I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 83: Flowers

Chapter 83: Flowers

Brett scoffed in amusement at her answer and Sutton felt her hands clench in her lap.

"Tell me, how is the much reknowned and respected Dr Marlowe?" He asked and Sutton tensed even further, "I heard that he has been given another grant. What is it for this time? Studying the mating habits of penguins?" He added mockingly.

"You know, I have always wondered why your son Brandon looks nothing like you but then... neither does he resemble his father..." He said, as he stressed the word father.

Sutton’s face flushed with anger as Brett’s accusation hung in the air. "What are you talking about, Brett? Of course, Brandon is my husband’s son. Why would I lie about something like that?"

Brett smirked. "Oh, I don’t know, Sutton. Perhaps you had a little indiscretion in your past? A little fling with a charming stranger or maybe someone I might know?"

Sutton’s heart pounded. She knew exactly what he was implying. She had never told anyone about Brandon’s real father, a secret she had kept hidden for years.

"You are delusional, Brett," she said, her voice shaking. "Get out of here."

"That is not what you said that summer." He smirked at her.

She gapped at him then stood up. "I demand that you leave right now!" She said through gritted teeth.

Brett ignored her, pouring himself a glass of wine. "Why was Lottie here? What were you two witches plotting? It must not be good"

Sutton hesitated, unsure of what to do then she reluctantly sat down. She knew a little of what Brett was capable of and she did not want to deal with him.

"We were discussing wedding plans for Brooke and Brandon," she lied, her voice steady.

Brett chuckled, a bitter sound that grated on her nerves. "Wedding plans? Really? That is what she was here for?"

She nodded, her heart pounding like a drum.

"Don’t lie to me, Sutton," he warned, his voice rising. "I won’t tolerate it."

Fear gnawed at her, a relentless beast that threatened to consume her. She had to think fast. She had to find a way to calm him down, to distract him.

"Look, Brett," she began, her voice soft and soothing. "I know that you have been upset about Levi, but that has nothing to do with me. Please just leave me alone."

"Oh but you are wrong darling, this is all a huge puzzle and you are a very important part of it." He said and reached out to playfully boop her nose.

Sutton sat unmoving, even though she wanted so badly to swat Bret’s hand off her face. However, she did not want to provoke him. Bret was not someone you provoked.

Brett dropped the empty wineglass on the table and stood up. He straightened his suit and looked down at Sutton who was staring at her fingers like the held all the answers she was looking for.

"When I eventually call on you, I expect you to readily show up."

... meanwhile, Lottie who had been trying her hardest to eavesdrop was getting no success. The doors had been fitted for privacy so the sounds outside did not filter into the rooms and people outside could definitely not hear what was being said.

"Is something the problem ma’am." A waitress came by and caught Lottie with her ear pressed against the door.

"I lost one of my rings, it’s a diamond ring." Lottie said smoothly as she looked around on the floor.

The waitress peered at her, not sure if to believe Lottie’s excuse but she walked away and Lottie decided there was no point staying behind.

The next time could be Sutton or that strange man coming out, and they would not accept her excuse as easily as the waitress did. She left scant minutes before the door opened and Brett walked out, leaving Sutton flabbergasted.

*

At the hospital, Levi stared at Lyse in confusion. Her hands were stretched out towards the bouquet he held and he raised an eyebrow.

"Don’t touch those!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp and panicked.

Levi’s brow furrowed. "What is wrong, Lyse? Why are you so freaked out?"

She hesitated, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "I don’t know who sent them. I don’t want them here."

Levi’s eyebrow raised in confusion. "Why not? They are lovely."

"I just...I don’t like them," she insisted, her tone growing defensive. "Just throw them away."

Levi frowned, not quite believing her explanation. "Why don’t you donate them to one of the other patients?" he suggested, trying to find a solution that would satisfy both of them.

Lyse nodded, relieved. "That is an even better idea," she said. "I’ll ask a nurse to take them."

Levi raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear in his gaze. Her reaction was odd, to say the least. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to this than she was letting on.

"I’ll just drop it off at the nurse’s station since I want to have a chat with the doctor." He said and picked up the bouquet.

He excused himself and left the room, heading towards the doctor’s office. As he walked, he could not stop thinking about the flowers and Lyse’s strange behavior. He decided to ask the doctor when they could be discharged from the hospital.

On his way, he passed by the nurse’s station he handed over the flowers and noticed a small, white envelope laying amongst the flowers, it was addressed to Lyse. Curiosity piqued, he picked it up and opened it. Inside, he found a note, its words filled with affection and longing. The sender had clearly been smitten with Lyse.

Levi’s heart pounded. This did not make sense. Lyse had insisted she didn’t know who the flowers were from. Why would she lie about something so trivial? Was there something she was hiding?

A wave of suspicion washed over him. He began to question her motives. Was she involved with someone he didn’t know about? Was there something more sinister going on?

Levi decided to investigate further, but he knew he couldn’t confront Lyse directly. She would likely deny everything and try to brush off his concerns. He needed to gather more information without her knowledge.

He decided to start by discreetly questioning the nurses. Perhaps they had seen something unusual, something that could help him piece together the puzzle. He approached one of the nurses, a kind woman named Sarah.

"Hey, Sarah," he said, feigning casualness. "I was wondering if you might have noticed anything strange going on lately? Like, any unusual visitors or deliveries?"

Sarah hesitated, her expression thoughtful. "Well, there was that one time a guy in a fancy suit came to visit Mrs. Lyse. He seemed pretty intense."

Levi’s interest was piqued. "Can you describe him?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure," Sarah replied. "He was tall, blue eyes, blonde hair, and wore a lot of gold jewelry. He had a bit of an attitude, too."

Levi’s heart raced. This was the missing piece of the puzzle. A man had come to see Lyse and she had made no mention of it.

He thanked Sarah and continued to the doctor’s office, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew he had to confront Lyse, but he wanted to have all the facts before he did. He needed to know the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

Together with the doctor, they returned to the hospital room, Levi’s mind racing. He pretended to be engrossed in the doctor’s words, but his thoughts were far from there. He observed Lyse’s behavior, trying to find any clues that might shed light on the mystery.

She seemed uneasy, constantly glancing at the door and checking her phone. It was as if she was expecting someone or something. Her behavior was erratic, and her mood swings were unpredictable.

Levi could not shake the feeling that he was missing something crucial. He needed to dig deeper, to uncover the truth. But how could he do that without arousing her suspicion?

"Make sure to stay away from any possible allergens, so that we don’t have another case." The doctor advised before leaving the room.

Levi went out while a nurse came and helped Lyse get ready to leave the hospital. She dreaded leaving the hospital room, it seemed that outside, her problems were looming over her.

Someone amongst her family had tried to kill her, the drunken mistake she made had appeared out of nowhere and was now threatening blackmail her. She wished that there was someone that she could confide in, but she was all alone like always.

On the drive home, both Levi and Lyse were quiet, lost in their respective thoughts until the car came to a stop and they looked up, surprised at how short the trip was.

When they stepped into the house, they were welcomed by Mr Dalton.

"Welcome back Mrs Van Doren, welcome Mr Van Doren."

Lyse thanked him and they were on the way to her room when Dalton interrupted them. "You have a guest sir."