Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: I am not letting you go
Rita had been trying to reach Roger since last night. Ever since her confrontation with Lily, she’d been left with nothing but dread echoing in her chest.

Lily had challenged her—threatened to take Roger away. It was something Rita never imagined she’d hear from her. Not from Lily.

But with her relationship with Roger already hanging by a thread, Rita couldn’t shake the fear that Lily might actually make good on her threat.

For days, Rita had convinced herself she could play it safe. That she could somehow stop Roger from going through with the divorce without making waves. But now, Lily’s words had pushed her to the edge. She had to act. She had to make a move.

The only problem? Roger was nowhere to be found.

Rita grew more anxious with every ignored call. Her stomach churned each time the phone rang, only to be met with silence. So when her phone finally lit up and rang again, her heart skipped with hope.

Until she saw who it was.

Beatrix.

Her heart sank.

“Where the hell are you, Rita? Don’t you know what happened to your father?” Beatrix’s voice burst through the phone, raw with anger and disbelief.

Rita winced.

She had ignored Beatrix’s calls—too many to count. And when the texts came in, she barely skimmed the one mentioning her father’s condition. She couldn’t handle it—not on top of everything else.

But Beatrix wasn’t letting it go.

“Rita! I asked you something!”

The sharp command in Beatrix’s voice cut through her like a knife, igniting the storm of guilt and frustration she’d tried so hard to keep buried.

“Stop commanding me all the time, Mom! I know what happened to Dad—but isn’t he fine?” Rita snapped, her voice sharp with frustration.

She had enough on her plate, barely holding herself together after Lily’s confrontation. And now her mother was yelling at her for not showing concern?

“Rita, how dare you speak like—”

“I know you won’t let anything happen to him,” Rita cut in with a bitter smirk. Her mother’s voice had wavered the moment she mentioned her father’s condition—so full of concern, so defensive. Just like always.

But wasn’t she the one who’d been using his condition to her advantage for years?

So what was so wrong if Rita threw the same card now?

“After all, he’s the only reason we’re gaining Sylvester’s trust, right?”

“You’ve lost your mind, Rita! Do you even hear yourself?”

“Cut the crap.” Rita’s voice was cold now, void of the usual guilt. “I’ve watched you twist sympathy into strategy for years. Don’t act high and mighty with me. Now stop bothering me” she said and ended the call without waiting for her mother’s response.

Rita had no idea where Roger was. The last time she checked, he had left the office in the evening to meet one of their delegates. But after that—he never returned home.

***

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Lily woke up with a throbbing headache. The drink she had downed last night not only made her lose her senses, but it also left her with a brutal hangover.

Yet it wasn’t the headache that truly irked her. It was the memory of the moments she had spent with Roger in her drunken state that horrified her.

She gaped, her thoughts spiraling as fragmented memories from the night before came crashing back. The way she had initiated the kiss… and how he had responded, claiming her without restraint.

Lily shot her eyes open and glanced under the sheet—fully dressed.

A sigh of relief escaped her. At least they hadn’t gone beyond the kiss.

But then why did she feel this way…?

“You’re awake.”

The familiar voice startled her, and her eyes darted toward the bathroom—where Roger stepped out, a towel slung casually around his shoulders, water still glistening on his chiseled chest.

Lily’s heart skipped a beat. His damp hair, that sculpted physique, his entire masculine presence—it was enough to send her senses spiraling all over again.

If he had put on trousers, she might have shamelessly devoured him with her eyes.

Roger was expecting a smile. Instead, he found her frozen, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. Amused, he walked over and bent down, brushing a light kiss against her lips, snapping her out of her trance.

“Let’s have breakfast together,” he said with a smile. “It’s been a while since we hung out.”

He was trying to memorize every single expression she gave in those brief seconds.

But Lily… Lily could feel the shift. One reckless decision last night had changed everything. Her hatred, the wall she’d built between them—none of it felt solid anymore. And she hated that.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” she muttered, pushing the blanket aside and attempting to walk past him.

Roger’s smile faltered, his gaze darkening with her indifference. But before she could take a step, he caught her wrist and pulled her back—firmly, but gently—until she practically collided with his chest.

“It was possible yesterday,” he said, voice low and firm. “And it’s possible now. I’m not letting you go until we have breakfast. And we need to talk about last night.”

Roger wasn’t the kind of man to be walked over—especially not after she was the one who had crossed the line she’d drawn between them. Had things gone further, maybe he would’ve just left it there. But they hadn’t—and now, he couldn’t walk away, not without answers.

Lily’s skin tingled beneath his touch. His grip wasn’t tight, but the intensity of his gaze held her still. Commanding. Calm. Unshakable.

And it hit her—she had no idea what she’d gotten herself into.

“I’ll be waiting outside,” Roger said, releasing her hand slowly. “Be quick.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Lily to the storm brewing inside her.

Lily stood frozen, her mind spinning from the closeness they had just shared. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest, she feared it might burst. But despite the chaos inside her, she shoved her emotions aside and rushed into the bathroom, determined to comply with Roger’s words—no matter how conflicted she felt.