I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 323: No One Gets A Perfect Ending

Levi’s expression changed so quickly it made Lyse’s stomach drop.

The warmth drained from his face. His jaw tightened.

"What do you mean you lost her?" he asked, voice low and dangerous now.

The others fell quiet.

Lyse watched him carefully, the celebration around them suddenly feeling fragile.

There was a pause as the person on the other end spoke.

Levi’s fingers curled around the phone.

"When?" he demanded.

Another pause.

A muscle ticked in his cheek.

"Check the perimeter. Call security. I want every exit covered," he ordered. "Now."

He ended the call.

Silence settled heavily in the flower-filled room.

Ken stepped forward first. "Levi?"

Lyse’s hand slid into Levi’s instinctively. "What is it?"

He looked at her.

For a split second, she saw conflict in his eyes. He didn’t want to ruin this moment. He didn’t want fear to touch it.

But he also wasn’t the kind of man who hid danger. He had learned from his mistakes, he would always be honest with Lyse no matter the cost.

"It’s Ophelia," he said evenly.

The name felt like ice dropped into warm water.

Bella inhaled sharply.

Chris’s posture shifted instantly, alert.

"What about her?" Ken asked, his voice losing all humor.

Levi ran a hand through his hair. "She disappeared from surveillance about two hours ago. She slipped past the detail assigned to monitor her."

"And?" Lyse asked, though her pulse had already begun to race.

"No one knows where she is," Levi said carefully. "The team believes she could be coming here."

Lyse felt something cold coil in her stomach.

"Here," she repeated quietly.

He didn’t look away.

"She’s unstable. She’s humiliated. And she blames us for everything."

Ken’s jaw hardened. "You think she’d show up here?"

Levi glanced toward the glass windows overlooking the lake.

"If someone has been watching the house and following us she will know to come here."

"How?" Bella asked.

Levi didn’t answer immediately.

Which was answer enough.

Lyse swallowed.

"You think she’s stalking us."

"I don’t know," he said honestly. "But I’m not taking chances."

The joy of the proposal still shimmered in the air like fragile glass.

And now it felt like it could shatter.

Ken straightened. "Then we leave. Now."

Levi nodded.

He turned to Lyse, cupping her face gently.

"We’re going to move you out safely," he said quietly. "Security is already being reinforced."

"I’m not leaving you," she said immediately.

"You won’t have to."

His thumb brushed beneath her eye where tears had dried.

"I promise."

Chris moved toward the door. "I’ll check the hallway."

Bella instinctively moved closer to Lyse.

James muttered under his breath, "I knew this night was too peaceful."

Ken placed a steadying hand on Lyse’s shoulder. "Stay between us."

Levi gave quick instructions into his phone again, coordinating with hotel security. The Crown Hotel prided itself on discretion and protection for high-profile guests. Within minutes, additional guards were dispatched to their floor.

Still, unease pressed in.

Lyse looked around the room once more.

The chrysanthemums.

The candlelight.

The glowing sign still asking the question she had just answered.

It felt surreal that danger could exist in the same space as something so beautiful.

Levi slid an arm around her waist again.

"Stay close," he murmured.

They began moving toward the exit of the private hall.

None of them noticed the service door at the far end of the room open a fraction of an inch before closing again.

—

Down the corridor, the hotel was calm.

Too calm.

The carpets muted their footsteps as security joined them, forming a subtle escort.

"Vehicles are being brought to the private entrance," one guard informed Levi.

"Good," Levi replied.

Lyse felt the weight of the sapphire on her finger as they walked. It should have felt like joy.

Instead, it felt like something precious that needed protecting.

They turned a corner toward the private elevator.

That was when Bella stopped walking.

"Did you hear that?"

Everyone froze.

There it was.

A faint metallic clatter.

Like something small being knocked over.

Levi’s gaze sharpened instantly.

"Stay behind me," he ordered.

Ken positioned himself at Lyse’s other side.

Chris moved toward the source of the sound cautiously.

Another noise.

A door at the end of the hall swung open abruptly.

And a figure darted out.

Dark clothing.

Hair loose and wild.

Eyes bright with something unhinged.

Ophelia.

Lyse recognized her instantly.

She looked thinner than before. Paler. But the intensity in her stare hadn’t dimmed.

It had deepened.

Security reacted quickly, stepping forward.

But Ophelia wasn’t holding a weapon.

She wasn’t charging.

She was smiling.

"Well," she said lightly, her voice carrying down the hallway. "Isn’t this romantic."

Levi stepped in front of Lyse completely.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Ophelia tilted her head.

"I wanted to see it," she replied. "The fairytale. The second chance. The perfect ending."

Her eyes flicked to Lyse’s hand.

The ring.

Her smile sharpened.

"It suits you," she said softly. "Blue looks good on scum."

Lyse felt Levi tense.

"You need to leave," he said coldly.

Ophelia took a single step forward before security blocked her path.

"You think this is over?" she asked him quietly.

"It is," Levi answered without hesitation.

Something flickered in her expression then.

Not rage.

Not hysteria.

Something colder.

"You will be wrong to underestimate me," she murmured.

And then she did something none of them expected.

She laughed.

Not loudly.

Not maniacally.

Just softly.

Almost amused.

Before anyone could react further, the fire alarm suddenly blared through the corridor.

Strobes flashed red.

Sprinklers did not activate, but the noise was deafening.

Guests began opening doors further down the hallway.

Security faltered for half a second, attention splitting between Ophelia and the sudden emergency protocol.

That half second was enough.

Ophelia shoved hard against one guard and darted sideways through the stairwell door that had just been forced open by evacuating guests.

"Stop her!" Chris shouted.

Two guards gave chase.

Levi swore under his breath.

Ken tightened his grip protectively on Lyse.

Chaos filled the corridor now as hotel staff tried to calm guests and direct movement.

Levi pulled Lyse firmly toward the elevator instead of the stairs.

"She planned the distraction," he said through clenched teeth.

"Is she armed?" Lyse asked, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest.

"I don’t think so," he answered. "She wants fear more than blood."

The elevator doors slid open.

They ushered Lyse, Bella, and Ken inside first.

Chris joined a moment later after confirming security had visual contact.

"Stairwell leads to the underground garage," he reported breathlessly. "She knows that."

"Lock down the exits," Levi ordered into his phone again.

The elevator descended.

Lyse leaned back against the wall, exhaling shakily.

"She looked..." Bella started.

"Unwell," Ken finished grimly.

"She’s escalating," Chris added grimly.

The doors opened to the private underground level.

Guards were already positioned near the vehicles.

They moved quickly toward the cars.

Levi kept scanning the shadows.

Every parked vehicle.

Every pillar.

Every reflection in the polished concrete.

But Ophelia did not reappear.

After a tense five minutes, one of the security team approached.

"She slipped through a maintenance exit into the adjacent lot," he said. "We have footage but she’s gone."

Levi’s jaw hardened.

"Any injuries?"

"Minor. One guard has a bruised shoulder. That’s it."

Relief loosened something tight in Lyse’s chest.

No one hurt.

Not tonight.

Ken exhaled heavily. "She’s playing games."

"Yes," Levi agreed. "And she just proved she can get close."

Lyse stepped forward and took his hand again.

"She didn’t come to hurt us," she said quietly.

Levi looked at her.

"She came to remind us she exists."

Silence settled over them.

The celebration upstairs felt like it had happened hours ago instead of minutes.

Levi squeezed her hand.

"We’re increasing protection," he said firmly. "For all of you."

Ken nodded approvingly.

Bella hugged herself. "She looked like she enjoyed it."

"She did," Chris said grimly. "Control. Attention."

Levi opened the car door for Lyse.

"We’re leaving," he said decisively.

As the vehicles pulled out of the underground garage, none of them noticed the black sedan parked across the street.

Inside, Ophelia sat in the driver’s seat.

Watching.

Her fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel.

Her gaze lingered on the car Lyse occupied.

Then slowly, she smiled to herself.

"No one gets a perfect ending," she whispered. "You won’t"

And she drove away into the night.