I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 255: Another Disappointment

Chapter 255: Another Disappointment

The lobby of the penthouse suite shimmered with soft gold light, casting long shadows against marble floors. Brandon stood by the window, a glass of red wine in his hand, eyes fixed on the city skyline. The darkness outside was vast and glittering, hiding secrets like teeth behind a smirk.

After Levi had stormed the apartment in Lyse’s building, he had gotten a call from Anya. He had been forced to leave and come to his secret apartment hideaway, all the while checking the road to make sure that the old paranoid man had not been following him.

He was waiting impatiently for Anya’s arrival. He was irritated at her failure and he chastised himself for thinking that she was not going to be another disappointment.

He was just going to have to find a way to deal with her.

The suite door burst open without a knock.

Anya stormed in, her hair wild, one heel broken, blood crusted near her lip. The scent of motel disinfectant and adrenaline clung to her. She didn’t wait for permission—just slammed the door shut behind her and strode across the room like a fury loosed from the underworld.

"He got away," she snapped.

Brandon didn’t turn around. He swirled the wine lazily in his glass, his reflection barely visible in the glass pane.

"I figured."

"He knows," Anya continued, pacing now. "He saw your name on my phone. I tried to stop him, but he was stronger than I thought. He knocked Marcus out cold—there’s blood all over the floor. I had to ditch the camera, the drugs—everything."

Still, Brandon didn’t react. He took a sip of wine and hummed softly, almost thoughtfully.

Anya blinked, stunned by his calm. "Did you hear what I said? I said Levi knows everything. The plan is ruined, we are screwed!"

"No, you are screwed." He said then he turned, slowly, one brow arched in mild interest. His face was expressionless, eyes cold, mouth a neutral line. "You are going to have to deal with it."

"What?" she breathed.

Brandon walked to the bar cart and refilled his glass, not offering her a drink. "I am not responsible for your mistakes, Anya. You let him escape. You got sloppy."

She stared at him, mouth agape, her chest heaving. "You brought me into this," she hissed. "You said it would be easy. You told me all I had to do was seduce him, catch him on camera, and hand it over. You promised me protection."

Brandon finally looked at her—really looked. His gaze was frigid, assessing. "And I played my part," he said quietly. "I set the stage. I gave you everything you needed—money, information, access. You had one job, and you failed woefully, how is that my fault?"

The sheer audacity of his indifference stunned her and she stared at him with her mouth agape. "You arrogant son of a—"

"I’m not the one who let the lion out of the cage," he cut in.

She froze. Her breath hitched, fury boiling under her skin.

"Don’t you dare pretend like this is not also on you," she snapped. "You are in this as deep as I am, Brandon, even deeper. You came to me. You begged me. Told me you could not stand seeing Levi with her. That you needed her back. That you would do anything to destroy him. Or did you forget that night?"

Brandon’s jaw clenched, just barely, but his voice remained calm. "You said you could handle it."

"And you said you would protect me if shit hit the fan," she seethed, stepping closer. "But now that it’s gone sideways, you want to pretend like your hands are clean?"

He set the wine glass down with deliberate care. "Don’t be so dramatic, it does not suit you."

"I wonder what Levi Van Doren will think about how desperate you are to have his wife, I wonder how far you’ve gone..." Her voice was calm as she spoke. "I bet you orchestrated that paparazzi harassing Lyse and conveniently you were there to be her mighty protector"

Then her voice began to rise with each word. "If you think I’m going down alone, think again. If I’m exposed—you’re exposed."

For a moment, there was silence between them.

A dangerous stillness.

Then Brandon smiled.

Not kindly. Not reassuringly.

It was the kind of smile that peeled away layers.

"Then I guess I’ll have to make sure you’re not around to expose me."

Anya blinked.

"What?"

Brandon stepped toward her, slow and measured. "You have become a liability, Anya."

Her stomach twisted. "You cannot not serious."

"But I am," he said softly, almost like an apology. "But I’m not a monster. I’ll send you away. Somewhere far. Disappear for a while. That’s best for everyone."

Anya let out a shaky breath, her eyes wide. "You will get me out of the country?"

He nodded. "Tonight, if I can."

Her shoulders sagged in relief, and for a moment, the rage melted into gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. "I knew you would come through."

Brandon stepped closer. His hand reached up gently, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. His touch was tender. Reassuring.

Then his other hand clamped around her throat.

Anya’s eyes bulged in shock.

She clawed at him instantly, nails raking his arms, but his grip was iron. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Her feet kicked, struggling for purchase against the hardwood floor, but he lifted her like she weighed nothing.

"I should have known that you would be a disappointment, all of you are. I have to do everything myself." he murmured, voice still calm, still measured.

She thrashed wildly, choking, gagging, her vision already blurring at the edges. Her heels slipped off with sharp clacks. Her nails dug deeper into his forearms, drawing blood.

Still, he didn’t let go.

Her body began to convulse, her lungs burning, her eyes brimming with tears. The last thing she saw was his face—expressionless. Unmoved.

Then darkness swallowed her.

Brandon let her body slump to the floor, limbs splayed awkwardly across the rug.

He stood over her, chest heaving slightly, blood dripping from the scratch marks on his arms. He stared down at her face, now pale and slack, her once fierce eyes dull and unfocused.

He wiped his hands on a napkin, tossed it in the fireplace, and turned toward the window again.

The city outside blinked on, uncaring.

He picked up his wine glass and finished it in one long sip, savoring the bitter edge while staring out at the beautiful landscape.