Marriage with my daughter's father: Darling please be gentle - Chapter 250

Chapter 250: Chapter 250: He knew one punch would turn him into wallpaper.

“Why the hell did you block my number, Lilac?” Sean’s voice sliced through the silence, laced with disbelief and rising frustration.

He never imagined she’d follow in Stanley’s footsteps, shutting him out when all he wanted was to know they were okay. It wasn’t just silence. It felt like betrayal.

But Lilac didn’t answer.

Instead, a voice he hadn’t expected low, cold, and unmistakably smug came through the phone.

“Can you open the door?”

Sean froze. His brows knitted in confusion, but his body moved before his mind caught up. Without a word, he stood and walked toward the front door.

Gina trailed him at a distance, eyes narrowing in curiosity. Something had clearly shifted in Sean.

When he opened the door, there they were.

Stanley and Lilac, side by side.

Lilac still held the phone to her ear, the call still active. Stanley stood relaxed, as if showing up uninvited was just part of his daily routine.

“You ask a lot of questions, Sean,” Stanley drawled. He ended the call with a click, shoved the phone into his pocket, and casually reached for Lilac’s hand before strolling into the house like he owned it.

Sean blinked, still holding his phone, unable to process their complete disregard.

“Hey, guys,” Gina greeted awkwardly, offering a small wave. Stanley gave her a polite nod. Lilac offered a tight, sheepish smile.

Sean didn’t budge. He stayed at the threshold, gaze locked on their backs.

“Are you just going to stand there all day?” Stanley tossed over his shoulder, barely looking back.

That did it.

Sean stepped in and slammed the door behind him. The echo of the thud rang through the house like a starting bell.

He stalked toward them, fury simmering just beneath the surface.

“You blockhead,” Sean growled, stopping in front of Stanley. “How dare you talk to me like that?”

His chest heaved, fists flexing at his sides before one hand settled on his waist, barely keeping himself from lunging.

Stanley, on the other hand, didn’t even blink.

“Why shouldn’t I, when you’re the one hiding things from me?” he snapped. “You think you get to be angry while keeping secrets? That’s rich, Sean.”

Silence.

Heavy. Tense. Daring someone to flinch first.

One man on the verge of a breakdown. The other is ready to ignite.

“Boys,” Lilac sighed, voice soft but strained. “Can we not be idiots for just one night?”

“NO!”

Both men barked in unison. Their voices collided like thunder, reverberating through the room.

Lilac: “….”

Gina: “….”

Both women froze, blinking at the synchronized outburst.

Stanley’s jaw tightened. “I won’t calm down until I knock some sense into this man.”

Sean scoffed, tilting his head with a smirk. But his gulp didn’t go unnoticed.

“You wish,” he snapped. “You think I’m just going to stand here and let you beat me? Dream on, Stanley.”

The two stood chest to chest, tension thick in the air.

And yet… neither moved.

Seconds passed.

More posturing. No punches.

Eventually, Gina rolled her eyes, plopped down on the couch, and grabbed a cushion to hug. “Are they ever going to throw a punch, or is this just the world’s slowest staring contest?”

Lilac joined her, settling beside her with a dramatic sigh. She propped her elbow on the armrest, resting her chin on her palm as she stared at the two men still stuck in their silent challenge.

“For the record,” she muttered lazily, “Sean can’t fight to save his life.”

Gina’s eyes widened. “Wait—seriously?”

Lilac nodded solemnly. “And Stanley knows it.”

They both turned their heads simultaneously to look at the boys again, unimpressed.

Sean and Stanley remained locked in place, breathing hard, faces drawn tight.

Gina leaned over and whispered, “So… is this going to end in a slap or tears?”

Lilac smirked, eyes still on the drama. “Both. Probably both.”

Stanley cracked his knuckles, preparing himself for the attack.

“Last chance to confess before I turn your pretty face into a cautionary tale,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders with a predator’s ease.

Sean’s smirk wavered.

Just slightly.

His eyes flicked to Stanley’s fists, then to the distance between them. Too close. Far too close.

Sean took a half step back, subtle, like he was just adjusting his stance but the flash of worry in his eyes betrayed him.

Stanley noticed. Of course he did.

He tilted his head, smug. “Backing out already?”

But Sean raised a finger instead of a fist. “Wait, wait—hold up.” His voice suddenly took on that sharp, smooth tone he used in meetings when cornered. “Let’s not rush to violence when we could… you know, strike a deal.”

Stanley blinked.

Gina blinked.

Lilac raised a brow. Here it comes.

“A deal?” Stanley echoed with a scoff. “You’re trying to negotiate your way out of a beating?”

“I’m trying to preserve our friendship and this very expensive furniture,” Sean countered, gesturing vaguely around the living room. “Let’s be rational men here. Mature. Civilized. Logical.”

Stanley folded his arms, unimpressed. “You’re stalling.”

“No,” Sean said quickly. “I’m redirecting. Big difference.”

He cleared his throat, pointedly avoiding Stanley’s stare now, and turned just slightly to face both him and Lilac.

“Look. I didn’t tell you everything because I was trying to protect you. And maybe that was dumb—okay, definitely dumb, but it wasn’t done out of malice. So here’s my proposal…”

Stanley arched a brow. “This better be good.”

“Truce,” Sean said, raising both hands in surrender. “You don’t hit me. I’ll tell you everything—right here, right now. No more games, no more secrets. Clean slate.”

A tense silence followed.

Gina leaned toward Lilac and whispered, “Classic panic pivot. He knew one punch would turn him into wallpaper.”

Lilac smothered a laugh behind her palm. “He’s lucky Stanley hesitates before hitting people indoors.”

Stanley took one more slow step toward Sean, towering over him.

Sean held his breath.

Then, after a long pause, Stanley rolled his eyes and backed off. “One chance. You lie again, I won’t stop at one punch.”

Sean exhaled, shoulders visibly relaxing. “Right. Good. Great decision. Very grown-up of you.”

“Start talking.” Stanley’s tone was flat.

Sean cleared his throat and awkwardly straightened his shirt. “Right, well. It all started with—”

“Wait!” Gina called out. “Let me grab popcorn if we’re doing full confession mode.”

Lilac sank deeper into the couch, arms folded. “He’s bluffing. He doesn’t have a story, just excuses.”

Sean pointed a finger at her. “That hurts, Lilac. Deeply. But not as much as Stanley’s fists would’ve.”

Stanley cracked his knuckles again, just for fun.

Sean flinched. “Okay, okay, damn—I’m talking!”

Silence stretched between the two as Sean finally looked up, locking eyes with Stanley.

“Because I didn’t want the truth to ruin your relationship with Kalix.”