I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 243: Shut My Heart Down

Chapter 243: Shut My Heart Down

Lyse’s intuition, honed by years of navigating a complex family dynamics, screamed at her. The air crackled with an unspoken tension between Bella and Ken, a palpable unease that hung heavy in the room. She had noticed the furtive glances, the hushed whispers, the way they seemed to hold back, their words carefully measured. Enough was enough.

"Alright," she declared, her voice sharp and decisive, "I want to know what’s going on. Now."

Bella and Ken exchanged a nervous glance, a silent communication that spoke volumes. They knew they could not keep her in the dark any longer. The truth, however unsettling, had to be revealed.

"Lyse," Ken began, his voice low and serious, "please, sit down. This is going to be... complicated."

Lyse, her eyes narrowed with suspicion, reluctantly took a seat, her gaze fixed on Ken. She could feel the weight of their unspoken words, the gravity of the situation. "Just tell me," she said, her voice laced with a quiet urgency. "Whatever it is, I can take it."

Ken took a deep breath, his expression grave. "It’s about Maeve," he said, his voice barely audible.

Lyse’s brow furrowed. "Maeve?" she echoed, her voice laced with confusion. "Who is Maeve?"

"She was known as Mara," Bella interjected, her voice soft and hesitant.

Lyse’s eyes widened. "Mara?" she repeated, her voice laced with dawning realization. "You mean... Brooke’s mother?"

Ken and Bella exchanged another glance, a silent confirmation of her suspicions. Ken nodded slowly, his expression grim. "Yes," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of the past. "Maeve was Mara."

Lyse’s mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of information. She had heard whispers about Brooke’s mother, the woman who died after birthing her daughter, the woman who was shrouded in mystery. But she had never imagined that Ken would be involved or know her.

"What does this have to do with you?" she asked, her voice laced with a growing unease.

Ken’s gaze shifted away from hers, his eyes filled with a distant sadness. "When I was younger," he began, his voice laced with a hint of nostalgia, "I dated Maeve. We were... very close, we were in love."

He paused, his voice trailing off, his eyes filled with a lingering pain. "But we were forced to separate," he continued, his voice barely audible. "I had to leave, to... find myself."

He looked at Lyse, his eyes filled with a quiet intensity. "When I returned," he said, his voice laced with a bitter regret, "I was told that Maeve had run away. That she was... dead."

Lyse’s heart ached for him. She could see the pain in his eyes, the lingering grief for a lost love. "But you did not believe it," she said, her voice soft and understanding.

Ken nodded slowly, his eyes filled with a quiet determination. "No," he said, his voice firm. "I knew she wouldn’t just disappear. I searched for her, for years. But I never found her."

He paused, his gaze shifting to Bella, his eyes filled with a silent plea for support. "And then," he continued, his voice laced with a hint of hope, "I started to suspect... that Maeve’s daughter... might also be my daughter."

Lyse’s breath caught in her throat. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, revealing a picture that was both shocking and heartbreaking.

"Your daughter?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ken nodded slowly, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. "Yes," he said, his voice barely audible. "I have strong reason to believe that Maeve had my child."

Lyse’s mind reeled, trying to process the implications of his revelation. That meant that Brooke, her sister actually was Ken’s daughter. It was a twist of fate that was both incredible and overwhelming. Then she had a thought, why was Ken telling her all this? Should he not be reuniting with Brooke his daughter instead of telling her all this.

"But... what does this have to do with me?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion.

Ken reached into his pocket and produced a small, worn photograph. He handed it to Lyse, his eyes filled with a quiet intensity as he studied her and waited for her expression.

Lyse took the photograph, her fingers trembling slightly. She looked at the image, her eyes widening with disbelief. The young woman in the photograph looked exactly like her, with the same delicate features, the same graceful posture, the same... everything. Except for the eyes. The woman in the photo had a different eye color from hers.

"Wh... who is this?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"That," Ken said, his voice laced with a quiet sadness, "is Maeve, and I see you have noticed the resemblance between the both of you. It’s uncanny, isn’t it?"

Lyse stared at the photograph, her mind struggling to reconcile the image with her own reflection. It felt like her brain had turned to mush because the picture before her and it’s implication did not make any sense. She had bever now, she was staring at a mirror image, a reflection of her own blood.

"What is this?" she whispered, her voice laced with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Ken nodded slowly, his eyes filled with a quiet intensity. "You can imagine how I felt when I first saw you," he said, his voice barely audible then he chuckled awkwardly. "You damn near shut my heart down."

Lyse dropped the picture like it was some radioactive material and stood up abruptly. The smile was wiped off Ken’s face and he exchanged a glance with Bella who stood up.

"Are you okay?" She asked and reached a hand out to touch Lyse but she took a step back and eyed them warily.

"I didn’t mean to say something to upset you sweetie..." Ken said, his voice soothing. "You needed to know this."

"No!" Lyse exclaimed loudly, her voice shaky. "I did not need to know that." She added then eyed the both of them and ran out.