Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: A mistake he refused to acknowledge
Winter was halfway to hailing a cab when Lilac’s call cut through. She quickly answered.

“Lilac, what’s wrong? Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” Winter’s distressed voice carried through the line. She had been on the verge of driving back to Rosewood Mansion to confront Rita, but Lilac’s call stopped her from making any rash decisions.

As she tried to steady her breathing, a faint sound of children’s music filtered through the phone, instantly soothing her nerves.

“I’m sorry, Winter. I forgot to tell you I took Seren to the mall. She wanted to play some games, and, well, you know, I just couldn’t refuse her,” Lilac admitted.

Relief washed over Winter. If only she had known earlier, she wouldn’t have left dinner with her friends so abruptly, rushing home in a panic.

Now that she knew Seren was safe and having fun with Lilac, she could finally relax.

“Which mall are you at? I’d like to join you two,” Winter asked. Since returning to the restaurant was no longer an option, especially after storming out. Spending time with her daughter seemed like the best alternative.

Lilac quickly gave her the address, and soon Winter arrived at Plaza Mall, where she found Lilac and Seren immersed in an arcade game, laughing and going wild.

Winter smiled in amusement. Lilac had always been the biggest child when it came to playing with Seren.

“Mommy!” Seren suddenly called out, spotting her.

Winter’s heart warmed as she made her way toward them.

“Mommy, come play with us! It’s so much fun!” Seren’s cheerful voice made Winter smile as she joined them.

For the first time in a long while, Winter found herself fully enjoying the moment, something she had missed out on as a child.

After playing games, the trio headed to the food court and settled at a table inside an Italian restaurant.

“You really thought something happened to Seren, didn’t you?” Lilac teased, holding up her phone to show the numerous missed calls from Winter.

Winter pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, but after that stunt Rita pulled the other day to hurt Seren, I couldn’t help but worry. But trust me, I wasn’t doubting you,” she clarified.

Lilac smiled and tucked her phone back into her purse. “I know how you must have felt when you realized someone from the Andreas family tried to hurt Seren. And trust me, as much as you and my brother were trying to control your anger, if it were up to me, I would have disowned her on the spot or worse, handed her over to the cops.”

Winter pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to think about that day. It still sent chills down her spine, especially when she recalled how dangerous Kalix had looked in that moment.

“But don’t worry,” Lilac reassured her with a smile. “Grandpa already warned her, and I don’t think she’d dare pull another stunt again.”

As they continued their conversation, Winter suddenly asked, “Why did you want to get drunk, Lilac? Is something bothering you?”

Lilac froze, her eyes locking onto Winter’s curious gaze.

Yesterday, after confronting Stanley in the restroom, she had felt as if her entire world was crumbling, and she needed to find a way to hold herself together. Even burying herself in work hadn’t been enough to bring her peace. Alcohol had been the only escape she could think of.

“No, it was nothing,” Lilac finally said, forcing a casual smile. “I just like going clubbing sometimes.”

But Winter wasn’t convinced. Lilac refused to meet her eyes, her attempt at nonchalance faltering.

“You’re not a very good liar, Lilac,” Winter said, leaning back in her chair with a knowing smile. “Sometimes, you’re just like Seren and it’s way too easy to see right through you.”

Lilac blinked, caught off guard by Winter’s perceptiveness.

“Is that so?” Lilac mumbled awkwardly, watching Winter nod in confirmation.

“But if you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask.” Winter shrugged and resumed eating, giving Lilac space.

Lilac might have been a loudmouth, but she was good at keeping her secrets, unless the person she was opening up to was truly trustworthy.

“I had a fight with someone, and I just needed to clear my head,” Lilac finally admitted, catching Winter’s attention.

“And that someone is Stanley. Am I right?”

Lilac’s gaze met Winter’s, and after a brief hesitation, she slowly nodded.

“I could tell by the way you kept clinging to him the entire night at the club,” Winter said knowingly. “And the fact that he never once seemed to mind.”

Lilac wanted to disappear. She had been trying so hard to push those memories away, to pretend they never happened. But now that Winter had brought them up again, she felt like the ground beneath her was opening up, ready to swallow her whole.

“So, what’s the deal between you two? Did drinking help you feel any better?” Winter asked, watching Lilac shake her head.

“It made things even worse,” Lilac muttered. She hesitated for a moment before sighing. “I ended up waking up in his bed the other night.”

Winter’s eyes widened in shock. “You what?”

Lilac groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Yeah… exactly.”

A sudden wave of nostalgia washed over Winter, making her lower her gaze in embarrassment.

“And the worst part?” Lilac continued bitterly. “Stanley is acting completely normal, while I feel like absolute shit. How could I even sleep with him when he refused to acknowledge the relationship that started the same way, with drunk sex?”

Winter remained silent, absorbing her words.

Lilac had blurted it out so loudly that she immediately regretted it. No one had ever known the truth that she and Stanley had shared a night of passion, a night where their walls had crumbled, leaving only raw vulnerability between them.

Lilac had always admired Stanley and had dreamed of nothing but being with him. She wanted to be better for him, to stand as his equal.

A girl who once despised violence had shaped herself into someone who could fight, mastering martial arts just because Stanley valued strength. She had even learned how to use a gun. Not that she had ever been given the chance to fire one. But still, she wanted to be someone he could trust, someone he could finally open up to.

Yet despite all of that, despite being loud about her feelings and making it clear how much she wanted him, Stanley still refused to accept her.

She knew his heart was filled with scars, and all she wanted was to be the one to heal them. But he had built his walls so high, so impenetrable, that even her deepest admiration fell short.

That night had meant everything to her. And to him? It was nothing but a mistake.

A mistake he refused to acknowledge.