I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 70: Set Up

As he entered the house, a wave of warmth washed over him. The aroma of a delicious meal filled the air, a tantalizing promise of a cozy evening.

"Mrs Van Doren has prepared a meal for you both to enjoy and she has directed me to lead you to the dining room, sir." Mr Dalton said as he collected Levi’s suitcase and jacket.

He was surprised but pleased to see that Lyse had prepared a special evening for them, they might not have started on the right foot but if she was willing, they could right all the wrongs in the beginning of their relationship.

He hurried to the dining room excitedly then stopped abruptly, his heart sinking

Lyse was standing by the window, her head bent as she looked at her phone. Her posture was stiff, her demeanor distant. Immediately she noticed his presence, she looked up and the warmth that had been in her eyes when he left her was replaced by a cold and distant aura. He approached her, his voice gentle.

"Lyse, is something wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

She continued to stare at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and disappointment. "You know exactly what is wrong, Levi."

Before he could respond, she turned and walked away, leaving him bewildered. He tried to follow her, but she ran up the stairs then disappeared into her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

A wave of confusion washed over him. They had just texted not too long ago and her tone had been friendly so what had happened between that time and now? He had not done anything wrong. Or had he? A nagging doubt crept into his mind. He pulled out his phone and checked his messages.

A notification from Ethan caught his eye. It was a link to a news article. His frowned as he clicked on it. The headline read, "Local business Mogul And Newly Married Playboy Levi Van Doren Caught Kissing Old Flame International Model Anya Pavati." The accompanying photos were damning. It was him alright, with Anya draped all over him, their lips locked in what looked like a very passionate kiss.

A surge of anger and disbelief washed over him. How could this have happened? He had pushed Anya away, made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. Yet, here he was, the subject of a tabloid scandal.

He realized then that he had been set up, Anya must have planned it. No wonder she had been acting so weird.

He immediately called Ethan, his voice laced with fury. "How did this happen, Ethan? Who the fuck took those photos?"

Ethan’s voice was filled with remorse. "I am so sorry, Sir. I don’t know how it happened. We have tried to take down the photos, but it’s spreading like wildfire."

"I don’t care how you do it and what you do but you have to do something, Ethan. Anything." Levi roared into the phone. "Get our media affiliates to release new music, free concerts, PR for new shows, anything! Just get those photos off the internet. Do damage control, crisis management, whatever it takes."

"I will get on it right away, sir."

"And Ethan?" Levi added, his voice heated by the fires of the anger burning his chest. "Find Anya where ever she is and get Chris to slam the biggest lawsuit possible on her."

"Yes sir." Ethan said.

Ethan assured him that he would do everything in his power to contain the damage. But Levi knew that the damage was already done. He did not care about his image because he had never been seen as a good guy anyway. What mattered was Lyse who had misconstrued the whole thing and must think that he was playing games with her.

He went up to her bedroom, his heart heavy with guilt and anger. He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He tried the handle, but it was locked.

With a sigh, he turned away. He knew he had to give Lyse some time alone tonight, he would explain everything and hope that she forgave him. He would bring Anya before her and she would confess all that she had done.

*

The next morning, all the blogs were ablaze with the news or Levi’s alleged indiscretion. The photos of Levi and Anya were splashed across the internet, accompanied by sensational headlines, each one more inflammatory than the next.

Sutton watched the chaos unfold with a sense of satisfaction. Her plan was working perfectly. Lyse was humiliated, her reputation tarnished. And Levi, once again, had fallen victim to her impeccable plan.

She, meanwhile, basked in the aftermath of her revenge. She had not only humiliated Levi but had also emerged victorious, proving that she was not to be underestimated.

She could only imagine how devastated Lyse must be, she must be frantic with how bad their image was looking. She knew however, that this was just the beginning. The war between her and Lyse was far from over.

Anya had fled the country immediately after, insisting on keeping as much distance as she could between herself and Levi. Not like it was going to help her. Sutton knew that Levi could keep a grudge and he would not rest until someone paid and fortunately, Sutton had been careful with ensuring that Anya would be the fall guy who would suffer alone as nothing would be traced back to her.

Her thought about her next move which would be to turn Levi entirely against Lyse and then totally grind her into the dust. When that was done, convincing Levi that she was the only one for him would be easy.

She would never let some silly girl from the gutter come and take away her throne.