I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 183: You Have To Stay Strong

The flashbulbs popped like firecrackers, blinding Lyse as she stepped out of the apartment building. A sea of reporters surged forward, microphones thrust in her face, their voices a cacophony of questions.

"Lyse, is it true that Mr Van Doren killed his step brother because he did not want to share the company with him and felt threatened?"

"Lyse, do you really believe that your husband is innocent?"

"Lyse, what did you already know about the deaths of Brett Faulkner and Sutton Marlowe? Did you suspect your husband or did this come as a shock?"

Lyse felt a wave of nausea wash over her at the barbed questions the reporters were throwing at her. She had anticipated this. The media frenzy surrounding Levi’s arrest had exploded overnight, turning her life upside down. She was now a person of interest, simply by association.

Thankfully, Joel led the way and protected her, trying his best to shield her from. She gingerly walked as he forced a way through the crowd, her head down, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt like a hunted animal, trapped in a spotlight, every move scrutinized, every word twisted and turned. She wished that she could run away and hide.

"No comment!" she shouted as the barrage of questions failed to stop, her voice barely audible above the din. She managed to reach the car and quickly got inside before the doors were locked. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. This was just the beginning. She knew that the media was not going to let her go that easily. There was nothing society loved more than the downfall of a member of the elite.

As the car drove along, Lyse asked Joel to switch on the radio, hoping to distract herself from the chaos. But even the radio was filled with news about Levi. They were playing snippets of interviews with "sources" who claimed to have known Levi, painting him as a ruthless businessman with a dark side, insinuating that he was capable of murder.

Lyse clenched her fists, her anger rising. They were twisting the truth, creating a monster out of a man she knew to be kind and compassionate. Just as she was about to ask him to switch it off, she heard a familiar voice, a voice that made her blood run cold. It was Lottie.

"...I have always known there was something off about that man," Lottie’s voice crackled through the radio. "He will deny it but he is responsible for my husband’s death, I tell you! He is a devil in disguise and I can’t believe that my daughter is on the side of such a monster!"

Lyse stared at the radio in disbelief, her mouth agape. Her mother, publicly accusing Levi of her father’s death? It was outrageous.

Her father’s death had been an awful incident which had been brought on by his own actions, his greed had caused him to harm people and unfortunately they had taken matters into their own hands. Levi had nothing to do with it. How could her mother say such a thing?

She listened to the rest of the interview, her heart sinking with each word. Lottie painted a picture of Levi as a manipulative, dangerous man, a man capable of anything. She claimed that he had been jealous of her father’s success and that he had somehow orchestrated the accident.

Lyse screeched at Joel to put off the radio, her hands shaking. She could not believe what she had just heard. Her own mother, publicly defaming Levi, the man she... the man her own daughter was married to. It was a betrayal, a public humiliation.

When they got to James apartment, it was a far cry from Levi’s apartment. There were no paparazzi waiting to ambush her there. She went into the apartment where she found James waiting for her with open arms, his face etched with concern.

"I saw it on TV," he said, his voice gentle. "Your mother’s interview..."

Lyse nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can’t believe she would do this," she whispered. "She is making things worse for Levi."

James patted her back gently, offering comfort. "I know this is hard, Lyse," he said. "But you have to stay strong. Don’t let them break you."

Lyse leaned into his embrace, drawing strength from his presence. "I don’t know what to do, James," she said. "I feel like my whole world is falling apart."

"You are not alone, Lyse," James said. "We are here for you. You are strong and you are going to get through this."

After a while, Lyse pulled herself together. She knew she could not stay in James apartment, hiding from the world. She had to do something. She had to fight for Levi.

"I’m going to see Mr. Black," she said, her voice determined. "I need to know what i can do to help him and why the police think he murdered Brett."

James nodded. "I’ll go with you," he said.

"Oh no, you don’t have to do that." Lyse said, "Joel is with me, I’ll be fine."

"Are you sure?" James looked at her and when Lyse insisted, he nodded and hugged her.

As Lyse went down, her mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. The media frenzy, her mother’s accusations, the denial of bail – it was all too much.

She was so lost in her thoughts and was not looking at where she was going when she ran into what felt like a wall but covered in fabric. Fortunately, she did not fall as the person she had run into held her and stopped her from falling.

Lyse immediately began to apologize profusely, "I am so sorry, I was not watching where I was going. It was my..."

Lyse looked up at the person holding her, and she felt her heart stop beating in her chest.

"Brandon?" She choked out, her voice a whisper. Fearful and wary.