I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 104: Collateral Damage

Chapter 104: Collateral Damage

Levi arrived home from work earlier than usual, he was eager at the chance to spend some quality time with his wife. He had noticed that she seemed to be thawing towards him, and that made him really excited.

He had gotten to the point where he no longer wanted to fight his feelings, he was ready to admit that he wanted Lyse. It seemed that everything that tried to pull them further apart made him want to reach for her even more.

He was afraid to voice out his feelings, Lyse seemed very skeptical about his motives, not that he could blame her. Theirs was an unorthodox start to a relationship but he hoped that there was a chance for them. And that she would learn to trust him so that he could lay his heart bare before her. Maybe then, he would tell her exactly how they had gotten married.

However, as he stepped through the door, Levi was greeted by Mr Dalton who approached him. "Welcome back, Mr. Van Doren."

Levi handed over his briefcase and headed towards his room. "Where is your mistress?" He asked.

"Mrs Van Doren has not come back since she left for her office this morning." Mr Dalton explained.

Levi nodded. He was not aware of Lyse’s work schedule so he could not really tell when she was due home, he had only hoped that she would be back home so that they could spend time together. At the least, with Joel with her, he knew she was protected and safe.

After Mr Dalton dropped off Levi’s case, he still lingered in the room and Levi looked up at him with a questioning eyebrow.

"Is there anything else you need? Mr Dalton." He asked.

Mr Dalton wavered for a moment then he straightened his shoulders. "There was a call for Mrs Van Doren, a couple of calls actually. From gentleman by the name of Thomas Huddleston."

Levi’s brow furrowed. ’Thomas Huddleston? Who was that and what did he want with Lyse? Could it be for work or maybe something else?

"Did the person leave a number she can call him back on?" Levi asked.

"Not at all sir." Mr Dalton answered. "He said that I was to tell Mrs Van Doren and she would know how to reach him."

"I see." Levi muttered absentmindedly.

"May I leave now sir, or do you have something you would like me to do?" Mr Dalton asked but Levi waved him away.

Levi’s thoughts were interrupted by a phone call, when he looked at who was calling, his heart skipped a beat.

Joel’s voice was filled with urgency. "Mrs Van Doren is at the hospital, Mr. Van Doren. There has been an incident."

Levi’s heart sank. "What happened? Is she alright?"

"Yes she is, sir. But a mob has gathered outside the hospital. They are very angry, and they are blaming Mrs Van Doren for something."

Levi’s blood ran cold. He knew he had to get to the hospital immediately. He rushed out of the house, his mind racing. He could not let anything happen to Lyse.

When he got into the car, he called Ethan and directed him to get security to the hospital. After that, his thoughts turned to the mysterious man who had called Lyse. Who was he? What did he want? And what was Lyse’s connection to him?

He thought of the time that he had seen that bouquet of flowers that Lyse had denied but which had actually been for her. Was the phonecall connected to the flowers? Was this Thomas an admirer or was this just about work? Why then had he called her at home instead of at her studio?

*

Brett was furious. He had invested a significant amount of money in buying Jeff’s loan, hoping to leverage it against Lyse. But it appeared that his plan had backfired. It seemed that Lyse had absolutely no loyalty towards her father.

If he had investigated a little more before investing his money, he would have discovered that the entire family had treated Lyse so badly. The straw that broke the camel’s back was their betrayal and now that she had Levi, she had turned her back on them all.

As he sat in his office, thinking of how he was going to deal with that dilemma, his phone rang. It was a call from one of his informants. "There has been some activity at the house, Boss. " the voice on the other end whispered. "A man has been calling her repeatedly."

"A man?" Brett’s eyes lit up. "Who is this man?"

"His name is Thomas Huddleston." The voice answered.

Brett ended the call immediately he got the information he wanted. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. He immediately called for Damien to come to his office.

When Damien came in, he sat down without being asked to and looked expectantly at Brett.

"We have got a lead," he said, his voice filled with excitement. "Someone has been calling Lyse at their house. I need you to find out who it is and what they want, immediately."

Damien was intrigued. "Could it be a potential threat? Or maybe a secret admirer?"

Brett chuckled darkly. "It could be anything. But one thing is for sure, it is an opportunity I intend to use to my advantage."

He paused, his mind racing. "I want you to dig deeper. Find out who this man is and what his intentions are. This might be the best thing that i could have."

Damien nodded, understanding the plan. "I will get right on it, boss."

With a renewed sense of purpose, Brett began to execute his next move. He knew that he could not afford to make another mistake. This time, he would be more careful, more strategic. He would strike when the time was right, and he would make sure that Levi paid the ultimate price. And Lyse unfortunately, was just collateral damage.