[Levi POV - Paris, Ackerman Hotel Restaurant's Private Dining Room]
I waited for him, staring into the untouched tea in front of me.
The fire crackled softly behind me, though the warmth didn't reach. My thoughts were louder.
I had made my decision.
The door opened behind me.
Louis walked in, looking wary. He wasn't smiling. He'd probably heard about everything by now. The article, the storm it caused, and maybe even Haruka disappearing.
He sat across from me slowly, studying me with narrowed eyes.
"You asked to meet, which is strange," he said cautiously. "That usually means something's wrong."
I looked up at him. "No. Something's finally right."
Louis blinked. Confused.
"I'm giving everything up." I said plainly. "My shares. My position. The title. All of it."
He stared at me like I'd just spoken a foreign language. "You… what?"
"You heard me." I leaned back in the chair. "I've already spoken to our grandfather. He's transferring most of his shares to me. And I'm transferring about 95% of my shares to you. And after I'm done with everything, I'll transfer all of it to you."
His mouth parted slightly, stunned. "You're joking."
"I'm not."
He shook his head. "Levi, what the hell is going on? Is this about the engagement? About Haruka senpai?"
"Yes." I said without hesitation.
"I've been used since the moment I could walk. Groomed to be a weapon in a business empire I didn't ask for. But I kept going. Because I thought maybe, one day, I'd have something of my own. Someone of my own."
I exhaled.
And I did. I had him. And I still lost him.
Louis looked away, jaw tightening.
"I kept telling myself that I could carry both. The name and the person I love. But I can't. Not anymore."
He stayed quiet.
"So I'm stepping down. And I'm giving you everything."
Louis's voice finally broke through, sharp with disbelief. "Why me?"
"Because despite what our father says, you're capable. You've made a mistake, sure. Everyone does, even I did. But you're not like him, and I know you could lead better. There's no one more suitable than you. After all, you're my younger brother." I could tell my voice was becoming softer by now.
Louis looked down, hands folded tightly in his lap.
"And Amelie?" He asked after a moment.
"Louis."
He glanced up.
His eyes widened, caught off guard.
"What?"
"You do," I said again. "Don't bother denying it."
He hesitated.
Then, quietly, he said, "Yes."
I gave a small nod. "Good."
He blinked again, confused.
"Because she heard you." I added.
His head snapped towards the doorway as I turned towards it.
And then she stepped in.
Amelie Grace Fontaine
Wearing neutral tones, elegant as ever, but her face was softer this time. Not the girl caught in a power play. But a woman standing on her own terms.
"Amelie." Louis whispered, stunned.
She smiled, almost nervously. "Hi, Louis."
He looked between the two of us. "Wait… what is this? What's going on?"
"I asked her to come." I said. "Because it's time for you both to stop pretending."
Louis looked at me, shocked. "You knew?"
"Of course I knew. You've been more obvious than you think."
Amelie stepped forward. "I never agreed to the engagement for Levi. I thought it was with you. I said yes because I believed I was getting you."
Louis just stood there, stunned.
I glanced between the two of them.
"Well, the engagement won't be cancelled," I said, watching both of them carefully. "It'll still happen. On my birthday. As planned."
Louis looked even more confused right now.
"I mean, you'll be the one standing next to her, Louis. Not me."
He stiffened. "Levi…"
"You heard me." I said. "You and Amelie will take my place at the engagement ceremony. Publicly. No one needs to know it was never about me."
Amelie stepped in beside me. "Our fathers wanted a political merger, and they're getting one. The name Ackerman will be linked to Fontaine. The press will still write their glowing headlines. But Levi…" She looked at me. "...won't be tied to someone he doesn't love."
"I can't back out publicly," I added, turning back to Louis. "Not yet. If I did, our father would go after Haruka."
Louis swallowed hard. "He'd really do that?"
"I'm not going to test him," I said. "Not with Haruka's name on the line."
"So, this is the plan," Amelie added. "We carried out the engagement. But you take my hand, Louis. Not your brother. And when it's done, we deal with the fallout together."
Louis looked between us like we were insane.
"I…this is a lot."
"Tell me you don't want it," I said, cutting through his panic. "Tell me you don't love her, and I'll stop this right now."
He stayed silent.
Amelie smiled, warm and knowing.
"You don't have to say it, Louis. I already know."
I stepped back, giving them some space.
"This isn't about me anymore," I said. "This is about making sure the right people end up where they belong. Not the ones our father thinks are convenient."
Louis took a breath and then slowly reached for her hand.
And she took it.
I exhaled. My jaw is tight. My chest is tighter.
I wasn't just walking away from the Ackerman legacy. I was rewriting it.
One piece at a time.
//SKIP//
[Haruka's POV - Chris's Mansion, Guest Room]
The curtains were drawn, but the light still crept in.
Muted. Gentle. Annoying.
I'd barely slept. The hours bled together in a haze of staring at the ceiling, hearing the clock tick, and trying not to think about his voice or the way it sounded just before everything fell apart.
Ray had brought me here two nights ago.
Chris didn't ask questions. He just opened the door to the guest room, told me it was mine for as long as I needed, and left me alone.
He checked in every few hours. Left my favourite hot chocolate by the door. Extra blankets. No pressure. No lectures.
Ray didn't leave the house. He stayed close. Quiet, but always there. Just outside the door. Like a silent guard dog with eyes that knew too much.
My phone sat on the nightstand.
I hadn't turned it on.
I couldn't.
Because if I did, I knew what I'd find. Missed calls, unread messages.
From him. From Levi.
And I didn't know if I could handle hearing his voice.
Not after seeing that article. That photo.
Not after thinking I meant something… only to find out I didn't even deserve a warning.
I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow.
Why didn't you tell me?
Why did you call me every night like nothing was wrong?
Why did you make me believe I was your everything, only to choose someone else in the end?
My chest ached.
And even now, after all of it… a part of me still wanted him to come crashing through the door, to explain everything, to make it make sense.
Suddenly, a soft knock came at the door.
"Charles." It was Chris's voice. Gentle.
I didn't answer.
"Ray made breakfast," he said after a moment. "No one's going to push you. Just… let us know if you need anything."
Then the footsteps faded away.
I closed my eyes tightly.
And even though I told myself not to think about him again, my mind still whispered his name.
Levi.
//SKIP TO HOURS LATER//
I stayed curled on the bed, motionless. I had my breakfast.
I heard footsteps outside the room, and I could already guess who it was. Chris. He didn't knock this time. The door opened slowly, and he stepped inside, a plate in his hand.
"I brought you some desserts." He said, walking to the nightstand.
I didn't move.
He placed the plate down gently and sat in the armchair near the corner, not too close, not too far from me.
For a long moment, neither of us said anything.
The quiet wasn't awkward. Just… heavy.
Then finally, he spoke.
"I talked to him." He said gently.
My breath caught.
"He came to the hospital after his grandfather woke up. He didn't seem surprised that you were gone."
I finally turned my head just slightly, enough to meet Chris's eyes.
"But he looked… wrecked. Like a man who's lost everything and still wants to earn it back." Chris added.
I said nothing.
Chris continued, quieter now. "He didn't come with excuses. He didn't try to defend himself. He'd just said, 'I'll find him. I'll make it right.'".
Tears stung behind my eyes again.
"I'm not telling you to forgive him. I'm not saying what he did didn't hurt. But I know Levi. I know the way he looks at you."
I looked down at the sheets bunched in my hands.
"You mean everything to him, Charles." Chris said softly. "And I know you love him too."
I swallowed hard. "That's what makes it hurt so much."
Chris nodded. "I know."
Then, more gently, he added, "But love that doesn't hurt... isn't love at all. It's a daydream. Real love breaks you. And if you're lucky, it puts you back together."
I didn't speak.
He stood, walked towards the bed and sat beside me.
I stayed quiet for a long while after Chris sat beside me.
He didn't push. He never did.
But when he finally spoke, his voice was gentle, like he knew he was stepping on a wound.
"Charles." He said. "I know it hurts… so much. But maybe… just maybe, you should give him another chance."
I didn't move.
"I know you truly love him."
I let out a soft, bitter breath. "Then why didn't he love me enough to tell me the truth?"
'He didn't tell me, ni-san." I whispered. "He just… left me out. Like I wasn't important enough to know."
Chris leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I don't think it was about importance," he said. "Knowing Levi, it was probably the opposite. He didn't want to hurt you. And in trying not to… he'd ended up hurting you worse."
I stayed silent. Fingers tightening at the edge of the blanket.
"He's been fighting against his father, the boards, the company, expectations… for years." Chris continued. "You knew that. And when he finally found someone he could breathe with… it was you."
I looked away. The ache behind my eyes was spreading again, and I was tired of crying.
"You know, ni-san. This whole thing made me realise something." I said quietly.
Chris didn't interrupt.
"Maybe we weren't meant to be together after all."
He frowned, confused. "Charles…"
"No, listen," I said, sitting up a little, my voice steadier now. "He's the eldest grandson of the Ackerman family. Heir to a global legacy. Just like you are to ours. And someone like that doesn't just fall in love and live a simple life. That kind of life isn't allowed."
Chris's expression was unreadable.
"He'll need someone who can stand beside him in that world. Someone who fits into every plan and expectation. Someone who can give him the next heir to the Ackerman name. And I…" I looked down, my voice quieter. "I'm not that person."
"You're saying that like it's a fact." Chris said. "But it's not."
"It feels like it."
He sighed, then reached over and gently touched my shoulder.
"Do you really believe he'd give up everything… his title, his shares, his entire name if you didn't mean everything to him?"
I swallowed, throat tight. "Then why didn't he say that before the world found out he's going to get engaged with someone else?"
Chris didn't answer right away. He let the silence stretch for a moment.
"Again, Charles. I'm not saying it wasn't wrong. I'm not defending what he did," he said. "But I've looked into that man's eyes. I've seen the way he talks about you. I've seen what he looks like when you're not in the room."
He paused.
"I saw a man who's already lost but still willing to fight."
I didn't respond.
Because no matter how convincing he sounded… part of me couldn't believe it. Not yet.
But even as I turned my face away and stayed silent… even as I tried to bury the hurt and protect what was left of me…
A voice inside me, stubborn, quiet but real, still whispered…
I hope he comes back for me.
Because no matter how hard I tried to deny it…
I still loved him.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
PS: THIS STORY IS GOING TO END MAYBE IN FIVE MORE CHAPTERS :')