Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 240

Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Feed the illusion

“Eric was supposed to meet you,” Winter said, arms folded tightly across her chest. “He was clearly disappointed you weren’t there.”

Kalix arched a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Is that so?” he drawled, lips curling into a lazy smirk as he stepped closer. “Hard to imagine him being disappointed about anything that doesn’t involve his own reflection.”

Winter caught the sarcasm, and her posture stiffened. The tension in the room thickened—any trace of cordiality fading fast.

“I need you to review this before signing,” she said briskly, placing the file on his desk with pointed precision. “Eric can’t be trusted.”

She turned to leave, but Kalix reached out, his hand circling her wrist—not rough, but firm enough to stop her.

“Still mad that I left without saying goodbye?” he asked, his voice low, almost gentle.

Winter froze. Her shoulders tightened, but her voice didn’t waver.

“How is it fair,” she said quietly, “that you get to be upset when I don’t tell you something—but when you do it, I’m just expected to accept it?”

His smirk faded. For a moment, the air shifted—his jaw tensed, eyes darkening. Not guilt, exactly. But something adjacent. Something unspoken.

“I didn’t leave to hurt you, Winter,” he said finally, his tone subdued. “There are things I’m dealing with—things I can’t explain right now.”

She met his gaze head-on, her voice steady but cold. “I’m not asking for your secrets. I’m asking for honesty. If you’re going to shut me out, own it.”

A loaded silence settled between them.

Kalix exhaled slowly, still holding her wrist, but softer now. “I’m not shutting you out. I’m just trying to figure things out before they fall apart.”

Winter pulled her hand free, her tone like steel. “Then stop acting like I’m some fragile secret you need to keep locked away.”

With that, she turned and walked out—heels striking the floor like punctuation marks, her back straight, her exit absolute.

Kalix stood motionless for a beat, eyes on the door she had just disappeared through. Finally, he let out a breath and reached for the file.

Knock, knock.

The door cracked open, and Sean leaned in, face taut with barely concealed amusement and concern.

“Lady Boss looked like she was about to turn the building to ash,” he said. “Everything… good?”

Kalix didn’t answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the folder. One brow rose slightly.

Sean lifted both hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I was just checking. Thought maybe she finally smacked some sense into you.”

Kalix’s expression darkened. He moved behind his desk and sat down with slow, deliberate ease.

“If you don’t stop with the sarcasm,” he muttered, “I’ll tell Winter the truth. That you lied earlier—ran off before answering her question.”

Sean’s grin faltered. A beat of silence. Then—

“Alright, alright. Message received. No need to go nuclear,” he muttered, backing up slightly.

Kalix opened the file, eyes scanning quickly. “As expected,” he said grimly, “Eric tried to sneak in a clause suggesting an equal share split in the merger.”

Sean’s brow twitched. “Want me to move forward with the next steps?”

Kalix leaned back, gaze sharp. “Make sure Eric believes he’s got the upper hand. Feed the illusion. Let him believe he’s still in control.”

Sean nodded, taking the file from Kalix before heading toward the door. But just as he stepped into the hallway, his phone rang.

He glanced down and smirked before answering. “You’re surprisingly obedient after a good scolding,” he teased, recognizing the caller.

A dramatic grunt came through the line. “Why is it every time I try to have a decent conversation with Alexander, someone decides it’s the perfect moment to call?” Gina huffed. “Can’t we get a break?”

Sean chuckled. “Look who’s complaining. You used to call people for absolutely no reason and ruin half their day.”

“Sean,” she warned, her voice darkening, “be good, or I’ll make sure you never get to sleep with me again.”

Sean nearly choked, clearing his throat in a panic. “Okay, noted. Changing subject.”

Smart move.

“So who was it this time? Can’t be Eric. He was with Lady Boss.”

“No,” Gina said, her tone more serious now. “Some guy named Reeve.”

Sean stopped mid-step. His brows furrowed.

“Reeve?” he repeated slowly.

“Yeah. And I swear, the moment that guy walked in, something changed in Alexander. He tried to play it cool, but I could see it. The man was rattled.”

Sean’s frown deepened as Gina continued, her words starting to piece together a picture he didn’t like.

Then it clicked.

“Gina, babe,” he said suddenly, cutting her off, “I have to make a call. Urgent.”

He hung up without waiting for a reply and quickly dialed Stanley’s number.

The phone rang. Once. Twice. No answer.

Sean’s grip tightened around the phone. “Come on, you idiot. Pick up.”

Still nothing.

His jaw clenched. “Damn it, Stanley. What the hell are you getting yourself into?”

He shot a glance down the hallway, tension thick in his chest. Something was off as Stanly refused to answer.

***

Meanwhile, Eric, who had just left J&K International, headed straight to meet his father after receiving a cryptic and urgent call.

Alexander rarely summoned him so suddenly, and never without reason. But when Eric stepped into the dimly lit study, what struck him wasn’t his father’s commanding presence. It was the visible tension in his frame. Alexander Spencer, usually calm and composed, looked… unsettled.

“I didn’t expect you to call so soon,” Eric said carefully, closing the door behind him.

Alexander didn’t waste time. “We’ve been tracked.”

The words dropped like lead, and Eric blinked in confusion.

“What?” he asked, stepping closer. “Tracked? What do you mean?”

“Reeve just contacted me,” Alexander said, his voice low and sharp. “He warned that someone’s getting too close. Too close to what we’ve buried.”

Eric’s expression faltered. “That’s not possible,” he said, shaking his head. “Reeve’s been handling everything. He’s thorough and doesn’t leave trails.”

Alexander gave a humorless laugh and leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin. “Apparently someone is following the trail. And if Reeve is the one telling us to move fast, you know it’s serious.”

Eric swallowed hard, a flicker of panic surfacing beneath his usual cockiness. “But how? He’s always three steps ahead.”

“That’s exactly what scares me,” Alexander muttered. “If he didn’t see this coming, we may already be compromised.”

The room fell silent for a few beats.

Then Alexander’s tone hardened. “We don’t have time to question it now. We move forward. Accelerate the plan. Take everything before they even realize what’s happening.”

His voice grew colder. More venomous.

“We bleed Greyson International from the inside out.”

Eric’s lips curled into a smirk, the fear now replaced by a calculating glint in his eyes. “You don’t need to worry, Dad. I’m already halfway there.”

Alexander’s gaze narrowed. “Explain.”

Eric stepped closer, confident now. “If things go as planned, the merger will be finalized with equal shares. Kalix thinks he’s giving me a chance to revive my company… but really, he’s handing me the keys to his empire.”

Alexander’s eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction. “Good. Make sure he never sees it coming.”

Eric nodded, his voice dropping with venom. “Soon, Greyson International will be ours. And by the time Kalix realizes it, it’ll already be too late.”

A slow smile spread across Alexander’s face.

“Just like it should’ve been from the start.”