novelraw Chapter 173: Apartment Full Of Flowers
Chapter 173: Apartment Full Of Flowers
Chapter 173: Apartment Full Of Flowers
She leaned closer to him and grabbed a hold of his collar, pulling his face down to hers. Lyse felt a pang of disappointment as Levi pulled back, his eyes filled with a longing that mirrored her own. "Levi..." she whispered, her voice husky.
He gently cupped her face, his thumb tracing the curve of her jaw. "I want this with you, Lyse. More than anything in the world. But I want to do it right. I want to build something real, something that lasts. And that means taking things slow."
Lyse pouted and stared up at Levi with her big doe eyes and he groaned loudly. "Don’t do that." He whispered.
"But I want you." Lyse said, openly sulking.
"You are not going to make this easy are you?" Levi chuckled softly and Lyse pouted even harder, he could feel his resolve to stay strong waver in the face of her full soft lips that he wanted so badly to feel against his.
"I want to show you that being with you is more than being about how much I want to fuck you." He whispered huskily and Lyse felt her knees turn wobbly that it felt like they could not longer support her weight.
"I want to show you that what I feel for you is deeper than anything physical, I want to know you... inside and out."
Lyse sighed and nodded her head reluctantly. Unfortunately, she understood and also respected his desire to build a foundation for their relationship. Yet, the fire in her belly threatened to consume her. She wanted to lose herself in his embrace, to explore the depths of their connection. But from the stern look on his face, she would not be getting what she wanted.
"I understand, Levi," she said, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest. "I want this too. I just... I thought..."
"I know, love," he said, his voice soft. "And believe me, I want to spend the rest of my life exploring every single inch of you. But I want to take my time and savor it. I want to build memories that will last a lifetime, not just fleeting moments of passion."
"Fine." Lyse smiled, a genuine smile that reached her eyes. "You are right. We have a lifetime ahead of us."
She knew in her heart of hearts that what Levi was saying was the best thing for them. They needed a firm foundation if their relationship was going to have a prayer at lasting. It did not stop her from wishing that he was not so noble, her core was aching and the only thing that would relieve her would be if he took her right there.
Levi leaned in and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment. "How about I make it up to you tomorrow?"
"How?" Lyse asked and raised her eyes up to his. A mischievous grin slipped on her face and Levi wagged his finger at her naughty expression.
"No funny business, take your mind away." He scolded affectionately, "I meant a proper date. Just the two of us, somewhere very nice."
Lyse’s heart soared at the thought of being out with her lover, it made her blush to her roots. "I guess i could work with that."
She said, her steady voice trying to hide how excited she felt about the date but Levi raised an eyebrow at her and smirked as if he knew everything that was running through her mind.
"So I guess that is goodnight then." Lyse said as she stepped out of his embrace and walked towards the room where she stopped and turned around to look at him with a glint in her eyes. "Unless you want to share my bed with me."
The sight of her in the doorway, looking back at him with a come hither look, almost undid his firm resolve. Levi ran his hands through his head, in utter frustration before turning away, followed by Lyse’s teasing laughter.
When he laid in his bed, it was with a huge smile plastered over his lips. He loved the banter with Lyse, it was like she had dropped all animosity towards him and was willing to let him in. It felt like he had won the lottery.
Now with all obstacles out of their way, he and Lyse could have a chance to explore what they could build together. He was very excited about the future.
He picked up his phone off the bedside table and called Jason who picked up sounding groggy.
"Hello?"
"Jason, I want you to get all the flowers that you can find." Levi said, "have them all delivered to my penthouse."
"Flo.. flowers?" Muttered Jason, feeling very confused at the request.
"Yes, flowers." Levi snapped. "Are you even awake? Make sure to get the best flowers in this apartment first thing in the morning. I want to see an apartment full of flowers." Then he ended the call.
Jason stared at the phone in confusion, almost convinced that he was dreaming. Then he pinched himself and winced, his boss had called him in the middle of the night to him to deliver flowers.
The next day, when Lyse woke up and walked out of her bedroom, it was to see that the entirety of the living room was covered with what felt like a hundred bouquets of different, their vibrant colored petals a cheerful contrast to the grey afternoon sky.
Lyse’s eyes lit up when she saw an envelope propped up against a vase full of flowers. She picked it up and removed a note from inside it and read.
"I never got to know what flowers you prefer, so I bought everything that I can find as they remind me of your beauty. Even then, none of them rival you. Some people are going to arrive later in the day to help you get ready for our date.
Missing you,
Levi.
Lyse felt like she was in an euphoric state, nothing could bring her down. She hurried back to her room and excitedly got ready for work, she wanted to get to work as soon as possible so that she could be done in time for the date.
Brett stared at the grainy footage, his blood boiling. It was him, alright. There was no mistaking the expensive cut of the suit he had worn that evening, the slump of his shoulders as he had emerged from Sutton’s building. He thought he been so careful, so sure that he had covered his tracks sufficiently.
"Damien," he growled, the phone practically melting in his grip. "Get me those IT guys. Now."
Damien, ever the loyal lieutenant, had the tech team on the line within minutes.
"I want you to find out where this video originated," Brett demanded, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Every single detail. I want to know who sent it."
The tech guys worked their magic, their voices a hushed murmur in the background. Brett paced like a caged animal, the footage playing on a loop, each viewing fueling his fury.
The answer came a few tense minutes later, delivered in a hushed tone. "It appears to have been sent from... an email account in the Van Doren Group building, sir."
Levi.
Brett slammed his fist on the desk, the sound echoing through the otherwise silent office. Levi, the snake, the weasel, the one person he had suspected all this time. It seemed that his suspicions had not been baseless.
"The bastard," Brett snarled. "Is he trying to frame me? After everything that he has put me through?"
The pieces clicked into place, a chilling realization dawning on him. Levi, had probably followed him back to Sutton’s apartment without his knowledge. He must have waited until he had left before killing Sutton, covering up his tracks and retrieving the video.
And now, he was going to use that footage against him. Brett was not one to play fair. If Levi wanted a game, he was about to get one.
He had a counter-strike in mind.
He pulled out his own phone, scrolling through his files until he found what he was looking for. A video.
While it was not the most incriminating footage, it would however serve its purpose. The video showed Levi’s car, a sleek black sedan, driving slowly down the street near Sutton’s apartment building. He had kept the video unaware of what to do with it, but now it had come in handy.
He sent the video to the same anonymous email address that had sent the footage of him.
Then, he waited.
The next few hours were agonizing. Brett checked his phone every few seconds, each ping of a notification sending a jolt of adrenaline through him. He imagined the chaos that was bound to unfold, the whispers, the accusations when everyone realized what Levi had done.
Levi, the paragon of innocence, suddenly under real suspicion. Unlike the other time when he had been able to waltz out of police custody, this time it would not be so easy for Levi to escape justice.