Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 243

Chapter 243: Chapter 243: I’ll tell you when I’m sure

Kalix stared at the bed long after the lights were off.

Winter lay curled on her side, perfectly still, pretending to be asleep. But he knew better. Her breathing was too even, too practiced. He could almost feel her smirk from across the room.

She was playing him and doing it damn well.

Kalix rolled his shoulders, stepped out of his shirt, and let it fall to the floor. If she wanted to play… he could play.

Tickling was off the table. Fine. But seduction? That was his battlefield.

He slid under the covers silently, moving like a predator closing in on his prey. He didn’t touch her not yet. Just let his presence heat the air around them.

Winter felt the shift in the mattress and tensed ever so slightly, which only encouraged him more.

“Winter,” he murmured, his voice low and rough in the dark.

She said nothing.

Kalix leaned closer, his lips brushing her bare shoulder. “Still upset?”

Silence.

He trailed his fingers down her arm slowly, letting them linger at her wrist. “You know, ignoring me only makes me want you more.”

Still, no answer.

He pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck, letting his teeth gently graze her skin. “And teasing me like that?” he whispered. “You might as well have poured gasoline on a fire.”

Winter swallowed hard, but she didn’t move. She refused to give him the satisfaction, not just yet.

However, Kalix’s hand slid under the covers, wrapping around her waist. He tugged her gently against him so her back met his chest, her hips fitting snugly against his.

“I’ll play your game,” he murmured against her ear. “But just remember who always wins in the end.”

Winter finally broke the silence, her voice soft and sultry. “You think this is about winning?”

He smirked. “Isn’t it?”

She rolled over suddenly to face him, her eyes gleaming even in the low light. “Kalix Andreas, if you wanted me, all you had to do was ask.”

He stared at her, stunned. “I tried. I poked you.”

Winter grinned. “Exactly. You poked me. What am I—Serene with a juice box?”

Kalix laughed, deep and breathless. “Noted.”

“But this?” Winter whispered, her fingers brushing down his chest, slow and dangerous. “This is how you ask.”

Kalix’s eyes darkened. “So I have your attention now?”

“Oh, you always have my attention,” she said, shifting closer, her lips barely an inch from his. “I just enjoy making you work for it.”

He let out a low growl and crushed his mouth to hers, finally closing the space between them. The kiss wasn’t gentle—it was all heat and hunger and pent-up tension exploding at once.

Winter melted into him, fingers tangling in his hair, tugging just enough to make him groan.

He pulled back for a breath, staring down at her. “Still pretending to be asleep?”

Winter arched a brow. “Still pretending tickling was a good idea?”

Kalix grinned, already rolling her beneath him. “Alright. Lesson learned.”

Their laughter dissolved into kisses, and the teasing shifted into something far more intense—lips on skin, hands mapping familiar curves, breaths mingling in the dim light.

And just as he was about to pull her closer and take exactly what they both wanted—

Winter grinned against his mouth and whispered, “Next time, bring chocolates.”

Kalix stilled. “You’re kidding.”

She kissed his cheek sweetly. “Nope.”

And with one final peck, she wriggled out from under him and darted for the bathroom again, her laughter echoing behind her.

“Winter,” he growled.

“Goodnight, husband,” she called, locking the door with a loud click.

Kalix fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Tickling was easier,” he muttered to himself.

But damn if he didn’t love the chase.

***

Somewhere deep in the winding streets of Fintown, Stanley walked with purpose, his footsteps steady along the damp pavement. The late evening fog hung low, cloaking the streets in a heavy mist that muffled sound and blurred shapes—perfect for the kind of meeting he didn’t want anyone to notice.

He made his way to a narrow alley near a row of closed market stalls, pausing beside a flickering streetlamp where a man already waited, half-hidden in the shadows.

The moment their eyes met, the man straightened, offering a subtle nod.

“You got what I asked for?” Stanley asked quietly, his hands buried in the pockets of his coat.

The man gave a tight smile. “Yeah. And if I’m right, and I usually am, then it’s him.”

He handed over a sealed envelope.

Stanley took it without hesitation, sliding it into his coat. He didn’t need to open it here. The look in the man’s eyes told him enough.

“So Reeve’s not who he claims to be,” Stanley muttered, half to himself.

The man leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. “He’s gone through a lot of trouble to hide it. New name, new records, fake alliances. But the trail was there. He’s good… just not good enough.”

Stanley’s jaw tensed. “Where’s he now?”

“Keeping a low profile. Changing routines, switching vehicles. He knows someone’s watching—he just doesn’t know who.”

A beat passed.

“He’s trying to disguise ” the man added. “Not just his identity, but his intentions.”

Stanley glanced down the street, eyes scanning the shadows. “Which makes him dangerous.”

“More than you think.”

There was a pause, the silence thick between them.

“Is he working alone?” Stanley asked.

“Can’t say for sure. But no one puts this much effort into blending in unless they’ve got a bigger game to play. Whatever Reeve is planning… it’s not small.”

Stanley nodded slowly. The confirmation twisted something in his gut—not quite fear, but close. It wasn’t just about Reeve’s deception anymore. It was about what he was hiding… and who else might be involved.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded wad of cash. The man took it without a word.

“Keep watching him,” Stanley said, his voice firm. “If he moves, I want to know before he even takes the second step.”

The man gave one final nod before slipping into the shadows, disappearing down the alley as quickly as he had appeared.

Stanley remained there for a moment longer, staring at the misty street ahead.

So it was true.

Reeve was hiding something.

And now, Stanley intended to find out exactly what.

Back inside the suite…

Lilac stepped out of the bathroom, toweling her damp hair as she glanced around. The suite was quiet—too quiet.

“Stanley?” she called out, frowning.

Nothing.

She scanned the room again, but he was nowhere to be seen. No coat, no phone, no trace. He hadn’t said a word about leaving.

Confused, she reached for her phone, which was completely drained when they arrived earlier and plugged it in. It flickered to life, and within seconds, her screen flooded with missed calls and unread messages.

All from Sean.

Her eyes widened. Her heart dropped.

Before she could even process what was happening, the phone vibrated violently in her hand—Incoming Call: Sean.

She picked up on reflex.

“WHY THE HELL WAS YOUR PHONE OFF?!”

Lilac flinched, jerking the phone away from her ear. “God, Sean!” she hissed, “Do you want me to go deaf?”

“Lilac, do you hear me?!”

She slowly brought the phone back to her ear, cringing as he continued yelling.

“You sound like a man in desperate need of a bowel movement,” she muttered. “Calm the hell down.”

“Where the hell are you?” he snapped, ignoring her jab. “Are you in Fintown?”

Lilac’s lips parted slightly, stunned by how quickly he put two and two together. “I—”

“Hand the phone to Stanley. Now.”

So, he did know.

Sean didn’t need GPS or mind-reading powers. If Stanley had vanished off his radar, the only person who could’ve known where he was—was her.

But when Stanley chose to ignore all of Sean’s calls, it left the man with no other option but to harass her. And to his dismay, even her phone had been conveniently off the grid until now.

Lilac sighed, rubbing her temple. “Stanley isn’t here.”

“Where the hell did he go?!”

“I don’t know,” she snapped. “I just came out of the shower. He didn’t say a word.”

Sean paused for a beat. “Of course he didn’t,” he muttered darkly almost to himself. “That damn bastard’s up to something.”

Lilac however heard him and he brows drew together. “Why? What’s going on?”

There was a weight behind his words, and it made Lilac’s stomach twist. But Sean as usual, sealed his mouth on the right time leaving her hanging.

“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked quietly.

“I’ll tell you when I’m sure. But if Stanley doesn’t get back to you in the next thirty minutes… call me. No questions. No attitude. Just call.”

Lilac nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “Okay.”

“And charge your damn phone, woman.”

The call ended with a click, and Lilac stared at the screen, tension coiling in her chest.

She looked around the empty room again.

Wherever Stanley had gone… it wasn’t just a casual walk.

And now, she was officially worried.