I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 322: The Proposal

Lyse gasped as the door widened and she caught a glimpse of what lay beyond.

Her steps halted instinctively.

For a heartbeat, she simply stood there, frozen between anticipation and disbelief.

Levi saw her expression and smiled softly, satisfaction warming his eyes.

"Come on," he murmured, his hand settling gently against the small of her back as he urged her forward.

Lyse stepped inside slowly.

The room opened into a breathtaking private hall with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking a still lake. The water reflected the moonlight like molten silver, rippling faintly under the night breeze. The entire space glowed in soft ivory light.

And flowers.

Hundreds of white chrysanthemums filled the room lining the walls, framing the windows, arranged in towering crystal vases. Their delicate petals shimmered in the candlelight. The scent was soft, elegant, and almost ethereal.

In the center of the room stood an illuminated LED sign.

"Will you marry me?"

The letters glowed in warm gold against the dark night beyond the glass.

Lyse inhaled sharply.

For a moment, she couldn’t move. The scene felt unreal like she had stepped into someone else’s dream.

As if in a trance, she walked farther into the room. Her heels sank slightly into a carpet of white rose petals that had been scattered across the polished floor.

She turned slowly in a circle, taking everything in.

The lake.

The flowers.

The candles arranged along the edges of the room.

The music soft, instrumental, almost hidden beneath the sound of her racing heartbeat.

Then she stopped.

Her eyes found Levi.

He was standing a few steps away, watching her with quiet devotion. There was no smugness in his expression now. No teasing.

Just vulnerability.

"You did this," she whispered in awe.

Levi closed the distance between them.

Taking her hand, he led her gently toward the glowing sign. Rose petals brushed against the hem of her dress as they moved.

"Lyse," he began, his voice steadier than the emotions clearly building in his eyes.

She felt her throat tighten.

"I know our story hasn’t been easy," he continued. "We started wild. I hurt, We fought battles that should have broken us."

His thumb brushed over her knuckles absentmindedly, grounding himself.

"But through all of it," he said softly, "I never stopped loving you. Not for a second."

Her eyes filled.

He stepped closer.

"This time, I want to do it right. No chaos. No pressure. No pride. Just us. Choosing each other."

He exhaled once.

"This time, I want a fresh start. We deserve that."

Then, he stepped back.

And lowered himself onto one knee.

Lyse’s breath left her in a rush.

Her hand flew to her mouth.

The world seemed to narrow until it was just him.

Just the man kneeling in front of her.

"Lyse Spade," Levi said, his voice no longer perfectly controlled but beautifully raw, "make me the happiest man in the world. Marry me again."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a blue velvet jewelry box.

When he opened it, candlelight caught the stone inside a massive sapphire surrounded by a halo of delicate diamonds. The deep blue gem glimmered like captured midnight.

Her vision blurred with tears.

"This time," he whispered, looking up at her with hopeful eyes, "for real."

Silence stretched for one long, fragile moment.

Levi held his breath.

Lyse stared down at him, at the ring, at the flowers, at the man who had loved her fiercely, imperfectly, persistently.

Then she nodded.

Once.

Twice.

And stretched out her hand.

"Yes," she breathed, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "Yes, Levi. Yes."

Relief broke across his face like sunrise.

His hands trembled slightly as he slid the sapphire ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

When he rose to his feet, she threw her arms around him.

He pulled her close and kissed her deep, certain, filled with every unspoken apology and promise.

The lake shimmered behind them.

The chrysanthemums stood witness.

For a few perfect seconds, nothing else existed.

They were so lost in each other that they didn’t hear the quiet shuffle of additional footsteps entering the hall.

It wasn’t until a familiar voice cleared loudly that they pulled apart.

"How dare you propose to my daughter without asking my permission?"

The voice was stern.

Commanding.

Lyse’s eyes widened in shock.

Levi stiffened slightly before turning.

Ken stood a few feet away, arms crossed, eyebrows raised in mock severity.

But the glint of mischief in his eyes ruined the performance.

"Daddy!" Lyse exclaimed, laughter breaking through her tears. "How are you here?"

Ken’s stern façade cracked immediately.

"There was no way I was going to miss this moment," he said, his voice thick with emotion as he opened his arms.

Lyse ran into them without hesitation.

He held her tightly, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"I’ve already missed too many milestones," he murmured quietly. "I’ll be here for every important one from now on."

Lyse squeezed him harder.

Behind them, Levi watched, his chest swelling with gratitude.

Ken eventually pulled back and looked at her ring.

"Well," he said with exaggerated inspection, "at least he has good taste."

Levi chuckled nervously. "Ken"

Ken raised a hand.

"You will still be speaking to me privately," he warned, though the smile tugging at his lips softened the threat.

Lyse wiped at her cheeks and turned.

That was when she noticed the others.

Bella stood near the entrance, her hands clasped beneath her chin, eyes glossy with happy tears. Chris stood beside her, smiling broadly.

While James leaned casually against the wall, a proud grin on his face.

"You all knew?" Lyse gasped.

Bella laughed. "Of course we knew! Do you think he could pull this off without help?"

Levi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"It took coordination," Chris added dryly. "And a lot of bribing."

James raised a hand. "I resent that. I was not bribed. I was emotionally manipulated."

Lyse laughed, the sound bright and unrestrained.

She looked around at all of them her family, her friends, the people who had stood by her through heartbreak and scandal and rebuilding.

The lake glowed beyond the glass.

The moon hung high and luminous.

For the first time in a long time, her life felt steady.

Not chaotic.

Not fragile.

Just... steady.

Levi stepped closer and slipped an arm around her waist.

"You’re not upset?" he asked quietly, his earlier confidence giving way to vulnerability again.

She turned to him.

"Upset?" she repeated softly. "Levi, this is perfect."

Her gaze dropped briefly to the ring on her finger.

The sapphire shimmered like a promise.

"Are you sure?" he pressed gently.

She reached up and cupped his face.

"I’m sure."

Ken cleared his throat loudly again.

"Alright," he said. "Now that we’ve established you’re engaged, we should probably eat something before I start demanding wedding dates."

Bella clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, we are absolutely planning this properly."

Levi groaned playfully. "I feel like I just signed up for something much more terrifying than business negotiations." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Lyse leaned into him, smiling.

"Too late," she teased. "You asked."

Levi’s phone interrupted the mood and he frowned as he picked it.

"What is it?" He demanded shortly.