic.

Beatrix stood frozen, eyes fixed on the staircase. Worry twisted in her gut, but beneath it lay a deeper, colder fear—one she couldn’t ignore anymore.

Something worse was coming.

And no matter what Dianna said, Beatrix wasn’t going to sit by and watch it unfold. With trembling hands, she reached for her phone and, for the second time, called Sylvester—choosing to go against her daughter’s warning in the hope of salvaging whatever was left.

***

“Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own, Lily?” Gina asked, leaning out of the open car window.

She was supposed to meet Niko tonight but had lied—claiming she had somewhere important to be. In reality, Lily misjudged and assumed it had something to do with Sean. Still, despite the detour and her own plans, Gina insisted on driving Lily back to their apartment.

“That’s fine, girl. I’ll take the bus,” Lily said with a reassuring smile. “Besides, there’s something I need to grab before heading home.”

Gina hesitated for a second, eyeing her friend with mild suspicion, but eventually nodded. With a final wave, she pulled away, leaving Lily behind.

Lily tucked her hands into her jacket pockets and walked to the nearest bus stop, settling onto the bench as the night air wrapped around her. She waited patiently, though her thoughts swirled with far more intensity than her calm demeanor suggested.

Suddenly, a car rolled up and stopped right in front of her.

Her brows drew together in a frown—cautious, uncertain. But the moment the window rolled down, recognition hit.

“Not again,” she muttered under her breath.