Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Chapter 185: But the results are the same…
Agnes was having dinner with her family, sitting quietly at the table as the warm chatter surrounded her.

Since confirming her pregnancy, she’d been extremely cautious about every physical activity she and Eric engaged in. But more than anything, she’d been secretive—desperate to keep anyone from finding out.

Especially Eric.

But hiding it wasn’t as easy as she’d thought.

The day she missed her period, other symptoms crept in—waves of nausea, sudden dizziness, and that ever-present fatigue. She’d hoped she could mask it, at least for a little while longer.

“Why aren’t you eating anything, Agnes?” Dorothy asked, her eyes narrowing with concern as she glanced at her daughter’s barely touched plate.

Agnes had always been a picky eater, but tonight’s meal had been prepared to suit her preferences. Still, she had only pushed the food around with her fork, her appetite nowhere in sight.

David, seated across from them, looked up from his plate. “Do you want something else? You look a little pale.”

Dorothy’s brow furrowed as she leaned in slightly, taking a better look. Only then did she truly notice the change in Agnes’s complexion—the way her skin had paled and a faint sheen of sweat clung to her forehead.

“Are you feeling alright?” Dorothy asked, echoing her husband’s concern.

Agnes froze. Panic flared in her chest, but she quickly shook her head, forcing a small, tight-lipped smile. “No, I’m fine. Really. I just don’t feel like eating tonight.”

Dorothy didn’t look convinced. She reached for the salad bowl and scooped out a generous portion of broccoli salad—Agnes’s usual favorite. “Then maybe just a little of this? You always liked it with the lemon vinaigrette.”

She passed the bowl to Agnes, who instinctively recoiled the moment the scent hit her. Her hand flew to her nose as a wave of nausea rose sharply, unbidden.

That reaction didn’t go unnoticed.

Dorothy’s eyes widened slightly, and David’s fork paused midway to his mouth.

Agnes quickly composed herself, lowering her hand. “Sorry,” she said, voice shaky. “I think… maybe I’m coming down with something.”

Dorothy frowned, her fork paused mid-air, and David followed suit when Agnes abruptly stood and left the dining table without another word.

“What’s wrong with her?” Dorothy murmured, concern etched across her face.

David, however, seemed far less bothered. He let out a sigh and reached for his glass. “Leave her be. She’s back to throwing tantrums again.”

Dorothy waited for a few seconds, eyes lingering on the hallway where Agnes had disappeared. Before she could dwell further, David changed the subject.

“I’ll be traveling soon—for a business trip,” he said, his tone growing serious. “So make sure to keep a close eye on everything while I’m gone. We still don’t know who’s behind those threats.”

Dorothy nodded solemnly. They had exhausted every possible lead to identify the sender of the anonymous envelope, but the trail always led to a dead end. No matter what they tried, the truth remained hidden in shadows.

Still, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down—not when someone out there clearly knew more than they should.

Dinner ended quickly after that. Once the dishes were cleared, Dorothy quietly prepared a tray with some food and headed to Agnes’s room. Her maternal instincts wouldn’t let her rest until she checked on her daughter.

But as she entered, she heard the sound of running water. Agnes was in the shower.

Dorothy frowned but said nothing. She walked over to the desk and gently set the tray down, adjusting the cutlery.

Ding…

The soft vibration of a phone broke the silence.

Her eyes flicked to the table—and there it was. Agnes’s phone lit up with a notification.

Dorothy didn’t mean to pry, but something about the message caught her attention. Her brows knitted together as she read the words on the lock screen:

“Appointment confirmed – Medlife Clinic, 10:30 AM tomorrow.”

Her hand hesitated, almost reaching for the phone when the bathroom door clicked open.

Agnes stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders. The second she spotted her mother eyeing her phone, she froze—and then rushed forward.

“Why do you keep sneaking into my room, Mom?” Agnes snapped, irritation flaring as she snatched the phone from the table.

Dorothy didn’t flinch, but her gaze narrowed, clearly suspicious.

“Why did you book an appointment at Medlife Clinic?” she asked, tone calm but firm.

Agnes blinked, caught off guard. “I—uh, I haven’t been feeling well,” she stammered. “It’s probably just food poisoning or something. I figured I’d get it checked out.”

She forced a casual shrug, trying to sound convincing, but she knew her mother wasn’t easily fooled. Dorothy had a way of seeing through her better than anyone else ever could.

Still, Agnes wasn’t ready to tell anyone. Not yet. The timing wasn’t right. She needed space to figure it all out—what it meant, what she was going to do, and most of all, how Eric would take it.

“Please,” she added, nodding toward the tray, “can you take the food away? I’m really not hungry.”

She didn’t wait for a response and walked over to her wardrobe, deliberately turning her back.

Dorothy didn’t move. Her eyes remained fixed on Agnes for a long moment, reading the tension in her shoulders and the way she avoided eye contact.

She knew her daughter was hiding something.

But for now, she let it go.

“Alright,” Dorothy said quietly, picking up the tray.

Agnes watched her mother leave without another word and sighed.

She looked at the message before tossing it aside and cursing for almost getting caught.

***

The next morning, Kalix dropped by the base with Sean. The moment his eyes landed on Stanley, the subtle change in his expression confirmed what he had already suspected.

“How bad was it?” he asked, his voice flat, eyes cold and unreadable as they fixed on Stanley.

The aftermath of Stanley’s drinking was written all over his face—swollen eyes, a pallor that clung to his skin, and the exhaustion of a man barely holding himself together. He looked more like someone dragged out of an underground fighting ring than the disciplined enforcer Kalix had trained.

“It won’t happen again,” Stanley muttered, avoiding Kalix’s gaze.

When Sean had returned home the night before, he’d found Lilac already there with Stanley. But what struck him most wasn’t Stanley’s drunkenness—it was the way he pulled away from her, refused her comfort like it burned.

It had made Sean sigh helplessly, a weight of silent understanding settling over him.

Thankfully, Lilac had told him everything. And that morning, Kalix wasted no time. He summoned them both to the base without room for protest.

There wasn’t much in their lives that Kalix didn’t know. He had eyes everywhere—especially on Stanley. After everything that had happened in the past, Kalix couldn’t afford to let his guard down when it came to him. Not again.

Kalix didn’t say anything further. He could tell Stanley meant what he said—and when Stanley made a promise, he kept it. So, without wasting time, Kalix cut to the real reason they were here.

“You sure Logan can help you find the murderers?” he asked, his voice sharp and to the point.

Stanley understood the weight behind the question. They didn’t easily let outsiders into their circle, especially when it came to something as personal as probing their minds and uncovering buried truths. But Logan wasn’t just anyone. He was a man who had once worked with the very people they were hunting—and more importantly, he was someone Stanley’s father had trusted.

“Not completely. But yes, partially,” Stanley answered honestly.

Kalix nodded slowly, gauging his response. Stanley wasn’t someone who could be easily manipulated, and if he believed Logan could offer something of value, it meant he’d done his homework.

“Then I suppose you’ll need more resources,” Kalix said, his tone even. “And protection.”

“Resources, yes,” Stanley agreed. “But protection?” He shook his head firmly. “No. I don’t want them thinking I’m being guarded or watched. That’ll only make them more careful—or worse, suspicious.”

Kalix raised a brow, but didn’t argue. He understood the nuance of fear and control better than anyone. Still, he wasn’t the type to let things go without a condition.

“Fine,” he said. “But if anything feels off—if Logan steps one toe out of line—you pull out. Understood?”

Stanley gave a single nod. “Understood.”

There was a beat of silence between them, heavy but not uncomfortable.

Sean, standing off to the side, finally spoke. “What about Lilac? She’s going to worry.”

Stanley’s expression shifted slightly, the faintest flicker of conflict crossing his face.

“She doesn’t need to know everything. Not yet.”

Kalix didn’t miss the hesitation in Stanley’s voice—but he let it slide. For now.

“Keep me updated,” Kalix said, his voice clipped as he turned to leave. “No surprises.”

Stanley gave a firm nod before they all departed from the base.

As soon as Kalix slid into the car, Sean turned to him, his expression grim.

“We found the car that tailed Stanley the other day,” he said, handing over the tablet in his hand. “But the results are… disturbing.”