Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 230

Chapter 230: Chapter 230: It was the begining

With a flick of her wrist, Mia tossed the phone back onto the couch as if it had burned her fingers. Whatever Logan and Stanley were tangled up in, she wanted no part of it—at least not tonight.

She stalked into the kitchen, irritation rolling off her in waves. The overhead light buzzed faintly as she tore open a packet of instant ramen, boiled the water, and dumped the noodles in like she’d done a hundred times before. No seasoning, no care. Just fuel.

A few minutes later, bowl in hand, she retreated to her sanctuary—her room. The one place in the apartment that still felt like hers.

Closing the door behind her with a quiet click, Mia exhaled, letting the chaos of the outer world melt into the walls. She set the bowl down beside her and sank into the chair in front of her desk, the familiar hum of her equipment greeting her like an old friend.

Her screen flickered to life, and with a few keystrokes, layers of encryption peeled back to reveal a grainy live feed.

There he was, the person she was interested in

Richard.

And it was through him that she would infiltrate their world.

Her eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to the screen, every movement of theirs etching itself into her memory. Richard was the opening she needed. The weak link. The key.

A slow, grim smile touched her lips, her voice barely above a whisper.

“We’ll meet soon, Sylvester Andreas.”

Her tone was ice—calm, calculated, and unwavering.

Because this wasn’t just surveillance anymore.

It was the beginning.

****

[Eric’s Place]

Eric stepped into his apartment, the door shutting behind him with a soft click, sealing in the quiet tension that lingered like smoke.

His investigator had confirmed what he already suspected—neither Agnes nor Winter had alerted David. Their hands were clean. But the real culprit? Likely one of the former investors, unaware they were handing information to the enemy. Sloppy, unintentional, but still a betrayal that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Yet that wasn’t what soured his mood.

Before leaving the company earlier that day, Eric had come across a new proposal—one that changed everything. J&K International had sent a merger offer. A bold move with terms so aggressive, even David wouldn’t be able to walk away from it. Eric knew how his father operated; the numbers alone would have convinced him. But it wasn’t the numbers that disturbed Eric.

It was the fact that Kalix Andreas was behind J&K.

Which meant this wasn’t just business.

It was war.

As those thoughts coiled in his mind like smoke, Eric’s gaze drifted to the bed.

There she was—Agnes.

Curled in on herself, her knees tucked tightly to her chest like a child retreating from the world. The tears she’d shed earlier had dried into faint salt lines on her cheeks. Her hair was messy, and from the stiffness of her posture, it was clear she hadn’t moved in hours.

Not since he left.

Not since he threatened her.

Eric watched her in silence, expression unreadable. Before leaving earlier, he had made sure to strip her of every way out—her phone, her keys, any access to the outside world. The locks had been reset, and the security system modified.

He even messaged her mother, Dorothy, informing her that Agnes had decided to permanently move in with him.

Her response?

Surprisingly compliant.

A short text. No concern. No hesitation. Just a simple “If that’s what she wants, I won’t interfere.”

Eric almost laughed at how easy it had been. For all of Dorothy’s dramatics in the past, she hadn’t even asked to speak to Agnes directly. In a matter of minutes, something he once struggled to control had fallen into place effortlessly.

And now—here she was.

Trapped.

Still.

Broken.

Exactly where he needed her to be.

He approached the bed silently, towering above her fragile frame. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Pity? Guilt?

No. Neither had a place here.

Agnes had tried to double-cross him. She had underestimated him. Now, he was simply reminding her who held the strings.

Eric turned away, shrugging off his coat and walking toward the kitchen, his voice low and emotionless as he muttered to himself, “You wanted choices, Agnes. But choices come with consequences.”

He didn’t bother waking her.

Tomorrow, there would be questions. Explanations. Maybe even another lie or two to keep her wrapped tightly in his control.

But for now, silence was enough.

Control had been restored.

And Eric intended to keep it that way.

Ignoring Agnes he then made his way to the bathroom and took a quick shower, however by the time he stepped out, a phone call caught his attention.

Just a glance and Eric was already waiting for the next and the moment he answered Alexander’s voice came through.

“I heard J&K International wants to merge with Greyson International.”

Eric clenched his jaw. Despite trying to swallow the news and think accordingly, he still felt the sting of his father’s words that Kalix wanted to control them.

“Yes, but we haven’t accepted it” Eric responded.

“You think David would have anything to do with it when Byron is the one who decides everything in the end. I am sure it’s him who must have seeked help”

Eric paused for a moment, his thoughts spiraling. He felt it too—that unsettling shift.

After all, Bryson hadn’t shown the slightest resistance to Kalix. Why would he? Kalix was Winter’s husband now. That connection alone was enough to send a fresh wave of anger coursing through Eric’s veins.

He clenched his jaw, expecting his father to chime in with his usual calculated insight.

But Alexander said nothing.

A strange silence stretched across the line.

Eric’s brows furrowed. Something felt off.

“I hope you’re not seriously thinking of letting Kalix merge with the Greysons,” he said, his voice sharper now, cutting through the silence. “If that happens, our entire plan will fall apart.”

Still, nothing.

Eric pulled the phone away for a second, checking to make sure the call hadn’t dropped. It hadn’t.

Then finally, Alexander spoke—calm, deliberate, and cold.

“Let them merge.”

The words hit Eric like a slap.

For a heartbeat, he couldn’t process it. His father—the mastermind behind every corporate play, every scheme, every betrayal—was surrendering?

“You can’t be serious,” Eric said, his voice low, disbelieving.

“I am and I know what it will bring us” Alexander words made no sense, but Eric could feel the severity of it.