I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 77: The Son He Could Not Acknowledge

Chapter 77: The Son He Could Not Acknowledge

"Well, well, well," Sutton drawled, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "If it isn’t the lovebirds."

Lyse’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as the memory of Sutton berating her at the chapel came back to haunt her. She had not seen Sutton since that horrible day, she felt blindsided by her parents decision to invite the woman who humiliated her on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life to dinner.

"I hope you don’t mind that I have invited Brandon and his mother to dinner." Lottie said with a sweet smile that hid the smugness underneath the surface. "They are going to be family soon, it’s only right that they get to meet you too."

Jeff was staring at her with barely concealed anger and she knew that there was going to be hell to pay after the dinner. But when Brooke informed her that Sutton wanted to come to the dinner, there had been no way she was going to say no. The look on Lyse’s face was reward enough for the yelling she would get at the end of the night.

Levi did not need to glance at Lyse to know that she was upset, he could feel how stiff she had become. He considered getting the hell out of the house and realized that it was exactly what Sutton wanted.

Also, Brandon was there. The son that he could not acknowledge as his, he had known there was a possibility that he would meet him there, after all Brooke was his girlfriend. Sitting across from him filled him with emotions that threatened to brim over.

"You are right," Lyse said as she raised her head. "They are family and things like these are going to happen more often."

She reached out and held Levi’s hand and glanced at him with love filled eyes. "Levi and I are happy to be here."

Levi was taken aback by Lyse’s behavior, but he was also proud of her because he knew that it could not easy for her.

Sutton’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the couple. "It must be unfortunate with the paparazzi putting out that horrid picture." She slyly said as she smoothed her napkin over her knees.

"Absolutely!" Brooke chimed in, her tone sympathetic. "How are you coping Lyse? I feel so terrible about what you are facing."

"It was all my fault." Levi said and raised Lyse’s hand to his lips, his attention all on her. "I love Lyse very much, more than I had ever loved any other woman. I failed to realize that there are people out there who are not happy about that and will do anything to ruin it for us."

He then turned to the rest of the table. "A man of my status has always had to deal with people wanting to make money off me, but I am going to ensure such a thing never happens again. Lyse’s happiness is my priority."

The table went silent as all the cutlery stopped clinking, as everyone stopped to stare at Levi.

"I’m surprised to see that you have this depth of emotion, considering that Lyse was standing at the altar with me only a little over a month ago." Brandon broke the silence.

He had been seething since he stepped into the dining room and caught sight of Lyse sitting beside Levi Van Doren. She looked so beautiful and completely enthralled by Levi, she had not even glanced in his direction even once, though he was sitting directly opposite her.

Levi looked at him, then said. "I would assume that since you dumped her so unceremoniously, you would not care what she did with her life after."

Brandon’s face reddened and he clenched his fists, imagining the satisfaction he would get from smashing his fist into Levi’s handsome face.

"Moreover, I would think that you of all people would understand." Levi continued.

"What do you mean?" Brandon demanded, his tone surly.

Levi rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Did you not dump Lyse at a moment’s notice and move on to her sister? Time really is immaterial when you find the one you love."

Brandon gritted his teeth while everyone just sat awkwardly.

"We are getting engaged officially, it’s happening next week on Saturday." Brooke announced, breaking the oppressive silence.

Brandon did not look very happy with her announcement while Jeff and Lottie beamed happily and patted Brooke’s cheeks and hands.

Lyse looked at Brooke with a smile. "Congratulations Brooke, I hope that you get the marriage that you deserve."

Brooke kept on smiling which at that point looked more like a grimace, because what she really wanted was to snarl at Lyse’s underhanded comment. On the surface, the wish seemed like a genuine one but Brooke knew exactly what Lyse meant.

"With the lack of scandal surrounding them, theirs will be the marriage of the year." Sutton pronounced proudly, her eyes on Levi.

"Not if you count switching one sister for another." Levi murmured and took a sip.

Just then, Lyse’s phone rang and she glanced at the screen and quickly stop up. Grateful for a chance to put some distance between herself and the growing toxicity at the table.

"Excuse me please, I need to answer this call."

As she left, Brooke stared at her with a knowing smirk.

With Lyse gone, Sutton turned to Levi. "Please, do tell. How did you both meet?" She smirked. "It just seems so unlikely, considering you don’t run in the came circles and that age difference... why, you could even be her father."

Levi could not take it anymore. "Enough," he said, his voice firm. "You have gone too far this time."

Sutton smirked. "Oh, is Levi finally going to defend his damsel in distress?"

"That is all I have been doing all evening," Levi replied, his eyes locking onto Sutton’s. "And I am going to defend her. Because she deserves it. And unlike you, I’m not going to hide behind insults."

"Please, there is no need for all this. We are one happy family." Jeff tried to placate his warring guests.

Suddenly, Lyse stumbled back in. Her face white and her eyes unfocused.