Chapter 116

ISABELLA
Caroline and I had just come back from freshening up in the apartment, and when we walked back into the ward it was already noon. We found Matt sitting up on the bed, looking even better this morning. There was color back in his cheeks, a spark in his eyes. He seemed more alive, more himself, though the purple patches and bandages still remained.
“So when is your fiancé coming?” he asked casually as we entered.
I opened my mouth to respond, ready to explain that yesterday had been just a one-time thing, but Caroline cut me off before I could get a word in.
“Speak of the devil...” Caroline whispered under her breath, tapping me lightly on the arm.
“Huh?” I blinked, snapping out of my spiral and following her gaze toward the doorway.
There he was. Levi.
Levi, striding into the ward, one hand casually tucked into his suit pocket—the very gesture I’d come to recognize, and frankly, it turned me on. It was effortlessly confident. Arrogant, just like him, and it made my heart skip a little, no matter how much I tried to pretend it hadn’t. I wondered what those hands would do to me when he finally learns the truth…
“Good morning.” Caroline stood up, smoothing her jeans and gesturing toward the empty seat beside us. “Have a seat.”
Levi nodded briefly, but remained standing. His posture was stiff, cold — a wall made of pure will. We were only a few feet apart, yet it felt as if a chasm stretched between us. And yet, despite the physical distance, I could feel him just as profoundly as if he were pressed up against me. His cologne — rich, woody, unmistakably him — seemed to overwhelm all my senses, pulling me back to what we’d shared yesterday. The feeling of his hands on me, the softness beneath his icy exterior, the raw spark that ignited between us — it all came rushing back in a rush I hadn’t been prepared for. It made it hard to breathe, hard to pretend I was unaffected, when every fiber of me remembered exactly what it was like to be close to him.
“Why are you… uh... here...” I faltered, surprising even myself. I was never the one at a loss for words—not with him. Our exchanges were usually sharp, snarky, filled with a dangerous kind of electricity. But today, I felt unsure… vulnerable in a way I hadn’t meant to show.
“The boys who attacked your brother were caught.” Levi’s voice was flat, all business. “They’re in police custody. Once Matt’s strong enough, he can give a statement and press charges.”
Relief broke across my face and bloomed in my chest. “Thank you.” My voice was soft, quieter than I intended.
“Thank you.” Matt echoed from the bed, a calm gratefulness in his voice, which was filled with awe. He and Caroline had been gawking at Levi since he walked in.
Levi nodded briefly. No expression. No warmth. The man who’d held me, pressed close, looked at me like I meant something just yesterday… where had he gone? It was like we were back to square one just when I was starting to hope we could find a path forward. Just when I was ready to tell him the truth. My heart ached under the weight of it.
Caroline crossed back to Matt’s side, smiling warmly and embracing him. I turned back toward Levi, ready to at least say something… a proper thank you… but a nurse entered briskly.
“Miss Isabella, your brother’s discharge papers are ready.”
“Of course.” I nodded, glancing at Levi once more. But by the time I turned back, he was gone, without a word. The chance to say what I’d meant to say fell away, just like that. It stung more than I cared to admit.
In the doctor’s office, while signing the discharge papers, I was informed that Levi had paid the entire hospital bill. Thank God — because the insurance we had barely covered it. We’d fallen behind on payments and were close to losing it altogether. My stomach tightened when I heard the news. I hated this feeling—that I owed him something. Everything. That somehow, I was a step behind him again, unsure of his motives. Could I let myself appreciate it, or was it just another thread tying me to him?
Maybe I was being paranoid. But with Levi, paranoia felt less like irrational fear and more like pure survival. I’d learned the hard way that letting my guard down could cost me everything, especially with the truth still being hidden.
When I returned, Matt was already dressed in the clothes Caroline had brought, the room neatly packed up and ready.
“Where is he?” I asked, scanning the space.
“Who?” Caroline asked innocently.
I pressed, “You know who.”
Caroline smirked. “He got a call. Probably stepped out.”
I sighed and walked over to help Matt up, slipping an arm around his waist to support him.
“I’m fine.” His voice was gravelly but firm. “Not a baby.”
“Excuse me for trying to be nice.” I said, rolling my eyes.
“You’re excused, Isabella.” Matt shot back with a grin.
I rolled my eyes but smiled. Having a little brother was exhausting, but it was also the kind of love that left you breathless in all the right and sometimes in the wrong ways.
Caroline handed me my purse and tugged the suitcase along as we headed for the door. Levi was standing just outside the door, a phone to his ear as we walked out.
“Is he always that quiet and dull?” Caroline asked, nose scrunched.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg.” I muttered.
“So there is more to him?” Caroline pried.
“Ye—” I started but froze as Levi dropped his call and started to make his way toward us.
“I could feel you talking about me.” He said, voice dry, eyes sweeping over us.
Then his gaze locked on mine.
“Do they know?” he asked.
I stiffened. My heart thudded once. Twice.
Caroline shot me a curious glance.
“I got the documents signed.” I said quickly. “We can go.”
“Thank you again, sir.” Caroline said, stepping forward. “We really appreciate everything. May the good Lord bless you.”
Levi’s expression didn’t even flicker. “The Lord’s blessings won’t add anything to me. But thanks.”
Caroline blinked. Rude much?
“I disagree.” She said evenly. “The blessings of the Lord can do more than just add to you. Don’t be ungrateful—”
“Caroline.” I hissed.
Matt tugged at Caroline’s hand gently, but Levi just stood there, unreadable.
“Let her speak.” He said.
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Can we go now?”
Matt led Caroline past him, leaving me alone with Levi.
I wasn’t mad at Caroline—not really. But timing was everything.
“We’ll go in our car.” I said quietly.
“I didn’t ask.” Levi replied, brushing past me.
I exhaled sharply. How could someone be so cold and still manage to crawl under my skin, and he always was like this. I only got to see his soft side as Mr. L.
Was he upset about the exchange with Caroline?
I shook my head. He’d warned me, hadn’t he? If I disrespected him, there’d be consequences. A night with him—his words. I shivered at the memory. Could he really enforce that?
No. I wasn’t giving him that satisfaction.
Not. A. Chance.