I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 210: He Might Never Get Her Back

Chapter 210: He Might Never Get Her Back

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room floor as Lyse finally stirred. She woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, the events of the morning replaying in her mind. The reporter’s accusations, the photographs, the confusion...it all felt like a bad dream. But it was unfortunately not a dream. It was very real.

She sat up, her body aching, her mind still reeling. Levi was sitting beside her on the bed, his face etched with concern. He took her hand, his touch gentle.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

Lyse shrugged, her gaze distant. "Confused," she whispered. "Scared."

"I know," Levi said, his voice soothing. "But it’s going to be okay. I promise."

"You’re not mad at me?" Lyse eyes, her eyes scared of what he would say. It sent a cut to his heart that he was the reason for this fear she felt.

He paused, taking a deep breath. He knew what he had to do. He had to tell her the truth. He could not keep it from her any longer.

"Lyse," he began, his voice hesitant, "I...I need to tell you something. Something important."

Lyse looked at him, her eyes filled with apprehension. "What is it, Levi?"

"I’m...I’m going to hold a press conference," he said, his voice firm. "About...about the rumors. About your...husband."

Lyse’s brow furrowed. "My husband?" she repeated, her voice incredulous. "But I told you, I don’t know anything about another husband. I don’t remember anything."

"I know," Levi said gently. "That is why I need to tell you the truth."

He took another deep breath, steeling himself for her reaction. "Lyse," he said, his voice low and serious, "I’m...I am the man you married that night after you got drunk."

Lyse stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. "What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "What are you saying?"

"I’m your husband, legally, not just a contract." Levi repeated, his voice firm. "The man you married that night. The man you have no memory of."

Lyse’s mind raced, trying to make sense of his words. She could not believe what she was hearing. It was impossible. She had only met Levi for the first time at his office. Hadn’t she?

"I...I don’t understand," she stammered, her voice trembling. "You’re...you are telling me that you are the man in that hotel? The man I supposedly married?"

Levi nodded. "Yes," he said softly. "I am."

Lyse’s face flushed crimson. She felt a wave of anger wash over her, a mixture of confusion and betrayal. "But...but how?" she demanded, her voice rising. "How could you do this to me? How could you keep this from me?"

Levi reached out to touch her, but she flinched, pulling away from his touch and his heart sank to his belly at her rejection of him.

"Lyse," he said gently, "please, let me explain."

"Explain what?" she interrupted, her voice sharp. "Explain how you manipulated me? How you deceived me? How you married me when I was drunk and vulnerable?"

Levi’s face fell. He had expected her to be angry, but her words cut him deeper than he had anticipated.

"I didn’t mean to manipulate you," he said, his voice pleading. "I swear, I was drunk too. And later...I just wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?" Lyse scoffed. "By marrying me when I was in no state to make decisions? By keeping it a secret from me? By letting me believe that i was your contact wife? Is that how you protected me?"

"I know it looks bad," Levi said, his voice filled with remorse. "But please, Lyse, just listen to me. Let me explain."

"Explain what?" she demanded, her voice rising. "Explain how you took advantage of me? How you exploited my vulnerability? How you married me without my consent? You were supposed to be my fiancé’s father."

"I didn’t force you, Lyse," Levi said, his voice firm. "You...you asked me to marry you. That night...you were the one who suggested it and I did not know who you were."

Lyse stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I...I asked you?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "I asked you to marry me?"

Levi nodded. "Yes," he said softly. "You did. You were...you were very insistent."

Lyse’s mind raced, trying to recall the events of that night. She remembered drinking, she dug in the corners of her mind, but she didn’t remember anything about getting married. It was all a blur.

"I...I don’t believe you," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I would never...I would never do that."

"You were drunk, Lyse," Levi said gently. "You weren’t thinking clearly. You weren’t yourself."

"And yet you took advantage of that," she snarled, her voice rising. "You manipulated me into marrying you when I was in no state to make decisions. You took away my choice!"

"I didn’t mean to," Levi pleaded. "I swear. I just...I was drunk and not thinking right. You looked so perfect and when you asked me there was no way i could say no to you."

Lyse stared at him, her eyes filled with anger and hurt. "You manipulated me," she repeated, her voice cold. "You manipulated me from the very beginning. You pretended to be nothing to me, then you pretended to be my lover but all along, you were hiding this secret, this lie. You were using me."

"No," Levi protested, his voice filled with desperation. "That is not true. I love you, Lyse. I truly do. I would never intentionally hurt you."

"Love?" Lyse scoffed. "You talk about love when you have been lying to me from the start? When you’ve been manipulating me, controlling me, taking away my choices?"

She stood up, her body trembling with anger. She reached for the ring on her finger, the ring that Levi had just given her, the ring that symbolized their supposed love. She ripped it off her finger and threw it at him, her aim precise, her anger raw.

"Don’t talk to me about love," she said, her voice filled with venom. "You don’t know the meaning of the word."

She turned and stormed out of the apartment, leaving Levi standing there, the ring lying on the floor between his feet, a symbol of their broken vows, their shattered trust, their ruined relationship.

He watched her go, his heart breaking, his mind filled with regret. He had tried to protect her, he had tried to keep her, but he had only succeeded in hurting her, in losing her. And he knew, with a sinking feeling, that he might never get her back.