Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: You never liked the taste of it
“What nonsense are you talking about, Lily?” Rita snapped, the sharpness of her voice slicing through the low murmur of the café and drawing a few curious glances from nearby tables. But she didn’t care.

Lily’s gaze didn’t flinch. Calmly, she lifted her cup, took a slow sip, and set it back down as if she hadn’t just shattered the fragile bridge between them.

“It’s not nonsense,” Lily replied coolly. “I just thought you should know — your husband is already thinking about divorcing you. And you fear it’s because of me. That’s why you’re here, trying so hard to convince me how perfect the two of you are.”

Rita’s face paled, her breath catching in her throat as Lily’s sharp, knowing smile pierced straight through her defenses.

All this time, she’d believed she had Lily under control — that the naive, easily manipulated girl from their past was still there, buried beneath years of silence. But the woman sitting across from her wasn’t the same. She was composed, calculating, and wickedly sharp in a way that made Rita’s stomach churn.

“Roger will never divorce me. You’re lying,” Rita muttered, her voice unsteady, trying to brush off Lily’s words as nothing but spiteful fiction.

But Lily only laughed — a sharp, hysterical sound that echoed louder than the music around them.

Rita’s chest tightened as the realization sank in. Her words, her denial, didn’t rattle Lily in the slightest. She remained utterly unfazed, while it was Rita who sat there slowly unraveling.

Lily leaned forward, resting one arm on the table, her expression cool and collected as her voice dropped low.

“I know exactly who you are, Rita. And trust me, after what you did — after the way you backstab people when it suits you — I will never be your friend again.” Her lips curled into a slow, calculated smile. “But I will leave you with one thing.”

She straightened her posture, her voice smooth but sharp as glass.

“I dare you to stop me from taking Roger away from you.”

Rita’s eyes widened, stunned into silence by the open challenge thrown so mercilessly in her face.

Lily stood, gathering her coat without so much as glancing back.

“You broke my trust, Rita. Now I’ll break your marriage.”

And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving Rita alone at the table — ghostly pale, heart racing, and drowning in the bitter taste of her own fear.

The bar pulsed with low music, dim lights casting a warm, hazy glow over polished wood and glass. Lily sat alone at the counter, her fingers wrapped around a half-empty glass of whiskey, the sharp burn offering her more comfort than the quiet churning of her thoughts.

She hadn’t planned to end her night here, but after her confrontation with Rita, her mind had been too restless to return home. She needed space. Silence. Solitude.

She had boldly challenged Rita, but the truth was, Lily had no real intention of taking Roger away from her. The challenge had been a calculated move — a way to shake Rita, to scare her, to make her realize that manipulating her wouldn’t be so easy anymore. The naive girl Rita once toyed with no longer existed.

Lily had long buried whatever feelings she once held for Roger. The idea of rekindling anything with him wasn’t even a thought, let alone a plan. What she wanted now was simple — distance. She wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.

But fate, as always, had other plans.

The sound of familiar laughter cut through the air — smooth, deep, and unmistakable. Her body tensed before her head even turned.

There, just a few feet away, stood Roger.

He was dressed sharply in a tailored suit, his tie loosened casually around his neck. Beside him were three men in similar attire, their postures relaxed and drinks in hand — business associates, judging by the stiff smiles and shallow laughter.

Lily’s heart skipped, not from excitement, but from the cold, sudden awareness of the situation. She hadn’t expected to see him. Not tonight. Not like this.

As if sensing her gaze, Roger turned. His easy smile faltered the moment his eyes met hers.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The world around them seemed to blur, the low chatter and clinking glasses fading into a distant hum.

Roger excused himself from the group, walking toward her with slow, deliberate steps. His face was unreadable, but his eyes — those were sharp with something unspoken.

“Lily,” he greeted, voice low, his tone caught somewhere between surprise and caution.

She took another slow sip of her drink, letting the burn settle her nerves before replying.

“Roger.” Her voice was steady, even cool. “Small world, isn’t it?”

He glanced back toward his table, then lowered his voice. “Did you follow me?”

A bitter laugh slipped from her lips. “Please. I didn’t even know you’d be here.”

Roger exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, a habit she remembered all too well. For a man so composed in boardrooms, he always fumbled in moments like this.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.

“Why? Afraid someone might see us and report back to your wife?” Her words dripped with quiet venom, but her expression remained neutral, unreadable.

He stiffened, glancing around to make sure none of his colleagues were watching. The moment stretched, heavy and taut.

The corner of her lips twitched, amusement flickering in her eyes. His silence only fueled it, and a soft laugh escaped her lips.

“Anyway, don’t let me hold you up. Go back to your business,” she said casually, waving her hand dismissively before turning back to her drink.

Roger stood there, unmoving, his jaw tight. He had been clear the last time they spoke —he’d told her he would pursue her. But the way she sat there, so unaffected, so distant, made something in his chest constrict.

This wasn’t the Lily he remembered. And the glass of whiskey in her hand? That wasn’t her either.

His voice lowered, concern slipping past the walls he’d built.

“Stop drinking.” He frowned. “You never liked the taste of it. When did you even start—”

Before he could finish, Lily yanked her hand away from his gentle hold, her expression hard and unyielding.

“Excuse me?” Her voice was sharp, cutting clean through his concern. “Who are you to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do? Just because you said you’d pursue me doesn’t mean I’ve agreed to anything.”

She leaned back slightly, her gaze locking with his, cool and unwavering.

“We barely know each other anymore, Roger. Don’t assume you still do.”

“Boss.”

A voice cut through the tension, pulling Roger’s attention away. One of his assistants had approached, reminding him of the business dinner he had nearly forgotten in the moment.

Lily, meanwhile, quietly downed the last of her drink, placing the empty glass back on the counter with a soft clink. Without sparing Roger another glance, she slid off the barstool and made her way toward the exit.

Outside, the cool night air brushed against her skin as she raised her hand to hail a cab — but before she could, a familiar hand wrapped gently around her wrist.

“Come on. Let me take you home.” Roger’s voice was low, almost expecting her to yank her hand away like before.

But to his surprise, Lily didn’t pull back. Instead, she turned to him with a soft, unreadable smile that caught him completely off guard.

“Your home or mine?” she asked lightly, her voice laced with quiet amusement.

Roger froze, speechless, unsure whether she was mocking him or testing him — but either way, her question left him standing there, caught completely off balance.