All Chapters of Forced To The Billionaire: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

He was silent, everything felt like it was closing in, his eyes looking weighed by the silence of it all. My eyes darted between the folder clutched in my hands and Levi’s expression a dangerous blend of calm and cold that made my pulse hammer in my ears. He looked calm, he had mastered this, skilled in doing this. He could probably twist the truth with a bat of an eyelash. Like this was just another game of chess, and I was the pawn stupid enough to think I could outsmart him.I felt hurt, everything that happened, between us… the baby. I felt my heart squeeze at the thought of it, I know it wasn’t mine yet, not fully, they were just a fetus but they were mine. Something to finally love, but somehow… I’d lost it also. I tried to focus my thoughts on the papers held in my hand.Levi… he was unfazed. He looked like it hadn’t affected him, nothing affected him. Not even this, not even me.I was nothing more than a liability to him.He leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, e

The day had come. Livia was going to make her move this afternoon, at her oh so dramatic press conference. I put on a link coco Chanel set, that was sent to my room this morning by Levi, a matching pear year drop earring and dainty necklace to accessorize it. The colors and everything picked out was so intentional, the pink symbolized so much innocence. I stared at myself in the mirror, putting finishing touches on the minimal make up, my hair curled in loose voluminous waves cascading down my back.“Are you ready?” Levi said behind me, startling me. I didn’t even know when she walked in.I swiveled to stare at him, hair bouncing with each movement. Levi’s eyes grew wide, his face changing with so many emotions rapidly at once. After a brief moment he composed himself and tried to speak. “You… look breathtaking.”Taken aback by the compliment, I stutter, stumbling on my words while trying to ma

The atmosphere in Levi’s study was too tensed for my likening. It felt like he was a trapped tiger  waiting to pounce, he paced back and forth with his movements too deliberate and inhuman. I made sure to keep my knees crossed very tight to prevent them from trembling and my fingers grabbed the edge of the leather cushion, I sat on the edge of the couch. The subtle scent of old wood and bourbon grounded the air, adding to the weirdness of the whole situation making me so aware of theimpending storm.“We’re out of time,” Levi said suddenly, breaking the silence. He stopped his pacing abruptly and turned to me, his blue eyes stormy grey like flint, ready to spark.  I raised an eyebrow. “Out of time for what, exactly? You haven’t told me anything beyond your usual cryptic nonsense.”  “I’m not being cryptic,” he snapped, but his voice softened almost immediately, like he realized

The monitor flickered, illuminating the dimly lit room with a light blue hue. Every keystroke was a struggle against the tremble in my fingers as my hands hovered over the keyboard. Levi’s security codes had worked, but not without tripping alarms. Somewhere out there, someone was already scrambling to figure out who had breached the Vanderbilt system. I just prayed I’d have enough time to make this worth it.  And then I saw it: a flagged alert buried in a sea of encrypted files. A warning about the estate’s northern perimeter.  Breached. Time to detonation: 12 minutes.My heart stalled. In my mind, the ticking clock was so loud and merciless that I could almost hear it. I froze for a fraction of a second, trying to comprehend the magnitude of it. However, a harsh and unwanted voice then reverberated in my mind.“You’ve survived worse. Move."I grabbed my phone, dialing Levi’s private line.

The fire had long since burned down to embers, the shadows in the study stretching like skeletal fingers over the walls. Although my hold on the glass had relaxed, I hadn't moved since Livia vanished. My thoughts often returned to her final remarks. It's not over yet. From the doorway, Levi spoke in a tired voice, "Could've left me some whisky." He entered, the glow of dying flames briefly illuminating his dark silhouette. I whispered, avoiding eye contact, "There's more in the cabinet."He stepped inside, his dark silhouette briefly illuminated by the flicker of dying flames.  “There’s more in the cabinet,” I murmured, not looking at him.  He ignored the suggestion, settling into the chair opposite mine instead. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, streaks of grime and dried blood visible against his skin. “It’s done. The patriarch is out of play.”  I no