CHAPTER 7Levi #2
Levi stalked to his desk while Isaac took a seat in one of the cream overstuffed wingback chairs before it. The air was thick with tension and just as stifling.
Ivy gathered her notebook and pen before settling herself down in a round but plush oversized armchair that sat between the executive desk and the white oak conference table.
It was a pea green monstrosity with sparkling lemon, orange, and lime slices embroidered into the velvet fabric, so much so that it stood out against the calming neutral tones throughout the rest of the suite.
Levi had begged her to replace it on multiple occasions, even going as far as offering to pay to reupholster it, but Ivy loved it exactly the way it was. She loved how much Levi hated it even more.
Ivy held two positions at Neuronix. She might have been listed on paper as Levi’s Executive Assistant, but that title barely scratched the surface.
She was his translator, his buffer, his fiercely loyal right hand—and the reason no one outside their inner circle ever questioned how seamlessly he managed the chaos of leading a global tech empire.
She understood exactly how his dyslexia affected his work, and without fanfare, quietly delegated the bulk of his administrative load to two trusted assistants she personally trained and managed. That gave her the space to do what she truly excelled at: running the show.
As Chief Operations Officer, Ivy kept the company humming behind the scenes with the accuracy only someone who knew how to anticipate Levi’s every need could pull off. She protected him, not by hiding his struggles, but by building a system around him that let him lead without compromise.
Because of this, allowing such a ridiculous piece of furniture in his office that made her happy was a small sacrifice...one easily covered by a light blanket when she wasn’t there.
Levi leaned on his desk with his head in his hands.
Isaac sat back in his chair, his words clipped.
“Where do we begin? Maybe with how Levi got into a pissing match with Tyler during the Board meeting…or the fact that he suddenly has this mystery fiancée that doesn't exist that Tyler’s now extremely interested in meeting? You know, the one he rightfully suspects to be fake ? Which stupid event do you want to address first?”
Ivy gasped in surprise as she snapped her attention to Levi, her bronze eyes shining equally with alarm and amusement.
She dramatically tapped a finger against her caramel-colored cheek and huffed out a mix between a deep breath and a laugh.
“I’d love to hear about this fiancée and how you met, since all you do is work and work out.
” Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she added, “I can't wait to meet her. Tell me, how did you know she was the one ?”
Drawing in a deep breath, Levi looked up at the ceiling in exasperation, his knee nervously bouncing beneath his desk. The five o'clock shadow was more pronounced now than it was this morning, adding to his haggard appearance.
He didn’t know where to begin. Taking his silence as a cue, Isaac recounted what happened during the meeting.
Listening to Isaac, Levi’s face heated again, the wound still fresh. He sank deeper and deeper into his seat until Isaac finished his story. A few beats of silence passed before Levi spoke. “I haven't felt this small since the last time I spoke to my old man,” he said softly.
His relationship with his father growing up, or lack thereof, was a train wreck. Certain scars ran too deep to ever recover from.
This was one of them.
“That's because your father was a piece of shit,” Isaac said gently, his voice laced with understanding. “He and Tyler were cut from the same cloth. Tyler did that to purposely get under your skin and, unfortunately, it worked—and now you have a different problem to deal with.”
Isaac paused and looked at his friend intently before asking, “What in the world made you say you had a fiancée to begin with? Comments like that never bothered you before, even after the Lana incident.”
Levi sat mutely for another minute, trying to find the right words to explain why he blurted that out—he didn't quite understand it himself.
That was a lie. He knew exactly why he said it.
He had no one to go home to at the end of the day. The thought of being alone in his large estate made him dread the drive back. On many nights, he didn't, opting to work late and on occasion sleep in his office overnight.
“You work too much—you’ve stretched yourself so thin. You need to ask yourself whether any of this is making you happy. Because, as an outsider looking in, I’d say no, and it hasn’t for a long time now,” Isaac said delicately while giving Levi’s appearance a once-over.
Levi opened his mouth to respond when Ivy interrupted, “You need to start putting yourself first and not letting dickheads like Tyler get to you. We know firsthand what a psychopath Lana was and its effect on you.”
Isaac hummed in agreement as Levi scowled at the memory.
“You don't laugh or smile as much as you used to, getting you to come out with us and have fun turns into a hostage negotiation, and your moods have become more volatile. You stopped playing baseball after work, your drum set hasn’t been touched in over a year, and Owen has been whining about not going to concerts anymore. We’ve all noticed it, but when we try to bring it up, you brush it off,” Ivy solemnly added.
“I’m surprised you find time to hit the gym at this point. ”
Levi sighed. His friends always saw past his defenses even when he wasn’t aware he had built them in the first place.It was annoying at times, but he was also grateful to have friends who cared this much.
He couldn’t think of what else to say other than, “ We built this company, and we are the heart and soul of it. It wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for us and Owen—so while I appreciate everything you just said, I need to remind you that we accomplished all that as a team.
Thank god Owen isn't here to help bust my balls about it.”
“Oh, I already texted him to amp him up to hear this tale later on,” Isaac quipped.
Levi groaned and sat back in his chair. Of the entire group, Levi had known Owen the longest—they’d been friends since the fourth grade.
“Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise,” Ivy said thoughtfully.
“I’m dying to hear in what possible way you think this ridiculous lie is a positive thing,” Levi retorted dejectedly. This was undoubtedly the dumbest thing he had ever done.
The deadly glare she shot him instantly shut him up.
Then Ivy smugly said, “I know exactly where to find your fiancée.”
Levi got exactly zero work done the rest of the day after Ivy’s horrendous idea.
A goddamn matchmaker.
Her solution was to hire one of the best and most exclusive matchmaking services in the area. To his dismay, Isaac supported the idea. She didn’t allow him to protest before running back to her desk to set it up.
Isaac smirked as he walked out of Levi’s office, far too amused with the situation. There was no way he could get any work done now that his life had gone to shit in a matter of hours.
The realization that he may be getting married very soon was reason enough to skip out and find a bar to drink the day away.
He wasn’t prepared to marry a stranger.
Hell, he wasn’t prepared to get married at all.
Levi placed his head in his hands and groaned. He needed to get a hold of himself and his life.
When he thought it couldn’t get any worse, Owen barged in. Making himself comfortable in a chair, Owen leaned back and put his feet up on Levi's desk. With a straight face, he asked, “When do I get to meet the future Mrs. Lockwood?”
“Owen, I swear to god I don't have the energy for your bullshit today,” Levi growled in frustration.
That spurred Owen on more, his crystal blue eyes ringed with gold and green, crinkling with amusement. “Challenge accepted.”
Owen was classically handsome with golden blond hair, tanned skin, and biceps that women regularly drooled over. Underneath that exterior hid a sharp wit and attention to detail…those eyes never missed a thing.
He was also a smart ass who never passed up an opportunity for drama. The twinkle in his eyes and the lopsided grin on his face confirmed that Owen spent all afternoon preparing for this interaction.
“No, no…there has been no challenge issued!”
“Incorrect. So, can I officiate the wedding? I can get a license online today.”
“What? No!”
“Can I be the best man?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Can I be the flower guy? I would be amazing at throwing flowers.”
“Please don't do this to me right now; it's been a rough day already.”
“If she's hot and has any hot sisters, will you set me up with one of them?”
“Owen, I will throw you down a flight of stairs if you don't stop it.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “You couldn't even pick me up, princess. Fine, I’ll settle for you naming your first child after me.”
“If you have nothing useful to contribute, then please go away,” Levi sighed.
“Can I investigate her?”
Levi was about to say no, but caught himself. “If this actually happens, then yes, you can investigate her.”
Owen threw his hands in the air and let out a triumphant, “Aw yessssss!”
Levi leaned over his desk, head in his hands again, taking deep breaths. When he looked back up at Owen, all traces of amusement had faded from his face, replaced with contemplative concern.
“Do you want to hear my opinion, or are you committed to playing the part of the rich CEO who got into a dick-measuring contest and is upset about the consequences of the dumb shit he said?” Owen asked seriously.
“Not about my imaginary fiancée,” he said defeatedly.
“Believe it or not, I understand that. I’ve been through enough with you to know that he pushed you to this.” Levi looked up at him skeptically. “I also understand how badly you want to settle down.” He slumped back into his chair.
“ But ,” Owen continued, “I do think you need to step back and stop working so much—actually go out and do things and meet people. You’ve dealt with people like Tyler all your life—you know the second you get sloppy, it’ll be used against you.”
Levi knew he was right; nonetheless, it was a tough pill to swallow. “I haven’t reacted like that in a long time,” Levi admitted, “I truly hate that little goblin.”
Owen cheekily offered, “If it makes you feel better, I’m confident you could throw him down a flight of stairs. But because I’m such a good friend , I’d even help you cover it up and make it look like an accident.”
That earned a real smile from Levi, but it left as quickly as it appeared. “What do you think about the matchmaker idea? It screams desperate to me.”
“You are desperate,” Owen drawled. “I say do it and have an adventure? It can’t possibly be worse than Lana, and if it is, then you have someone else to blame.”
“Oh my god, can we stop bringing up Lana?” Levi exclaimed.
“Maybe we should go visit her—I bet she’s lonely in jail,” Owen quipped. Levi leveled a murderous glare at him. “Plus, Ivy sent me the matchmaker’s information a couple of hours ago, and I already vetted them. Go get yourself a wife.”
Levi threw a stapler at Owen, who had barely enough time to throw himself off the chair and out of the way. He rapidly picked it up and hummed it back at Levi, who caught it with one hand.
Owen stood up, fixing his clothes on the way out as he said, “I also went and applied for my license online, so I’m ready to officiate whenever this poor girl agrees to tie herself to you.”
He quickly shut the door to Levi’s office, just in time to avoid the stapler that came flying after him again.