I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 41: Meeting The Mother-In-Law

Chapter 41: Meeting The Mother-In-Law

Mrs Van Doren descended the grand staircase and Lyse’s gaze fixed on the older woman as she came closer. Mrs. Van Doren, her fake mother-in-law, exuded an air of timeless elegance. Her every movement was graceful, her demeanor poised. Lyse, momentarily forgetting her apprehension, found herself captivated by this woman’s aura.

Mrs. Van Doren’s sharp voice chided her daughter, Laurie, for being too boisterous.

"Well, they are married and they are bound to be making babies." Laurie pouted, "it’s not like I am an innocent child who does not know what happens with married people."

"You better be an innocent child, you are just seventeen." Levi growled and cuffed the back of her head.

The younger woman rolled her eyes, a familiar sibling dynamic playing out. When Mrs Van Doren reached the bottom of the stairs she embraced her son affectionately and then she scolded him about not coming back home as often as he should.

Lyse’s attention, however, was drawn elsewhere. Her eyes had landed on the exquisite jewelry adorning Mrs. Van Doren’s neck. It was a stunning vintage piece, its intricate design and unique craftsmanship instantly recognizable.

A surge of excitement coursed through Lyse. She knew that piece. It was a rare design by a renowned jewelry house, a collector’s item. How could she, a young woman from a modest background, possibly recognize such a piece?

It was a moment of pure serendipity, a fleeting connection between two women from different worlds.

Before she could fully process her thoughts, the words tumbled out of her mouth. "That necklace... it is a Van Cleef & Arpels, isn’t it? The ’Fleurs de Paris’ collection."

Mrs. Van Doren paused, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She turned to face Lyse, her expression a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "How do you know that?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of disbelief.

Lyse hesitated, unsure of how to explain her sudden outburst. "I... I have always been interested in vintage jewelry. I have read a lot about it."

Mrs. Van Doren’s expression softened. "You have a keen eye, Lyse. That necklace was a gift from my late husband. He knew how much I adored it."

"Yes mother, Lyse is a very talented fashion designer." Levi quipped in.

"I see." Mrs Van Doren said, her expression blank as she looked at Lyse.

Lyse felt her high spirits fall to the ground and she chided herself for believing that the knowledge of expensive jewelry was going to endear her to her mother-in-law.

"Mother, this is Lyse, Lyse meet my mother." Levi said.

"It is so good to meet you Mrs Van Doren, Levi has told me so much about you."

"And Levi has told me nothing about you." Mrs Van Doren replied.

There was a brief moment of awkwardness before Levi waded in.

"That is why I brought her here so that you would meet her."

Her eyes still on Lyse, Mrs Van Doren answered. "No, you brought her here because I asked you to. Lyse, would you come with me please?"

Lyse quakes in her boots at this request, she could just imagine what was going to come next. Maybe Levi’s mother would offer her a cheque with so many zeros that it would leave her cross eyed. It would serve Levi right if she took the cheque and ran off to some country at the ends of the world.

"I don’t think that is a good idea." Levi quickly stepped in and relief flooded Lyse. "Lyse is exhausted and should rest."

Mrs Van Doren raised a suspicious eyebrow at her son. "Surely you don’t think that I am going to eat your bride whole do you?" She queried him. "I just want to get to know my daughter in-law better."

After saying that, she held Lyse’s arm and led her away from Levi. He wanted to insist but he knew that in doing that it would raise his mother’s suspicions and she would just dig her heels in and insist so he smiled encouragingly at Lyse.

"Be careful with my wife, mother." Levi said, a warning in his voice but his mother ignored him.

She glanced back as his mother led her away, her eyes pleading with him to save her but there was nothing he could do, she would have to figure this one on her own.

He hoped that she would be able to prevail against his mother. He felt a twinge of guilt at the position he had put her in and the fact that he had used the threat of the shelter to make her capitulate to him. He was not such a monster that he would do that but it had been effective and for that he did not mind being seen as the villain.

*

Brooke and Lottie sat across from the private investigator, their faces etched with anticipation. Immediately he had called to say that he had some information, they had rushed to his office and they waited, eager to see what he had uncovered.

"So, what did you find?" Brooke asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Marcus leaned forward, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "I managed to uncover something interesting about Lyse. She was indeed married and that marriage happened before another one with Mr Van Doren."

Lottie’s eyes widened. "I knew something fishy was going on with that girl." She said jubilantly.

"Yes, she got married before a magistrate at Cape Azur on august the sixteenth."

Brooke and Lottie exchanged knowing looks, she had gotten married the day that Brandon had rejected her.

"Then the marriage with Levi Van Doren happened about two weeks after in Diamond City."

"Who did she get married to the first time?" Brooke asked impatiently.

"Unfortunately, the records are sealed. I could not find any information about the man she married."

Brooke’s mind raced. "Why would she hide a marriage? Could it be because of Levi?"

Lottie nodded, a sinister smile spreading across her face. "She is probably trying to hide her past to appear perfect in front of the Van Doren family."

"This is perfect," Brooke said, her mouth watering at the thought of revenge. "We can use this information to get Levi to dump her, imagine how humiliating that will be for her."

Lottie looked at her and said in a voice heavy with scorn, "No, that will be too easy for the likes of her, I have a better idea."