Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Don’t throw it away
“By the way, why did you get drunk?” Gina asked, walking out with a glass of water in her hand.

Instead of taking a sip herself, she passed it to Lily.

“No thanks,” Lily declined, and Gina quickly took a sip instead.

“I met Rita yesterday,” Lily began, her tone heavy, laced with a hint of defiance.

Gina turned her full attention to her.

“And I challenged her—I told her I’m going to take Roger away from her.”

“…”

Lily watched Gina closely. She went completely still, her expression unreadable. Not a single muscle twitched to suggest she had even heard her.

But then—

“YOU WHAT?!” Gina screamed at the top of her lungs, nearly causing Lily to cover her ears.

“Don’t scream,” Lily said calmly.

Gina visibly reined herself in, though her excitement still buzzed in the air between them.

Lily eyed her warily, and once it seemed Gina was done combusting, she finally opened up and recounted the conversation that had taken place between her and Rita at the café.

Gina was blown away by how boldly Lily had challenged Rita to her face—and if that wasn’t shocking enough, Roger had approved of it. He had let Lily take the reins.

“He’s surely something, Lily. I doubt you misjudged him. I haven’t seen anyone as determined as Mr. Roger,” Gina said, genuinely impressed.

Lily raised an eyebrow. “Look who’s talking so highly of him now. You were one step away from punching the guy when I told you I knew him.”

“But you never told me anything bad about him,” Gina defended with a shrug. “And from what I’ve seen so far… he seems genuine, Lily.”

Gina had a sharp instinct when it came to men. She could read them like open books—could sniff out their intention, as she called it. Roger was no exception. He was like the rest of his siblings—strong-willed, loyal, but unfortunately tangled in drama. The difference was Roger had gotten caught in Rita’s web.

Normally, Gina wouldn’t have dared to poke into someone else’s mess. But thanks to Sean, she had come across bits and pieces of the truth—things that had unraveled after Lily left. And Roger… well, he had ended up as one of the many victims of Rita’s carefully spun schemes.

Lily fell silent. She still didn’t understand why Roger was so desperate to win her back. But when he claimed he would prove she was the only one who ever mattered to him… something inside her wanted to believe it.

“Whatever,” Lily muttered, brushing the thought aside as she stood up and started walking toward her room.

But Gina’s voice rang out behind her. “Did you ever try to find the truth, Lily?”

Her steps halted instantly.

She turned, her eyes locking onto Gina’s, the question echoing louder in her mind than in the room. Her thoughts scattered as the weight of the words settled in. All these years, she had blamed both Roger and Rita for toying with her feelings. She had made peace with the betrayal, reasoning that Roger had never confessed his love—and neither had she.

But now, with Gina’s question lingering in the air… she couldn’t help but wonder. Why hadn’t she tried? Why not believe Roger, just once? Why not seek the truth instead of burying it under assumptions?

“Love is a beautiful feeling, Lily,” Gina said softly. “And if someone offers it to you from the bottom of their heart… don’t throw it away.”

Lily didn’t respond immediately. Her heart stirred with something unspoken, something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in a long time.

Then Gina suddenly clapped her hands with a mock-proud grin. “Ha! I sound like a philosopher now, don’t I?”

Lily shook her head with a faint smile, somewhere between disbelief and amusement. But even as she left the room, Gina’s words remained—etched into her thoughts, refusing to fade.

***

Inside the moving car, Winter heaved a tired sigh and leaned back in her seat, exhaustion tugging at her features.

“Grandpa asked me to visit him,” she said softly, her eyes drifting toward Kalix. “But I’m not sure how long I can keep the truth from him.”

She understood Kalix had his reasons for not breaking the news to either of their grandparents. But if she kept avoiding Bryson, he’d eventually grow suspicious—and she feared what that might lead to.

Kalix didn’t respond right away, his silence settling between them like a weight. And yet, he knew—he knew—that his quiet made it harder for her.

When the silence stretched too long, thick and unbearable, Kalix finally moved. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Planting a soft kiss on her temple, he murmured, “Your grandfather already has a lot on his plate, Winter. I don’t want to burden him with more. If we want to stop them from making any move on him, we have to work discreetly.”

Winter nodded once she let the weight of keeping a secret from Byron lift from her heart.

She continued to rest her head on Kalix’s shoulder, relishing the rare moment of peace—until a sudden ringtone shattered the calm.

Kalix glanced at the screen. It was Stanley.

Without hesitation, he answered.

Winter slowly pulled away, giving him space to talk. As he spoke, she unlocked her phone and scrolled into her group chat—the one she shared with the girls, where they usually spilled all the latest gossip and life updates.

To her surprise, the group was unusually quiet today.

Why is everyone so quiet? She typed, hitting send and waiting for a reply.

While she waited, her gaze flicked back to Kalix. His tone had shifted—his jaw was tight, his expression unreadable.

“You think we can trust him?” he asked, voice low and edged with tension.

Winter blinked, barely catching the gravity in his words before her phone buzzed to life in her hand.

Gina: Big news. A handsome new guy recently moved into our building—and guess what? Our Lily doesn’t even mind!

Before she could react, another message popped up.

Lily: Gina, for once, can you be serious? Just delete it.

Winter: Okay, so Lily has finally found someone.

Gina: Grins

Moments later, Lilac’s message popped up.

Lilac: So who’s the lucky guy?

Gina: You don’t want to know, Lilac.

Winter: Furrows in confusion

Lilac: Spill the beans.

Lily: Gina, NO!

Gina: Grinning. You’re all going to be hella surprised. So here it goes…

It’s none other than Mr. Roger Andreas.

Winter: …

Lilac: …

Lily: Currently hiding somewhere