I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 303: Home

Lyse looked up at Levi, who still shielded her protectively as Ophelia was herded out of the room by the police. Even with the chaos fading, his body remained angled in front of hers, as if he expected the danger to return at any second.

She could not help the tender feeling that enveloped her.

Levi was always there beside her, always stepping in before she even realized she needed him. Even when she tried to put a wall between them, even when she pushed him away, he still found a way to protect her.

It made her chest ache in a way she didn’t quite understand.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Levi asked.

Concern was written all over his features, softening the sharp lines of his face. His voice was low, careful, as though she were something fragile that might shatter if he spoke too loudly.

"Yes," Lyse nodded. "Even though..."

Her words trailed off.

She looked in the direction of the door where the last of the policemen had disappeared, taking Ophelia’s shrieking fury with them.

"Don’t you worry about her," Levi said firmly.

He reached for her hands, his large warm palms enveloping hers completely. The simple touch steadied her in a way nothing else could.

"As long as I’m here," he continued, meeting her gaze, "Ophelia can’t do anything to hurt you."

Lyse swallowed hard.

She wanted to believe him. More than anything, she wanted to believe that the nightmare was truly over. But the events of the past months had taught her how quickly peace could unravel.

Turning to the solicitor, who had risen awkwardly from his seat, Levi asked, "Is there anything else? I would like to take Lyse away."

"Not at all, sir," the solicitor replied quickly. "There are some documents that Ms Spade needs to sign, but I can have them brought to you at your convenience."

"Good," Levi said shortly, already preparing to leave.

"Please wait!" the solicitor added suddenly.

He rummaged through his briefcase with renewed urgency and pulled out a thick envelope.

"Lady Welhaven asked me to deliver this to you personally," he said, holding it out to Lyse.

She accepted it carefully.

The envelope was bone-colored, heavy and elegant, embossed with the Welhaven family sigil in deep navy ink. It looked formal, important, almost intimidating.

Lyse stared at it for a long moment, her fingers tracing the raised design.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"That will be all now, Mr. Van Doren," Levi said politely but firmly.

With a respectful nod, the solicitor gathered his papers and quietly excused himself.

The room fell silent.

Levi turned back to Lyse and extended his hand.

For a split second, she hesitated.

Not because she didn’t want to take it but because she could feel how much the gesture meant. How much weight rested behind that simple, open palm.

Levi’s heart thudded as he waited.

The immediate danger hanging over her head had been cleared. Ophelia was gone. The legal storm had passed.

A part of him feared that now, finally safe Lyse might decide she no longer needed him.

That she might pull away again.

He had taken her into his home to protect her, yes. But it had been always more than duty or responsibility.

He had taken her in because he missed her.

Because he wanted her in his life again.

And because he wasn’t ready to let her go.

He didn’t have to wonder long.

To his relief, Lyse placed her hand in his.

Warmth flooded through him at the simple touch.

Together they walked out of the study, through the grand hallway, and out of the Welhaven estate toward the waiting car.

The world outside felt strangely quiet after everything that had just happened.

As the car door closed behind them and the engine hummed to life, Lyse sank back against the leather seat with a shaky breath.

The envelope rested on her lap like a small, silent weight.

"If she knew that I existed for this long, why didn’t she acknowledge me?" Lyse asked quietly as the car pulled away from the estate. "Why wait until she died?"

Her voice cracked on the last word.

Memories she rarely allowed herself to touch rose painfully to the surface.

Years of feeling unwanted.

Years of being treated like an inconvenience.

She remembered the house she had grown up in, filled with Brooke’s cruelty and Lottie’s indifference. Remembered being pushed aside, ignored, belittled. Remembered how desperately she had craved someone, anyone to stand up for her.

And all this time, she had had a grandmother.

A powerful, wealthy grandmother who could have changed everything.

"Your grandmother was sick," Levi said gently. "She probably learned of your existence not too long ago. And she may have been afraid to meet you when she was already so close to death."

Lyse nodded slowly, but the explanation didn’t quite soothe the hollow ache inside her.

It was logical.

Reasonable.

But it didn’t erase the years she had spent alone.

Levi studied her face, searching for some way to lighten the heaviness that had settled over her.

When she remained quiet, staring blankly at the envelope, he nudged her softly with his shoulder.

"Maybe all the answers you’re looking for are in that letter," he said.

She didn’t respond.

He nudged her again, more playfully this time.

"Why don’t you check? Who knows, maybe she left you a diamond mine," he teased lightly.

Lyse rolled her eyes, though a faint smile tugged at her lips despite herself.

"You have a strange sense of humor," she muttered.

"Occupational hazard," Levi replied.

She took a deep sigh.

Her emotions were tangled beyond sorting.

A mother she had never met who had sacrificed everything to protect her. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

An aunt who had plotted, lied, and possibly killed to keep her hidden.

A grandmother who had apparently loved her enough to leave her an entire empire, yet never once reached out.

It was too much to process all at once.

Part of her wanted to rip open the envelope immediately, desperate for answers.

Another part wanted to shove it to the bottom of her bag and pretend none of it was real.

"I’ll take a look at it later," she finally said, sliding the envelope carefully into her purse.

Levi didn’t push her.

He understood better than anyone that some things couldn’t be rushed.

Lyse turned her head and gazed out the window, watching the city pass by in a blur of buildings and sunlight.

After a few minutes, she frowned.

"Why aren’t we going home?" she asked.

The route was wrong. They had already passed the turn that would have taken them toward Levi’s mansion.

Levi froze for a fraction of a second.

Home.

The word echoed warmly in his chest.

She had called his house home.

Not "your place."

Not "the mansion."

Home.

He almost told the driver to turn around then and there, just to hear her say it again.

But there was something he needed to do first.

Something important.

"Don’t worry," Levi said softly. "We will go home."

He reached over and took her hand again, threading his fingers through hers.

"But first, there is someone I want us to see."

Lyse turned toward him, curiosity flickering through her tired eyes.

"Someone?" she repeated.

"Yes," Levi nodded. "Someone who’s been waiting to meet you for a very long time."

She studied his face, searching for clues, but he only offered her a small, reassuring smile.

"Is this another surprise?" she asked cautiously.

"Not a bad one," he promised.

Lyse settled back into her seat, a mixture of nerves and curiosity stirring inside her.

The city gradually gave way to quieter streets, then to a familiar neighborhood she vaguely recognized.

As the car slowed in front of a modest, elegant townhouse, her confusion deepened.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"You’ll see," Levi replied.

He stepped out first and came around to open her door, offering his hand once more.

Lyse hesitated only briefly before taking it.