Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: What it can make you risk everything
“I feel so left out all of a sudden,” Winter exclaimed.

“Me too. I don’t even know what the hell is going on in my brother’s life,” Lilac added with a frown.

Both pairs of curious eyes turned toward Gina and Lily, who sat across from them on the couch.

Gina lounged comfortably, clearly enjoying the spectacle. But as soon as Winter’s piercing glare landed on her, she straightened up with a startled expression.

“What? Why are you drilling holes into me with that look? She’s the one who needs to be interrogated,” Gina said, gesturing toward Lily.

Lily, on the other hand, remained silent, sitting quietly as if rooted to her spot. She hadn’t expected Gina to drop the news so dramatically in front of her friends, and now that it was out, there was no way to take it back.

Lilac glanced at Lily from the corner of her eye, her expression softening. Then, unexpectedly, she let out a light, pleasant chuckle that drew everyone’s attention.

“So you’re the girl my brother used to love during his university days,” she said, her voice filled with wonder as she turned to face Lily directly.

Lilac had always known Roger was head over heels for someone back in college. But ever since the scandal with Rita, everything in his life had spiraled into chaos. He never tried to fix it—just buried the past, hurt in silence, and threw himself into his responsibilities.

Lily was taken aback by the warm look on Lilac’s face. She hadn’t anticipated kindness—perhaps curiosity or judgment—but not that.

“But I’m still upset with my brother,” Lilac said with a playful pout. “He didn’t even bother to tell me he was planning to move out.”

Winter understood her feelings all too well. But what gnawed at her most was something deeper—Syvester’s approval and whether Rita knew about any of this.

“Does your grandpa know about it? And what about Rita?” Winter asked, her curious eyes darting to Lilac.

Lilac shrugged. “I doubt Grandpa knows about Roger’s move, and as for Rita—she’s probably clueless too. From what I’ve seen, she’s been calling him non-stop since yesterday, but he’s not answering.”

“Oh! That reminds me—there’s something very interesting you should know,” Gina chimed in with an excited little bounce.

Lily sighed, already bracing herself. She knew what was coming next.

Gina had taken it upon herself to expose every piece of Lily’s past like it was the juiciest drama playing on TV, and right now, she was clearly in her element.

Being single had always worked in Lily’s favor—she valued her space, her peace. But ever since her history with Roger resurfaced, Gina had left no stone unturned.

Teasing her mercilessly, turning every little detail into a spectacle, as if her love life were suddenly the most thrilling thing in the room.

As soon as Gina dropped the bomb about Lily’s open challenge to Rita, both Lilac and Winter were left stunned—eyes wide in shock, lips parted in sheer disbelief.

“You what?” Winter finally managed, blinking rapidly as if she’d misheard.

Lilac leaned forward, her voice laced with both awe and confusion. “You challenged Rita? As in, that Rita?”

Lily didn’t say anything. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her jeans as she looked anywhere but at them.

Gina, ever the narrator of the moment, grinned like she was unveiling the season finale of a favorite drama series. “Oh, yes. You should’ve seen her. Ice-cold. Calm. Just said, ‘If she has a problem with me, she can take it up with me directly.’ And walked away like an absolute queen.”

Winter’s jaw practically dropped to the floor. “Lily!” she gasped, half-impressed, half-worried. “Do you even know what that means? Rita doesn’t do subtle. She’ll come at you like a wrecking ball.”

Lily gave a small, tired smile. “She already came once. And I survived that.”

Lilac’s expression softened, but there was still a glimmer of concern in her eyes. “You’re braver than I thought. But… Are you sure this is a fight worth picking?”

“It’s not about picking a fight,” Lily said quietly, her voice steady but subdued. “It’s about not running anymore.”

The room fell silent for a beat. Even Gina stopped smiling, sensing the shift in Lily’s tone. The laughter and teasing died down, replaced by something heavier—something real.

Winter exchanged a glance with Lilac, then reached over and gently placed her hand over Lily’s. “We’ve got your back. Just… be careful. Rita doesn’t lose easily.”

“I’m not trying to win anything,” Lily whispered. “Just trying to finally live on my terms.”

Meanwhile, upstairs on the tenth floor of the Celestial Tower, inside Roger’s sleek new apartment, Kalix leaned against the glass wall, watching the city lights flicker below.

He turned slightly to face his brother, his voice calm but laced with caution.

“Are you sure Grandpa’s going to approve of whatever it is you’re trying to do, brother?”

The question cut through the quiet room, hanging heavy in the air.

Kalix had been just as blindsided as everyone else when Winter told him Roger had moved to Celestial Tower—without a word to the family. And considering their grandfather, Syvester, rarely tolerated surprises, especially ones involving secrecy, this move felt like a ticking time bomb.

Roger didn’t flinch. He stood near the kitchen island, pouring himself a glass of water, his movements steady, controlled.

“I’m not doing this for Grandpa’s approval,” he said, voice low. “I’m doing this for myself.”

Kalix arched a brow. “That’s a first.”

Roger shot him a look but said nothing. He was tired—of hiding, of pretending, of carrying guilt that didn’t even belong to him. Ever since the scandal with Rita, he’d let everyone else dictate how he lived. Not anymore.

Kalix moved closer, his tone softening. “Lilac told me this morning to check on you. Rita’s been calling nonstop since yesterday, and I think by now even Grandpa must be getting worried.”

Roger glanced at his phone, still lying face-down on the table, its screen blank and untouched.

“I haven’t checked it,” he said, his tone indifferent, as if the chaos beyond that screen didn’t concern him in the slightest.

Kalix studied him carefully. Roger had never defied Sylvester before—not once. Every decision he’d made until now had followed the family line, every action calculated to maintain peace and legacy. But seeing his brother finally break free from that shadow and take even one step for himself stirred something unfamiliar in Kalix.

Pride.

“What do you plan to do now?” Kalix asked, easing the tension between them.

Roger’s eyes shifted toward his brother, then away again. He gave a slow shrug. “Everything I failed to do back then”

Kalix nodded once, not pressing. “But first get rid of Rita. I doubt she will easily let you go.”

Roger said nothing, but the silence between them wasn’t hollow anymore—it was full of the quiet beginning of something new.

When he asked for the divorce, he knew there wasn’t much he could offer Rita in the marriage—aside from Sylvester’s respect. But now that he finally had the courage to pursue Lily again, he wasn’t going to stop.

***

Winter sighed as she and Kalix stepped into their room after returning from the Celestial Tower. It truly was surprising to see how small the world could be. But more than anything, it made her happy—for her friend, for all of them.

“Your brother and Lily deserve their happiness,” Winter said softly, turning to Kalix, who was quietly admiring the content smile on her face.

“Not just Roger,” Kalix replied, his voice thoughtful. “Lilac too. I can finally see her smiling again.”

Winter blinked, caught off guard by his words.

She tried to feign ignorance, but Kalix didn’t let it slide. He pulled her gently into his arms, lowering his voice with a mischievous smile.

“I know she and Stanley are together. And my dear wife has been helping her keep it secret.”

Winter’s eyes widened. She thought she had been careful—discreet in every text and whisper exchanged. But clearly, not enough.

“How long have you known?” she asked, half-embarrassed, half-curious.

Kalix smirked. “Ever since Stanley joined me,. Lilac was instantly whipped.”

Winter was speechless. Lilac had confided in Sean, and Winter had promised to keep her secret safe. But apparently, she and Lilac had underestimated one thing—Kalix Andreas didn’t miss a single beat when it came to the people he cared about.

“And… are you okay with it? I mean, Lilac and Stanley?” she asked hesitantly.

Kalix’s smile deepened as he looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be? Stanley is one of my best assets. But more than that—he’s family. If he’s happy with Lilac, I couldn’t ask for more.”

His tone held no mockery, no sarcasm. Just quiet sincerity.

He paused, his gaze drifting slightly as a memory flickered in his eyes.

“I remember the day I met Stanley,” Kalix said. “He was a lost soul back then. Broken. Drowning in vengeance for the family he lost—people his father served loyally, only to be betrayed.”

Winter listened quietly, seeing the softness in Kalix’s eyes that he rarely showed.

“His parents were murdered, and his little sister was taken. He spent years chasing shadows, getting into underground fights, high on painkillers, cocaine—anything to keep the ghosts from catching up to him.”

Kalix’s jaw tightened slightly.

“But the thing that fueled him… almost ended him. He was in one of those brutal fights when I first saw him. Half-dead. They meant to finish him off. If I hadn’t stepped in—”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the weight of it lingered in the air.

“Later, when we dug deeper, we found out it wasn’t just some random beatdown. Someone knew what Stanley was trying to uncover. They got wind of his motives… and tried to silence him before he got too close.”

Winter gently placed her hand on his chest. “And now he works for you.”

Kalix nodded. “Now, he’s one of mine. Loyal. Focused. And for the first time… I think he’s healing.”

Winter smiled. “Because of Lilac.”

“Because of love,” Kalix murmured. “It’s strange, isn’t it? What love can pull you out of… and what it can make you risk everything for.”

“And what about the people he’s looking for? Did he catch them all?” Winter asked, her voice curious yet concerned.

“Not everyone,” Kalix replied honestly. “But a few, yes. Though it didn’t help him much at the time… I think now it might. He told me a man named Logen—one of his father’s old friends—approached him recently and offered to help. He’s extending a hand in finding the people who took his sister.”

So that call was about his search, Winter realized, nodding thoughtfully as her expression turned pensive. She fell silent after that, processing it all.

Kalix watched her for a moment before gently cupping her face, tilting it so she met his gaze again.

“But that’s not our concern tonight,” he said softly. “Stanley can take it from here.”

A smile curved on his lips as he leaned closer. “Now… it’s time for us, wifey. So, should we start our night?”

He didn’t wait for her reply. He sealed the moment with a kiss, warm and sure, stealing her breath as the rest of the world faded away.