Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: You can’t hide forever
[Greyson International]

“I still believe we should terminate our ongoing project with Kingstone. His reputation might jeopardize our future ventures,” Eric began, initiating the conversation with careful precision.

David, in the midst of signing the documents Eric had handed him, froze mid-signature.

Eric’s brows furrowed slightly as he watched David’s reaction, noting the silence that stretched a little too long for comfort.

“We’re one of the few still tied to him,” Eric pressed, his voice steady but firm. “And now that he’s crossed Kalix Andreas, continuing this partnership isn’t just unwise — it’s dangerous.”

For a moment, David said nothing. Instead, he let out a sharp sigh, snapping the file shut with deliberate force. His eyes lifted to meet Eric’s, cold and cutting.

“Are you questioning my decisions now?” David’s voice dropped, sharp with warning. “Since when did I ever give you the authority to suggest otherwise?”

Eric held his ground, reading between the lines of David’s defensiveness. David had clearly made missteps — enough to trap himself into caution — but Eric also knew his persistent probing was striking a nerve, one David wasn’t keen to expose.

Eric pressed his lips into a thin line. “I just don’t want to see the company suffer because of one poor alliance.”

“It won’t,” David cut in sharply, his tone final and dismissive. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

The abruptness left Eric momentarily speechless. But the more he watched, the more the cracks in David’s composure deepened his suspicion.

David’s defensiveness wasn’t just about pride — it was calculated. Eric could see it now, the way he clung to these questionable projects, knowingly steering the company toward deals that would only weaken their shares. And yet, despite the risks, David seemed perfectly willing to gamble the company’s reputation.

“Furthermore, you should focus on Agnes,” David added smoothly, shifting the conversation without missing a beat. “I don’t want my daughter waiting too long for the marriage. Since you’ve already agreed, set the date and get the registration done.”

He left no room for argument, his tone clipped and final.

Eric’s jaw tensed, his eyes locking onto David’s with quiet defiance. The shift in topic wasn’t random — it was deliberate. A reminder.

David sat back, calm and composed, as if he held Eric’s entire life in the palm of his hand — and he knew it.

Eric forced a polite nod, masking the storm brewing beneath his calm facade. He knew exactly what David was doing — using Agnes as leverage, tightening the noose around his neck under the guise of family ties.

But Eric wasn’t the type to sit idle, especially when he had other things going on in his mind.

As soon as he stepped out of David’s office, he pulled out his phone, dialing a number he hadn’t used in months.

The line rang once before a voice answered — crisp, professional, and distant.

“It’s me,” Eric said quietly. “I need a full audit on Kingstone and every deal David’s signed off on in the last six months. Discreetly.”

There was a pause on the other end before the voice responded, “Understood.”

Ending the call, Eric slipped the phone back into his pocket, his mind already working through the next steps. If David was willing to risk the company, it meant he had something to gain — or something to hide. Either way, Eric intended to find out.

And this time, he wouldn’t wait until it was too late.

***

Inside the grand yet cold expanse of the Rosewood Mansion, Beatrix sat stiffly across from Sylvester. The weight of her confession still lingered in the air, stretching the silence between them until it felt suffocating.

She twisted her fingers together, searching his face for any sign of understanding, but Sylvester remained unreadable — his expression carved from stone.

“Dianna would never do anything to hurt Kalix,” Beatrix finally murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “And she’d never risk bringing trouble to the company. She’s loyal to him… to all of us.”

She drew in a shaky breath, her gaze lowering to the untouched cup of tea resting on the table between them. “But still… she has to go to the police station to prove her innocence. I don’t understand why Kalix is forcing this. Why is he treating her like some criminal?”

Sylvester leaned back, fingers steepled beneath his chin as he studied her. The quiet stretched again, and when he finally spoke, his voice was low but firm.

“Kalix doesn’t make accusations lightly, Beatrix. If he’s moving against Dianna, it means he knows something we don’t.” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “Or someone close to him has given him reason to doubt her.”

Beatrix’s throat tightened, her heart sinking at the thought. “But that isn’t fair,” she whispered. “Dianna’s devoted her whole life to this family.”

“Devotion and innocence aren’t always the same thing,” Sylvester replied calmly. “Kalix isn’t the type to risk personal or professional loss over a hunch. If he’s doing this… he must believe the evidence will speak for itself.”

Beatrix swallowed hard, the knot of worry in her chest tightening. A part of her wanted to believe it was all a misunderstanding — that Dianna would walk free and this nightmare would end. But the look in Sylvester’s eyes told her otherwise.

And deep down, so did her gut.

“If this is what you came for, then I’m sorry — there’s nothing I can do to change Kalix’s mind.” Sylvester’s voice cut through the silence, snapping Beatrix from her spiraling thoughts. Her face paled at the finality in his tone.

She opened her mouth to speak, desperate to plead, but Sylvester was already rising from his seat, making it clear the conversation was over. Just as he turned to leave, he paused, glancing back at her — his gaze lingering on the worry etched across her face.

“But if Kalix uncovers the truth,” he added, voice quiet but resolute, “and Dianna is involved in any of it… then she should be ready to face him.”

The words struck harder than any rejection. Beatrix sat frozen, stunned by the weight of his declaration. This was the first time Sylvester had refused her — the first time he’d chosen silence over siding with her.

And this time, he walked away without looking back.

***

Eric sat alone in his office, the glow of his laptop screen illuminating his tense features. The email he’d been waiting for finally came through — a secured file from the investigator he’d quietly hired.

Clicking it open, his eyes scanned the detailed report, each line tightening the knot in his chest.

David hadn’t just been careless. He had been deliberate.

Several of the contracts tied to Kingstone were riddled with inflated costs, misdirected payments, and shady offshore accounts. Funds meant for company expansion had been rerouted, siphoned off into untraceable channels. And at the center of it all was David — signing, approving, and covering his tracks.

Eric leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly, piecing the puzzle together. The projects weren’t just poor investments — they were part of a larger scheme. David was draining Greyson International from the inside, hiding behind his position and the safety of family ties.

And if that wasn’t damning enough, the last page of the report revealed a name Eric hadn’t expected to see: Kalix Andreas.

David hadn’t just offended Kalix — he had crossed him, and now Eric understood why. Whatever David had gotten himself tangled in, it was bigger than a bad business deal.

Eric shut the laptop, his mind racing. One wrong move, and David would bury him along with the company.

But Eric was done playing safe.

He rose from his chair, adjusting his cufflinks like a knight fastening his armor, and moved toward the window. The city skyline glowed beneath him, but his reflection in the glass was sharper, colder.

“You think you can control me, David,” he murmured, lips curling into a slow, sinister grin. “But now I’ve got my hands on something that will make you obey me.”

His mind sharpened around the idea — no longer just survival, but power. For the first time, Eric saw the perfect leverage. All he needed was the right moment to strike, and David would no longer be the one pulling the strings.

***

David was seated in his office, sifting through reports when his phone buzzed, displaying an unknown number. Frowning, he answered, his tone clipped and expectant.

But the voice that came through wasn’t one he recognized — cold, low, and sharp enough to send a chill down his spine.

“You can’t hide forever, David. I know what you did to Kalix.”

The words hit him like a blow, freezing him in place. His grip tightened around the phone, but before he could utter a single response, the line went dead.

Silence settled heavy in the room, but the dread lodged deep in David’s chest. Whoever it was, they knew. And it was only a matter of time before the truth surfaced.

“Who could it be?” he muttered, the weight of those words pressing heavily against his chest.