Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Nothing but a compromise.
[Globe Enterprise]

Sitting inside his office, Roger tried to focus on his work, but the constant ringing of his phone made it impossible to concentrate.

Ever since he left the house that morning, Rita had been calling him nonstop. Annoyed and unwilling to deal with her, Roger had ignored every single call.

He was deeply disappointed in her, and at this point, he had no desire to speak to her. Yet, her relentless attempts to reach him grated on his nerves, even when she wasn’t physically there.

Frustrated, he finally put his phone on silent, hoping to get some peace. But just when he thought he could finally focus, his assistant walked in.

“Boss, Mrs. Rita is trying to call you,” Henry said, his expression uneasy as he pressed his hand over the speaker of his phone.

Roger’s jaw clenched as he shot Henry an irritated look.

“Tell her I’m busy and can’t take any calls,” he ordered, his voice sharp.

Henry hesitated for a moment before relaying the message.

From the other end of the line, Rita abruptly hung up, cutting him off mid-sentence. The tension was palpable—it was clear the couple had fought, and Henry was caught in the crossfire.

Just as he turned to leave, Roger’s voice stopped him.

“Make sure Rita doesn’t step foot in this office,” Roger warned, his tone laced with an unmistakable edge. “Or the consequences will be bad.”

Henry gulped at the implied threat.

Roger was a good boss—until he was pushed too far. And when that happened, all his kindness flew right out the window, leaving only a man who could make anyone tremble.

Henry nodded vigorously and left the office.

Roger exhaled deeply, sinking into his chair as he closed his eyes. His marriage to Rita had been nothing more than a compromise—one weak moment that had bound them together for a lifetime.

The men of the Andreas family were known for their loyalty to one woman, and when Sylvester discovered what had transpired between them, he demanded that Roger take responsibility.

“If only I could remember,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. The doubt had never faded, lingering in the back of his mind despite all these years. Yet, through all the uncertainty, there was one face he could never forget.

“I wonder what she’s doing now.” The corner of his lips curled into a rare, pleasant smile as he thought of someone he had lost touch with after graduation.

***

[Restaurant]

“You really think this plan is going to work in our favor, Lilac? You do realize your grandpa would skin me alive if he ever found out,” Damien said, his worried eyes fixed on her.

“Unless you keep freaking out, everything will be fine, Damien,” Lilac replied nonchalantly, her unbothered tone making him even more nervous.

He had agreed to fake date her for a while, but deep down, he feared it wouldn’t be long before they got exposed. His family was already growing fond of Lilac, but to him, she was just a friend—nothing more. The problem was, if everything went too smoothly, he knew where it would lead. Marriage.

“You still think I can stay calm after Stanley warned me? He threatened me, Lilac! And you’re telling me not to freak out? I actually value my life, girl!” Damien snapped, his frustration boiling over. He couldn’t understand how she remained so composed while he was losing his mind.

Lilac chuckled. She recalled how boldly she had challenged Stanley, fully intending to break his resolve. No matter how long she had to keep up this act, she was confident she would bring him to his knees.

A mischievous smile played on her lips—until her gaze landed on Stanley and Sean entering the restaurant.

“They’re here. Get back into character,” Lilac whispered, quickly sliding closer to Damien.

Stanley had reluctantly followed Sean to the Italian restaurant near their office after his friend had suddenly craved authentic pasta for lunch. However, as soon as they stepped inside, their eyes landed on a couple they hadn’t expected to see.

“Is that… Lilac and Damien?” Sean asked, squinting through his glasses. He was about to call out to them when Stanley abruptly clamped a hand over his mouth.

“If this is one of your tricks to get me here,” Stanley muttered, his voice dangerously low, “I swear, Sean, I will chop your dick off and feed it to the dogs.”

Sean gulped and shook his head furiously, his appetite vanishing in an instant.

Forcing Stanley’s hand away, Sean gasped for air. “I swear on you, I had no idea she was here!”

Stanley shot him a seething glare before turning his attention to the couple, who were putting on an over-the-top display of affection in front of everyone.

Sean immediately realized his mistake and was about to retreat, but Stanley had already moved forward, striding toward a table across from them and taking a seat.

“This girl is going to start a scene,” Sean muttered anxiously under his breath before hesitantly following him.

Stanley deliberately chose a table farther away, just to test whether Lilac was genuinely with Damien or if she was putting on an act.

Little did he know, she had already spotted him the moment he walked in—thanks to Sean mentioning his craving for pasta, which had sent her instincts into overdrive and led her straight here.

Stanley’s eyes darkened at the sight of their closeness. The way Lilac was feeding Damien with her hand made his blood boil with rage.

“S-Stanley, are you sure you want to stay here? I mean, I’ve already lost my appetite, and if you really don’t want to murder Damien, maybe we should just leave,” Sean said, his voice quivering.

Stanley clenched his jaw, his grip tightening, but Sean’s words finally registered. He frowned and shot Sean a sharp look.

Sean, in response, pointed at Stanley’s hand.

Stanley followed his gaze and realized he had been stabbing his fork into the table—his fingers pressing it down with enough force to leave marks—while his eyes remained locked on the couple.

“Stanley, if you’re jealous, why don’t you just admit it? Stop harassing the poor table,” Sean whispered, making Stanley release the fork instantly.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Just place the order already,” Stanley snapped, brushing off his words.

Still, his gaze kept drifting back to Lilac.

***

The couple finished their lunch, but before leaving, Lilac excused herself to the ladies’ restroom.

The second she pushed the door closed, a firm hand stopped it.

“Stanley.”

Lilac stumbled back as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and locking it. Fortunately, they were alone—otherwise, this would have been a huge disaster.

“What do you think you’re doing, Lilac?”

His voice was low, almost deadly, sending a shiver down her spine.

Lilac’s breath hitched as she watched him take slow, deliberate steps toward her, his presence filling the small space like a looming storm.