Lyse woke up with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. She was in bed, but she had no recollection of getting there. But she rembered that she had fallen asleep on the couch last night, exhausted from the events of the day. Had she sleepwalked again? She hoped that it was not becoming a habit.
As she sat up, she noticed Levi still in room even though he was not beside her on the bed. He was sitting in a chair by the window, his head turned in the direction of the window as he looked at sothing. He was still dressed in his tuxedo, minus the jacket and tie. He looked tired, as if he had not slept at all.
Lyse took a mont to study him, seeing a side of him that she would not have believed he had. He looked nothing like the bossy CEO who had blackmailed her, he looked vulnerable. She wanted to stroke his hair and tell him everything would be alright.
"Levi?" she called out, her voice soft.
He turned to her, his eyes heavy with fatigue. "Morning," he replied, his voice raspy. "Slept well?"
"I... I don’t rember getting into bed," Lyse confessed, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. "I think I might have sleep walked again."
Levi chuckled. "Don’t worry about it. You looked uncomfortable on the couch, so I carried you to bed."
Lyse felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was grateful that she had not been sleepwalking again and she felt touched that he had taken care of her.
"You look exhausted," she said, her voice filled with concern. "Did you sleep at all?"
Levi shrugged. "A little. Not much." He paused, then looked away and Lyse felt a pang in her chest.
Lyse had a feeling that she knew the reason for his lancholy and before she knew it the words were out of her mouth. "Who is Bret? And why was he causing a scene last night?"
Levi hesitated for a mont then he turned to her with a smile. Don’t worry your pretty head over it," he said, his voice firm. "We are going ho later this evening."
Lyse nodded, though she was still curious. She decided to drop the subject for now. She was exhausted, and the thought of going back ho was comforting even though being here in his ancestral ho had actually not been as bad as she had been afraid it would be. She closed her eyes, hoping to drift back to sleep.
*
As the day drew to a close, Lyse and Levi prepared to leave the ancestral ho. They had spent a couple of peaceful days there, a much-needed respite from the drama that was waiting for them when they returned. As they were about to depart, Lyse turned to Laurie.
"Thank you so much for being so sweet with ," Lyse said, pulling Laurie into a warm hug. "It has been lovely."
Laurie smiled warmly. "Anyti. I have always wanted a pretty older sister instead of a brother who works all the ti and I am glad I got one now."
Laurie’s words touched Lyse who was severely starved of familial love. The fact that Laurie had so quickly embraced her as a sister made her so emotional and she hoped that she would still be able to have a relationship with the girl even after she and Levi had separated.
As they turned to leave, Lily approached Lyse. She held out a delicate necklace, the sa one that Lyse had noticed and admired the first day she t her.
"This is so precious to ." she said, her voice filled with sentint. "I want you to have it."
Lyse was shocked by the gesture, she rembered that Lily had told her that her husband had been the one to give her the necklace. "Thank you, Mrs. Van Doren, but I could see how much you cherish it and I can’t take it."
Lily smiled. "Call Lily, dear. And you can’t say no to your mother in-law." She said as she put necklace in a little jewelry box and pressed it into Lyse’s hands.
With that, Lyse and Levi bid their farewells and stepped into the car they opted for instead of the helicopter. As they drove away, Lyse could not help but feel a sense of peace.
She had surprisingly found solace in the quiet tranquility of the ancestral ho, and she was grateful for the warmth and affection she had received from the Van Doren family. Underneath all the peace and happiness she felt was the guilt, she wondered how Lily and Laurie would react if they ever found out that it had all just been an elaborate lie.
The flight back to the city was a stark contrast to the initial journey. The plane humd with a quiet tension, a far cry from the lighthearted teasing that had filled the cabin on their way out.
Lyse, engrossed in a book, tried to distract herself from the awkward silence. She had chosen this dium as a way to keep her occupied so that she would not fall asleep, she was still mortified that she had not only slept on Levi’s shoulder but also bathed him in drool. She had vowed to stay awake, determined not to repeat the embarrassing incident.
Levi, on the other hand, seed lost in thought. His usually playful deanor was replaced by a somber seriousness. He stared out the window, his mind occupied with thoughts unknown to Lyse.
The hours passed slowly, each tick of the clock seeming to stretch into eternity. Finally, the plane began its descent, and soon they were touching down on the tarmac.
As they stepped off the plane, Lyse could not help but feel a sense of relief. The quiet tension of the flight had been draining, and she was eager to return to the normalcy of her daily routine. Then she rembered that she could not have that and the tension returned.
She wondered what wealthy CEO’s wives did, would she be expected to spend all day laying in spas? She shrugged, reminding herself that it was a fake marriage. She would probably live her own life while Levi lived him.
They got into the darkly tinted car and drove off, this ti without paparazzi on their tail. Lyse noticed that instead of going to her new apartnt they pulled into a massive mansion.
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