Alle Kapitel von Fleeting Years, a Misplaced Devotion: Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 9

After sending the message, I paid the bill and took a cab home alone.Levi didn't return until four in the morning.When he saw me curled up on the couch, he glanced in my direction before turning his attention back to his phone."You looked pale during dinner. Are your stomach cramps acting up again?"His unexpected concern caught me off guard. For a moment, the anger I'd been holding on to softened, and I remembered a time when I had never doubted how much he cared about me.When I first moved to Skyonaiburg to be with him, the sudden change in environment had left me suffering from severe stomach cramps.During one particularly bad episode, I'd been admitted to the hospital. Levi had set up a makeshift workstation beside my bed, working on his laptop while keeping an eye on my IV drip.But as the years passed, I grew increasingly reluctant to interrupt his work. Whenever the pain flared up, I began slipping away to the hospital on my own."Levi, about getting our marriage li

After walking away from everything, I boarded a train bound for my hometown.I'd barely reached the security checkpoint when an officer stepped in front of me."Excuse me, ma'am," she said. "You're listed as a suspect in an open residential burglary case. You're not permitted to leave."I stared at her in disbelief. "Are you sure?"Her expression hardened. "You can explain that to the officers at the precinct."Two police officers approached, handcuffed me, and escorted me to the precinct.To my shock, Levi and Lucy were already waiting inside.They had reported me for residential burglary, and now they presented a signed liability release before dropping the charges.I was released, but Levi insisted on taking me back to his apartment.Once we arrived, he directed me to sit at the dining table before heading into the kitchen to make a quick dish. Lucy sat directly across from me, watching me in silence.The moment the range hood roared to life, a triumphant, mocking smirk sp

Levi had always been brutally direct.In the past, Lucy had secretly delighted whenever he used that bluntness against me. But now that his cold scrutiny was directed at her, she struggled to keep her composure."Did I do something wrong?" she asked tearfully, trying to defend herself. "I was only reminding you about this afternoon's meeting. It's crucial to the IPO. Did Emilie tell you that I was interfering too much? If that's the problem, just tell her I'll move out as soon as the company goes public.""You don't need to wait until the IPO." Levi rubbed his temples, already irritated by her excuses. "Move out today. I shouldn't have to explain why."That was his way of handling problems. He skipped the discussion and went straight to the decision, expecting everyone else to accept the outcome.Lucy had prepared a carefully worded speech, hoping to soften his attitude one step at a time. But my departure had taken away the leverage she'd counted on.Without me there to provoke

I watched Levi with a cold, clear head.To me, this was just another calculated performance—a public relations stunt designed to put an end to the scandal as quickly as possible.Levi slowly took my hand and looked up at me with the heartfelt sincerity of a Hollywood leading man."Emilie, the only way to make things right is to tell everyone the truth," he pleaded. "You were the one who stood by me and helped build this company from the ground up, all the way to its IPO. And you were the only person I ever promised to marry."Lucy isn't my girlfriend, and she isn't my wife. That marriage was purely contractual. Once we return to Skyonaiburg, I'll give you the proper wedding you deserve, take you to City Hall to register our marriage, and transfer fifteen percent of the company's shares to you."I stared at him before glancing at the cameras surrounding us.The old Levi would never have considered explaining himself in public. He'd always believed that such displays were beneath h