I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 326: Code Black

His jaw tightened as he pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear. "Talk to me," he commanded.

Silence on the other end. Not the empty silence of a disconnected call, but a heavy, listening silence.

He could almost feel a breath being held. He straightened up, the child and her flower offering now secondary.

"Who is this?" he growled, already moving towards the building, his eyes scanning every window, every doorway.

"Enjoying your day out with Lyse, Levi?"

The voice was a purr, distorted and metallic, but unmistakable. Ophelia. A cold dread, sharp and damning, flooded his system.

"I’m surprised you have the guts to call me," he said, his voice dangerously low. He was at the door now, pushing through it, his eyes locking on Lyse who was helping a small boy with a puzzle.

"I wouldn’t do this if I were you," the purred continued, laced with amusement. "Don’t look at her. Don’t even think about her. Or my finger might just slip."

He froze. His body screamed at him to run to Lyse, to shield her, but his feet were rooted to the floor.

"What do you want?" He demanded as he turned to look at the bodyguards who had noticed his stance and were now watching him with concern.

He raised a hand to them, a silent command to stay put.

Ophelia laughed, a tinny, grating sound through the phone. "Oh, I think you know what I want. I want her to suffer, just like she has made me suffer."

Lyse chose that exact moment to look up at him. Her smile faltered as she took in the expression on his face, the rigid set of his shoulders. She started to get up.

"Stay where you are." Levi raised his hand and tried to project the thought with all the force he could muster, a silent, desperate plea.

Lyse froze mid-motion, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"You want to play bodyguard, don’t you?" Ophelia’s voice was syrupy poison in his ear. "Tell me, Levi, do you think you can reach her before I can give the signal?"

"What signal?" he bit out, his gaze sweeping the room. The children, the staff, Bella and Ken. They were all liabilities now.

"I’m glad you asked. You see, I might be not there. But does not mean that my people are not. They’re everywhere. One of them is right there, in that room with her. Smiling at the children, probably. Don’t bother looking. You won’t know who it is."

"If you do anything to harm Lyse, I will make sure you rot in hell." Levi growled and the phone went dead.

He slowly lowered the phone, his knuckles white. He turned back to the room, but now he saw it differently. Every smiling face was a potential threat. Every kind gesture, a mask for deadly intent.

He walked toward Lyse, each step a deliberate act of control. He had to act normal. He couldn’t let her know. He couldn’t let any of them know.

"Levi? What is it? Who was that?" Lyse asked as he reached her, her hand coming up to rest on his arm. Her touch was fire, and he was ice.

"Just a business call," he said, forcing a smile that felt like a crack in porcelain. "Nothing to worry about."

He gently pulled her closer, one arm wrapping around her waist in a gesture that looked casual but was pure possession. "How about we get some fresh air? We can go to the little garden out back."

Lyse looked at him, her eyes searching his. She knew him too well. She knew something was wrong. But she also saw the plea in his eyes, the silent warning.

"Okay," she said softly.

As he led her away from the main hall, Ken and Bella approached them.

"Is everything alright, Levi?" Ken asked, his eyes narrowed. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

"Everything is fine," Levi said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I just need to speak with Lyse for a moment."

He practically ushered her into the small, enclosed garden, the gate swinging shut behind them with a clang that sounded like a cell door closing. He finally let her go, turning to face her, his back to the gate.

"Levi, what is going on?" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly. "You’re scaring me."

He took a deep breath, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. "Ophelia called."

Lyse’s face went pale. "What? When?"

"Just now. She... she said she has someone in the building, Lyse. Someone watching."

For a moment, she was silent, the color draining from her cheeks. Then, to his surprise, a spark of defiance ignited in her eyes. "And? Are we supposed to just hide? Cower in this little garden?"

"No," he said, a note of admiration in his voice despite the terror. "We’re not. But we have to be smart. We have to get you out of here. Now."

He pulled out his phone again, this time dialing a direct line. He didn’t need to look at the screen. "Rex," he said, the moment the call connected. "We have a situation. Protocol Black. I repeat, Protocol Black. Sweep the building. I want every single person vetted. Now."

He hung up without waiting for a reply.

"What is Protocol Black?" Lyse asked.

"It means we lock this place down," he said, his eyes scanning the high walls of the garden. "No one gets in. No one gets out. Until we find her."

He looked at her, his expression hard. "And I promise you, Lyse. We will find her."

The garden door creaked open, and Bella stepped in, her face etched with worry. "Levi, what’s happening? I just saw your men... they’re telling everyone to stay where they are. They’re questioning the staff."

Levi’s jaw tightened. "It’s a precaution, Bella. Just a precaution."

But Lyse saw through it. She saw the lie in his eyes. She turned to Bella, her own fear hardening into resolve.

"Bella, listen to me," she said, her voice steady. "I need you to go back inside. Act normal. But watch everyone. Watch the staff, watch the other volunteers. Anyone who seems... off. Anyone who’s watching the doors more than the children. Can you do that?"

Bella looked from Lyse’s determined face to Levi’s grim one and nodded slowly. "Yes. I can."

As Bella slipped back inside, Ken appeared at the gate, his expression grim. He had heard the call, seen the lockdown. He didn’t ask questions. He simply nodded at Levi, a silent pact passing between them. Maeve’s daughter. Their promise.