Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 161

Chapter 161: Chapter 161: I shouldn’t have brought you here
Kalix was working in his office when Winter walked in to check on him. Surprisingly, he hadn’t spoken a word since the moment he had disclosed his intention to keep monitoring Dianna.

He had laid out the steps of how he planned to do it, but his silence afterward spoke volumes. She knew this was his way of processing — weighing every move in that sharp, calculating mind of his.

But the moment he noticed her presence, the dreadful aura that had clung to him seemed to ease, and his eyes softened at the sight of her.

Without thinking, he reached out his hand, silently beckoning her closer. And without a word of objection, Winter walked to him.

He gently grabbed her wrist, guiding her onto his lap with ease. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, anchoring herself to him.

“Ayos lang ako, Angel,” he murmured, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Winter furrowed her brows, not quite catching the meaning, but the way he said it — soft and reassuring — only deepened her concern.

“I guess… you’re trying to assure me,” she said softly, her tone filled with quiet understanding, “but you still haven’t said much.”

Her words made him chuckle, a low sound that warmed the space between them.

“You’re quite intelligent, my wife. And just so you know —I’m not saying that to flatter you. I mean it,” Kalix reassured her, his voice calm and sincere.

“Then why haven’t you talked to Grandpa yet?” Winter asked, her gaze steady and unyielding. “Don’t you want to know why he did it?”

She hated the fact that Sylvester had released Dianna from interrogation, but more than anything, she wanted him to at least explain himself — to give them a reason.

Kalix leaned back in his chair, his head resting against the headrest as his eyes lingered on Winter’s earnest face.

“You really think I don’t know what that old man is up to?” he asked, the corners of his lips tilting into a knowing smirk.

Winter’s brows drew together in confusion, her mind struggling to piece together the puzzle. But before she could dwell on it too long, Kalix continued — his tone low and deliberate.

“Sometimes, the smartest move is to wear the mask of a fool… just to make the real fool believe you are one.”

His words hung in the air, and slowly, Winter’s expression shifted as the meaning began to settle in.

“So, that means—” she started, but Kalix cut in with a soft chuckle, reaching out to pinch her cheek affectionately.

“I don’t know for sure. But his discreet actions… they make me doubt,” he said, his voice laced with quiet suspicion.

He tucked another strand of her hair behind her ear and added gently, “So, Angel, don’t believe everything you see or hear. Sometimes the truth isn’t what it appears to be.”

A small smile tugged at her lips, comforted by his words, even as her heart held onto its lingering concern.

“Okay, I should leave now — and you, please get back to your work,” Winter said softly, pushing herself up to stand. She was about to retreat when a knock on the door halted her steps.

The door opened, and Sean stepped inside. This time, he was spared from interrupting one of their rare quiet moments — it seemed Winter had just been about to leave.

“Mr. Richard was taken to the hospital,” Sean reported, his tone grim. “He suffered an unexpected stroke.”

Kalix’s expression didn’t shift much, his mind already working past the surface of the news. “And?” he prompted, his voice sharp, expecting there was more.

Sean hesitated only for a moment before continuing, “And… the reports suggest he’d been administered a drug — something that was preventing his recovery.”

Winter’s breath caught at the revelation, her eyes snapping to Kalix, but he was already looking at her, calm but coldly focused.

Kalix wasn’t surprised. This only confirmed what he had suspected all along. Sylvester hadn’t spared Dianna out of blind trust — no, he had let her go to make them believe they still held the upper hand, all while quietly peeling back the layers of their deception.

And it all started from the moment Byron raised questions about Richard’s manipulation — a misunderstanding that had become the spark for the truth to surface.

Winter gaped, the weight of the situation finally sinking in. She looked from Sean back to Kalix, watching him process the puzzle pieces falling into place.

“Does Grandpa know about this?” Kalix asked, his tone lower, more guarded.

Sean nodded. “He was the first person Dr. Jason called once the reports were confirmed.”

In that moment, Winter truly understood the weight behind Kalix’s words — sometimes, the truth isn’t always what it seems.

***

Meanwhile, Stanley and Lilac arrived at a warehouse, where one of his intel contacts, Don, was already waiting to guide them to a room.

“Are you sure he isn’t trying to fool you?” Stanley asked, his fingers tightening slightly around Lilac’s hand as they followed the man down the dim corridor.

It was unusual for a suspect to walk straight into their hands — trusting that fully wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

“I doubt he is,” Don replied without looking back. “But if you still think he’s playing you, well… you’ve got other options.”

Stanley let out a quiet sigh, the tension never leaving his body. They finally reached the door, the one place where the suspect was supposedly waiting.

Staring at it, Stanley hesitated, his grip on Lilac’s hand loosening as he exhaled. “I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he murmured, turning to face her.

Lilac had been meant to stay at the office, but she’d insisted on coming with him — refusing to leave his side, especially not when the topic at hand was so personal, so painfully close to his sister.

“You know that’s impossible, Stanley,” Lilac replied, her voice steady and unyielding.

Her refusal to back down was all the assurance Stanley needed. Without another word, he turned toward the door, drawing in a quiet breath, and stepped inside to face the person waiting for him.