Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Are you hiding something
Winter had just stepped into the lobby when a sudden phone call stopped her in her tracks. The moment she answered it, instead of heading straight to the main office area, she decided to take a detour to the company’s canteen.

Her eyes scanned the crowd until she spotted Gina sitting at a corner table.

“I thought you were kidding when you said you were here to meet me,” Winter chided as she slid into the seat across from her. However, the reaction she received left her confused.

“Winter, how do you court a man?” Gina suddenly asked, leaving Winter utterly baffled.

“Me? You’re asking me?” Winter pointed to herself, glancing around as if Gina might be addressing someone else.

Out of all the people in the world, Gina had chosen her for advice? Winter, who had perfected the art of flings and no-strings-attached relationships?

But then, something clicked, and her eyes widened.

“Don’t tell me… you got rejected again!” she gaped, startling Gina, who quickly gestured for her to lower her voice.

“Are you trying to announce it to the entire company?” Gina’s lips twitched in irritation,silencing Winter the next second.

Winter knew Sean had rejected Gina before, and it had left a tremendous impact on her. But getting rejected twice in a row? That was unexpected.

“What did you do this time?” Winter asked, more serious now.

She suddenly realized why Gina had been so persistent in knowing Sean’s schedule. It had never clicked before, but now it was obvious that she had been stalking him.

Gina, on the other hand, frowned. “I didn’t do anything, and I wasn’t rejected this time, okay?” she clarified, waving off Winter’s assumption.

She had initially thought Sean would be the easiest man to charm, yet he had turned out to be her toughest opponent, unfazed by her usual tactics.

Back in the elevator, she had confronted him about rejecting her. But instead of brushing her off, he had challenged her.

He wanted to see if she was capable of winning his heart only then would he consider dating her.

At that moment, she had accepted the challenge, determined to save face. But the second he was gone, chills had run down her spine. Because in reality, she had no idea how to do it.

“I thought my face was my biggest weapon to charm any man on this planet but I was wrong,” Gina admitted with a sigh.

She had always been proud of her looks, taking them for granted, especially when it came to men she enjoyed toying with before eventually discarding them. But ever since she had set her sights on Sean, her ego had pushed her to try and win him over only to realize that he wasn’t interested in a pretty face. He was looking for something more. A genuine heart.

“And you think I can help you with that?” Winter snorted, arching a brow.

People gave her far too much credit when it came to relationships. Since when was she an expert on love? Maybe I’m advancing in my skills after seeing Kalix in a different light… she mused. Ah… why does everything feel so pink and romantic all of a sudden?

Gina furrowed her brows, noticing the distant, almost dreamy look in Winter’s eyes. But before she could comment on it, something else caught her attention.

“Wait a second…” Gina squinted, leaning in. “Is that a love bite?”

There was no way she’d mistake it for a mosquito bite.

“Oh my God, Winter! Did you and Kalix do it?” Gina gaped, her voice just shy of a scandalized whisper.

Winter jolted in her seat, eyes widening as she hurriedly reached up to cover her mouth.

“What are you saying?” she gaped at Gina in shock.

Gina continued to mutter something under her breath, her words too fast and jumbled for Winter to catch. Frustrated, Winter let her hand drop.

“What are you even saying? Where is the hickey?” she demanded, running her fingers frantically over her neck. But the moment she saw Gina chuckle, her expression darkened.

It hit her then—Gina was messing with her.

“You… How could you trick me like that?!” Winter huffed, crossing her arms. “Go away! I won’t help you!” She whined like a child, but Gina only leaned back in her seat with a smug, victorious grin.

“Now, tell me, how should I woo Sean?” she asked, giving Winter a knowing look.

Winter dropped her fake sulk with a sigh, rolling her eyes before finally giving in. “Fine. But you owe me for this.”

And just like that, she found herself diving into the impossible task of helping Gina win over Sean.

***

Back in Kalix’s office, Winter’s absence continued to bother him.

“She should be in the office by now,” he muttered, ignoring the updates Sean was giving him about his schedule.

Noticing Kalix’s distracted state, Sean followed his gaze outside and immediately understood the reason behind it.

“Miss Winter is probably with Miss Gina in the office canteen,” Sean said, startling Kalix out of his thoughts.

Kalix’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Sean. “And what is Gina doing here? Doesn’t she have any photoshoots?” he countered, clearly unimpressed by Gina’s unexpected presence during work hours.

Sean pursed his lips, his reaction only piquing Kalix’s curiosity further. Ever since they had signed Gina as one of their models, Sean had been acting even stranger than usual.

Just hearing Gina’s name was enough to make his ears turn red. He either avoided meeting Kalix’s gaze or fumbled over his words whenever she was mentioned.

And now, he was outright avoiding the conversation.

“Don’t tell me she came to meet you personally?” Kalix asked, watching as Sean tensed, caught completely off guard.

Kalix wasn’t the type to pry into people’s personal affairs but Sean, wasn’t just anyone. He was family. And whatever was going on with him was, in some way, his business too.

Sean stuttered, clearly trying to dismiss the idea. “W-why would she come to meet me?” he laughed awkwardly.

“Because I know she did,” Kalix said flatly. “She was asking Winter about your schedule this morning.”

He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but earlier, when he had gone to Winter’s room to call her, he had overheard her conversation with Gina. And now, all the pieces were clicking into place.

Sean regretted opening his mouth the moment he spoke. But when Kalix revealed that Gina had been seriously keeping tabs on him, he couldn’t help but blush.

“Are you blushing because you’re being stalked?” Kalix gave him a strange look.

For someone who constantly avoided women and had barely been in a relationship, Sean found it overwhelming to have someone so focused on him.

“You wouldn’t understand the feeling of being seen, Boss,” Sean muttered. Then, with a smirk, he added, “Didn’t you want the same thing when you kept stalking Miss Winter? At least I can still blush—you, on the other hand, made sure she knew you were watching.”

He hadn’t realized how reckless his words were until Kalix’s gaze darkened, sharpening into something unreadable.

Fortunately, before Kalix could respond, Sean caught sight of Winter approaching her desk. Taking the opportunity, he changed the subject.

“Now get out. I have work to do,” Kalix ordered flatly.

Sean’s smirk disappeared as Kalix unceremoniously threw him out without a second thought.

Like a wronged child, Sean walked out, sulking. Meanwhile, Kalix picked up his phone and, without hesitation, called Winter to his office.

Winter had just taken a seat when her phone buzzed, snapping her attention toward his office. She looked around, ensuring no one was watching, before swiftly making her way inside.

The moment she stepped in, Kalix turned and shut the blinds, blocking anyone from seeing inside.

“How can I help you, Boss?” she asked, keeping her tone professional.

Instead of answering, Kalix stood up and walked around the desk, stopping right in front of her.

Winter frowned, confused, silently waiting for him to speak. But instead of saying a word, he reached for her, pulling her close with one swift motion, his arm wrapping securely around her waist.

“Why were you so silent in the car?” His voice was low, almost teasing, but his grip was firm. “And why does everyone else have your attention but me?”

Winter immediately caught on to his act and knew he was pretending to be upset.

“Because we can’t act close at the company. Remember, no one here knows about us,” she reminded him, attempting to step back. But his hold remained strong, keeping her locked in place.

“Are you hiding something?” His question was sharp, laced with curiosity.

Winter tensed slightly.

“I know you are,” he continued, his eyes searching hers. “Because there’s no way you’d ignore your man when all he’s done is keep his eyes on you.”

Winter didn’t respond. She purposely avoided mentioning the phone call, unsure of what to make of it herself.

Rita requesting to meet her in secret was suspicious enough, but the way she had pleaded twice made Winter question her true intentions.

Still, she was confident that Rita wouldn’t dare try anything reckless. So, without overthinking it, she had agreed.

But now that Kalix was seeing right through her, she hesitated.

Maybe I can handle her just fine, she told herself.

“Do you trust me?” she asked, watching as his brows furrowed in response.

“What kind of question is that?” His voice was firm, laced with growing concern. “Tell me, Angel, what’s going on?”

His determination only deepened, making Winter sigh in defeat as she rolled her eyes.