Lady Glowen stood up, her face full of rage. "Get out of my house!"
"Fine," Elena hissed. She grabbed Donovan’s hand to leave.
"Wait," Lyvana said. Everyone turned to her. "Marco, take her to the gate. The police are waiting outside. She is going to be arrested for fraud and extortion."
"With pleasure," Marco said, grabbing Elena’s arm and pulling her toward the door.
"You’ll regret this! All of you!" Elena scread as she was dragged out.
When they were gone, the house was silent.
Isabel looked at Lyvana in shock.
"How did you know all of that?"
Lyvana stood up and straightened her yellow top. "I did so research," she said simply.
Damon fell onto the sofa and covered his face with his hands. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I was only trying to protect the family na!"
"Protect the family na?" Lady Glowen scoffed, her eyes flashing with rage. "By bringing a mistress and a secret child into our lives? You’ve brought us nothing but sha, Damon."
"I was just so desperate. I thought I finally had... soone to carry on the legacy."
"You had ," Lyvana replied. "But I wasn’t a boy, so you didn’t want . It’s okay. I accepted that fact a long ti ago."
Damon looked at her, and for the first ti, he truly saw the woman she had beco. He looked like a man who finally realized he had traded a diamond for a handful of gravel.
"I’m sorry," he whispered.
Lyvana gave a small, slow nod. " too."
She stood there for a minute, letting the weight of the mont settle. Then turned to her grandmother.
"Emily is coming to pick up," Lyvana said. "I’m going to stay at my apartnt for a while. Hopefully being there might trigger my mories."
Lady Glowen stepped forward and pulled Lyvana into a tight, lingering hug.
"Stay a little longer, honey," she pleaded softly. "You are pregnant, you need to be well taken care of."
Lyvana smiled and pulled back gently, patting her grandmother’s hand.
"I’m only going a few blocks away, Grandma. Not to the end of the world."
Lady Glowen let out a small laugh. "I know. It’s just that, the house feels so empty without you."
"I will co ho more often then."
As she was packing a few things into her handbag, Isabel entered.
"Lyvana," Isabel said softly.
Lyvana didn’t stop packing, but she tilted her head slightly to show she was listening.
"I wanted to thank you. You didn’t have to do what you did, but you kept your promise.
Lyvana finally looked up.
"Wait. We had this discussion before?"
Isabel nodded. "I hired a private investigator, who found out about Damon’s infidelities. You promised you were going to help. You probably don’t rember because you lost your mory."
That explains why Marco had those files, Lyvana thought.
"We didn’t always see eye to eye," Isabel continued, her voice softening. "But I want you to know that you can count on during your pregnancy. I want to be there for you."
Isabel looked like she wanted to reach out, to offer a hug or a motherly word, but she held back.
Lyvana smiled gently. "I’d like that. And Isabel. That little boy, Donovan... he’s going to need a ho. It wouldn’t be right for him to end up in the foster system. I think he would be very happy if you adopted him."
Isabel’s face lit up. "Are you sure? Does he not have any other family?"
"No," Lyvana said firmly. "Both of his parents are orphans. He has no one else. We can start the legal paperwork as soon as possible."
Isabel nodded happily.
An hour later, Emily pulled into the circular driveway of The Royale, with Marco following close behind. As the car ca to a stop, Lyvana stared out the window and gasped.
"Wait. I live here?"
Emily laughed. "I forget that ’amnesia Lyvana’ is even more modest than usual. Yes, you live here. Suite B."
Lyvana looked up at the towering glass and steel building. The Royale was famous for being the most expensive residence in the city. It was the kind of place where even the air slled like money.
"No, Emy," Lyvana whispered, her eyes wide. "I can’t afford a place like this. Much less a suite."
"Who says you’re paying?" Emily gave her a playful wink and stepped out of the car.
Lyvana scrambled out after her, her heart racing. "What do you an? Who is paying?"
"Your boyfriend, of course."
Lyvana blinked, her mind going blank for a second. "Um... okay. Right."
She hurried to keep up as Emily headed toward the grand entrance.
"Wait, Emy! I can understand him hiring a nutritionist, but why would I let him get an entire apartnt?"
"Because, why not?" Emily shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I an, look at this place. Plus, your als will be served personally by the staff from L’Oiseau Bleu."
Lyvana’s jaw dropped. L’Oiseau Bleu was a five-star restaurant that people waited days just to get a table at.
"Close your mouth, babe," Emily teased, nudging her shoulder. "You’ll catch a fly."
The doorman tipped his hat to them with a polite smile as they walked into the marble lobby.
When they reached the door of Suite B, Lyvana stopped and began searching her bag. Her heart sank. "Emy, I don’t have the key card."
Emily slapped her forehead. "Oh! I forgot. The key to your place is still at my apartnt."
"What? So what am I supposed to do?"
"Don’t worry," Emily said, pulling a different card from her pocket. "Ethan gave this. It’s for Julian’s penthouse upstairs. He stays there sotis."
Lyvana stepped back, shaking her head. "I can’t stay there. That’s his private space."
"Look, babe," Emily said, checking her watch. "I have sothing urgent to do for the wedding. I’ll go to my place later, grab your card, and co right back. It’ll take a few hours, tops."
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