Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Missing sister
The next morning, Kalix and Winter dropped Seren off at school, where her class was scheduled to leave for a picnic. Once Seren waved them off, Winter and Kalix headed to the company together.

Now that Winter had officially taken over Dianna’s position, she finally had her own office. But the moment she stepped inside, she was surprised to find Lilac already there, waiting for her.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you this early,” Winter said, setting her bag down. “Is everything okay?”

Lilac was many things, but punctual wasn’t one of them. She had never been the type to follow rules or care about clocking in on time. Seeing her here, this early and in Winter’s office of all places, sent a ripple of concern through her.

Her mind, however, was still tangled in the conversation from the night before. Stanley’s confession about his thirst for revenge lingered heavily in her thoughts. She couldn’t stop wondering just how deeply he had been wounded to push him toward such a dark decision — and how much of her loyalty he deserved as he walked that path.

She didn’t even know who the people were that Stanley was hunting, but the thought of him getting hurt in the process clenched her heart in ways she hadn’t expected.

“Stanley is seeking revenge against the people who killed his family,” Lilac suddenly disclosed, her voice low but steady.

Winter blinked, completely caught off guard. The weight of Lilac’s words sank in slowly, and as she looked at her, the worry etched across Lilac’s face told her just how serious this was.

“His parents were killed?” Winter asked, her voice soft with shock. “When? How?”

Lilac hesitated, her gaze dropping. She didn’t want to relive that memory — the image of a young boy, standing frozen, powerless, as his parents were taken from him right before his eyes. The dread, the helplessness that had gripped him as he watched them take their final breaths, had left a scar on her heart that never fully healed.

Taking a moment to steady herself, Lilac pushed her emotions aside and began to explain everything.

Stanley had been just seventeen when he lost his entire family — all because his father had made the choice to leave the underworld behind and live a normal, peaceful life.

That single decision had angered his former employers to the point of no return. Their response was merciless. They orchestrated the assassination of everyone in the family, leaving no survivors — except for Stanley, who had only been spared by sheer chance. He wasn’t home at the time.

When he returned, he caught sight of a few armed men leaving the house. By the time he rushed inside, it was already too late. His family had been barely holding on, their lives slipping away right before his eyes — and amidst the chaos, his sister had been taken.

Ever since that day, Stanley had been consumed by one purpose: finding his sister and seeking revenge on those responsible for destroying his family. With Kalix’s help, he had managed to track down and deal with a few of the men involved in the assassination that night. But the person who had ordered the attack — the one truly responsible — still remained a mystery.

By the time Lilac finished telling her the whole story, Winter was left with a swirl of mixed emotions.

Now it all made sense — Stanley’s quiet, protective nature around Seren. She must have reminded him of the sister he’d lost.

“How much has he found out about those people?” Winter asked, breaking Lilac from her train of thought.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Lilac admitted, her voice tight with worry. “But it’s one of the reasons he kept pushing me away. He knows he’s dealing with dangerous people, and he has no idea how this will end. Just the thought of it scares me,” she added, her words sharp and laced with the pounding fear she could no longer hide.

She wanted to believe that as long as her brother stood by Stanley’s side, everything would be fine — that nothing could go wrong. But deep down, she knew better. Could she really afford to brush aside Stanley’s warnings, no matter how much she wanted to?

Winter let out a quiet sigh. She understood exactly what Lilac was feeling — the fear, the helplessness — but she also couldn’t ignore where Stanley’s thirst for revenge came from. No matter how much they tried to reason with him, nothing could erase the pain of losing his family or the ache of a missing sister he had grown up with and loved.

“I think I should talk to my brother about it. I’m sure he could stop Stanley,” Lilac said, her voice uncertain but hopeful.

“I highly doubt that,” Winter replied softly, her words bringing Lilac to an abrupt pause. The knowing look in Winter’s eyes made Lilac sink back into her seat.

Winter held her gaze and spoke thoughtfully. “I’m sure both of them know exactly what they’re getting into. All you can do now is trust them.”

Lilac stared at her in silence for a moment, letting the words sink in, and finally gave a quiet nod of understanding.

After spending a little more time in Winter’s office, Lilac eventually excused herself and returned to her own.

Meanwhile, Winter pulled out her phone and quickly sent a text to Gina, asking her to meet for lunch, before shifting her focus back to work.

***

At her apartment, Gina read the message and frowned. An unsettling feeling lingered in the pit of her stomach, but she shook it off and turned her attention to Lily.

“You still haven’t told me how Roger ended up dropping you home. You were supposed to take the bus — so how did he—” Gina paused mid-sentence when Lily shot her a sharp glare.

“Don’t give me that look!” Gina huffed. “Lily, you know I won’t hesitate to confront him if he’s bothering you. Just because you have a past with him doesn’t give him the right to stalk you.”

Lily blinked, momentarily surprised by Gina’s outburst, but then her lips curved into a playful smile.

“Are you sure you could handle his handsomeness if you did?” she teased, her lighthearted words popping Gina’s burst of bravery like a deflated balloon, leaving her chuckling despite herself.

“See? You’re already losing it. How are you even going to stand in front of him?” Lily teased.

“I can handle it! Why does everyone assume I have a weakness for good-looking men?” Gina asked, her tone laced with playful annoyance.

“Because you do, Gina,” Lily replied matter-of-factly, leaving no room for argument.

Gina huffed, crossing her arms in frustration. “But that doesn’t change the fact that he has no right to stalk you — especially when he already has a wife at home. That’s cheating, plain and simple.”

Lily’s smile faltered the moment those words left Gina’s mouth, her expression shifting into something more serious.

“He’s divorcing Rita,” she said quietly.

This time, it was Gina’s turn to stare, completely caught off guard.