Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Too broken heal
Lilac’s breath caught in her throat the moment Stanley stepped in front of her. His eyes lingered on her flustered face, studying every flicker of emotion before his dangerously low voice broke her trance.

“It’s almost pitiful watching you try so hard to convince me that you’re into Damien.”

His words were a blade, cutting through her, leaving behind a wound that stung more than she wanted to admit. For a moment, her expression wavered before she forced it blank.

“And who says I’m trying to convince you?” she challenged, her voice unwavering. “Did you forget? I told you I would try to love him. I’m simply opening my heart to him.”

Stanley’s jaw clenched. Her defiant stance did nothing to ease the tightness in his chest—it only made it worse.

“And I warned you not to do that,” he bit out. “Don’t force yourself into something that doesn’t come naturally.”

Lilac let out a cold chuckle, brushing off his concern as if it meant nothing.

“Look who’s talking,” she mused. “Didn’t you say you were happy for me? That you were glad I finally found someone?” She tilted her head, her smirk deepening. “Then why are you stopping me now? Don’t tell me… you hate seeing me close to Damien?”

Her words struck a nerve.

Stanley had been quick to refute her before, always brushing her off with logic, but this time, no words came. He just stood there, silent.

What changed?

He didn’t know, but seeing Lilac with Damien had ignited something raw and unsettling inside him.

Lilac saw his hesitation and smiled in victory.

“You rejected me, Stanley,” she whispered, stepping closer. “And now you’re trying to change my mind. What do you even want from me?”

She let her fingers trail over his toned chest, her touch light yet searing.

“You refuse to acknowledge what happened between us,” she murmured, her lips inches from his. “So why does it bother you so much that I’m accepting Damien?”

Their breaths mingled, heat radiating between them, the memory of their passionate night pressing against the walls of their minds like a ghost refusing to be forgotten.

“I know what happened between us wasn’t just a fleeting moment, Stanley,” Lilac continued, her voice trembling with frustration. “You felt it too. You just don’t want to admit it.”

Her gaze burned into his, unrelenting, challenging.

“You think I don’t know you?” she whispered, pain lacing her words. “We grew up together. I’ve seen you at your best and your worst. And yet, you still don’t trust me with your heart.”

Stanley swallowed hard, his body rigid.

Lilac’s voice cracked as she pleaded, “For once, Stanley, don’t let your demons overpower you. For once, trust me.”

She saw it—his resolve wavering, his walls cracking under the weight of her words. She was his weakness. Her voice, her tears, the raw emotion in her eyes—they shattered him.

But Stanley knew the truth.

Letting her in meant dragging her into his darkness, and Lilac was the only light he had ever known.

He couldn’t do that to her.

With one deep breath, he stepped back.

Lilac’s heart shattered as his retreating movement sealed her fate.

“I’m not the right one for you, Lilac,” he said, his voice hollow, final.

Her expression darkened, and her fists clenched at her sides.

“Then you don’t get to choose for me, Stanley,” she spat, shoving him aside before storming out of the restroom.

Fury burned inside her, but beneath it was something far worse—devastation.

And this time, she wouldn’t let him break her again.

***

Winter found herself restless in Kalix’s absence. Though he had managed to cheer Seren up with his sweet words, she couldn’t shake off the heaviness that settled in her chest after his departure. The house felt too quiet, too empty without him.

Standing by the balcony, she sipped her coffee slowly, trying to pass the time. Yet, no matter how much she tried to distract herself, her thoughts kept drifting back to him.

The memory of their kisses in his office lingered in the back of her mind, igniting a warmth that unsettled her. She didn’t want to admit it, but Kalix had left an impression on her—one she couldn’t seem to erase.

With a sigh, Winter muttered to herself, “I need to do something to distract myself.”

Turning back into her room, she considered taking a walk in the garden, hoping the fresh air would clear her mind. But before she even realized it, her feet had carried her somewhere else entirely.

She now stood in front of Kalix’s room.

Winter had been inside before, but for some reason, the sight of the closed door unsettled her. It felt… unfamiliar. Off-limits.

Just as she debated whether to leave, a voice startled her out of her thoughts.

“Madame, do you need anything?”

Winter spun around to see Butler James watching her with polite curiosity. Her heartbeat quickened at the sudden interruption, and for a brief moment, she wasn’t sure how to respond.

But then, an idea clicked. Plastering an awkward smile on her face, she asked, “Butler James, how long have you been serving this family?”

James appeared surprised by her question but quickly composed himself. “More than two decades, Madame.”

Winter nodded, her curiosity deepening. “Then you must have known your master since he was a child?”

James’s expression softened as he nodded. He observed her carefully, sensing the shift in her interest. She wasn’t just here as Kalix’s wife by name. She was trying to understand him.

And that, to James, meant something.

“Then I guess you’re the right person to ask.” Winter let out an awkward laugh before blurting, “Was your master always this shameless?”

The moment the words left her mouth, her smile faltered. A wave of embarrassment washed over her as she realized what she had just said. She had been so caught up in distracting herself that she hadn’t thought before speaking.

Winter shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a cornered kitten under Butler James’s gaze. But to her surprise, instead of looking offended, the older man chuckled, his expression kind.

“No, he wasn’t,” James responded, amusement flickering in his eyes. “In fact, he hardly paid attention to any woman, let alone acted shameless before them.”

Winter’s brows furrowed at that. Was the butler trying to clear Kalix’s image? Because from the moment she had met him, the man had been nothing but a smooth flirt—always armed with charming words that sent her heart into a frenzy.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” James observed her silence and smiled knowingly.

Winter hesitated before shaking her head slightly. “It’s just… hard to imagine.”

“I understand,” James said warmly. “To be honest, we were just as surprised. We had never seen Master Kalix like this before.”

“Like what?” Winter asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Happy.”

The simplicity of that word made Winter still.

“Before you, he was merely passing his days—working endlessly, spending his nights building his empire with no real pause for himself. But now…” James smiled, his gaze holding something close to gratitude. “Now, he’s finally living. And we never thought we’d witness that.”

Winter hesitated for a moment before asking, “How long has he been having trouble sleeping?”

James’s expression faltered, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. He knew it wasn’t his place to speak on behalf of his master, but Winter wasn’t just anyone—she was the woman Kalix admired. After a brief pause, he let out a quiet sigh.

“Ever since he lost his parents,” he admitted, his voice laced with sorrow.

Winter’s heart clenched. She knew Kalix had lost his parents when he was young, but the fact that their absence still haunted him after all these years unsettled her.

“What happened to them?” she asked softly, dreading the answer.

“They both died in an accident,” James said simply.

Winter’s breath hitched, and a sting of tears pricked her eyes. She knew all too well the pain of losing someone dear—the way their absence left an unfillable void, a scar that never truly faded.

“Was it that difficult for him?” she whispered.

James nodded solemnly. “Miss Lilac was too young to remember them, but Master Roger and Master Kalix… they never fully recovered.”

Her mind drifted to the man she had met earlier that morning—the one who bore a striking resemblance to Kalix. Roger. Rita’s husband.

“While Master Roger buried himself in running his father’s business, Master Kalix…” James exhaled deeply. “He was too broken to heal. Instead of grieving, he threw himself into the organization, using it as an escape… as a way to vent his pain.”

The butler let out a small chuckle, but the sorrow in his eyes remained.

Winter looked down, her fingers curling into fists. Kalix had built himself into a man of steel, yet beneath that exterior was a heart that had been shattered long ago.

Winter had intended to ask more, but a sudden phone call interrupted her conversation with Butler James.

She glanced at the screen, her brows furrowing as she saw Lilac’s name flashing.

Without wasting a second, Winter answered the call. However, the words that followed left her utterly surprised.