CHAPTER 26LeviAurelia
Levi
There was no argument from Levi when Aurelia suggested leaving Chez P’tit Chou-Fleur .
He had hoped to make a strong first impression, ensuring their first meal together would be intimate and elegant.
Her file had plainly stated she preferred more relaxed and low-key places, but he thought maybe, because this was a very special occasion, that she would enjoy it.
The menu change had derailed everything.
Dread had settled in the moment he opened it. He hadn’t frozen like that in years, his brain shutting down at the thought of parsing an unfamiliar menu on the spot.
He could have used Neuronix’s PicText app—snap a photo, enlarge the font, or have it read aloud to him—but he wasn’t ready for the conversation that would ensue. Not with someone he just met.
Some truths took time.
When she miraculously proposed going somewhere else, he jumped at the opportunity. As it turned out, the food was definitely an improvement.
He paid for their untouched drinks and left a generous tip for the server, Dennis. It was only fair.
Following Aurelia across town, he parked behind her along a narrow side street. They walked side by side, the silence stretching between them. Not awkward, but companionable.
Levi found himself wanting to reach for her hand, to anchor himself in the ease of her presence. He unconsciously lifted his hand halfway before pulling it back.
Too soon.
They stopped in front of a slim building with unassuming glass doors. Levi’s brows dipped in confusion. There was no signage. No bustling entrance. And in no way could an entire restaurant fit inside.
He glanced at her, skeptical.
She peered over her shoulder and gave him a small, secretive smile before opening the glass doors.
It wrecked him.
That smile alone could’ve convinced him to walk through the fires of hell for her. He let out a shaky breath and followed.
Inside, as he suspected, there was no restaurant, only a reception desk and an elevator. Aurelia, however, didn’t pause as she bypassed the attendant with confidence and stepped into the elevator. Levi followed without hesitation.
What waited for them below was unexpected magic.
Moonlit Buns was a hidden gem beneath the city, elegant and warm in all the ways Chez P’tit Chou-Fleur wasn’t.
The ceilings were draped in ornate dark wooden latticework, casting shadows through hanging lanterns in deep amber and soft crimson.
Private tables were separated by intricately carved screens that offered privacy without shutting the world out.
The ambiance was still romantic, but this time, relaxed. Unpretentious.
This was the kind of place she had meant. The kind of place he had wanted, too. He hadn’t executed it well at all.
As they sat, Aurelia took the lead, scanning the menu with bright eyes and a playful gleam that made Levi smile before she even said a word. He could stare at her all night and never tire of it.
“Does my husband trust me to order for us, or do you want an equal say in this decision?” she teased, pen in hand, and oblivious to Levi’s attention.
This version of Aurelia—loose, playful, teasing—was rapidly becoming his favorite.
He grinned. “The last two weeks have been full of risks. What’s one more?”
“Good answer from a smart man. Happy wife, happy life,” she chirped as she began checking off boxes on the order sheet.
“We’re getting Kurobuta pork soup dumplings, chicken dumplings, wonton soup, stir-fried bok choy, veggie fried rice.
..and for fun, two milk teas and chocolate mochi buns to finish. ”
Levi stared at her, amused and impressed.
“What?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious. “I’m hungry. And it’s not that much. The portions are small!”
“I trust you,” he said simply. The blush that crept up her cheeks was as delectable as her food selections.
After their order was placed, silence briefly returned. Then, in a move that surprised neither of them at this point, Aurelia cut straight to the chase.
“So…whose house are we living in?”
No warm-up before a direct hit.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “We can stay at mine. It’s...larger than I need. More than enough space for your things.”
She tilted her head, eyes glinting with mischief, as she smiled widely.
“Define ‘larger than I need.’ Because based on the pompous car you drove, the ultra-fancy restaurant, the tailored designer suit, and the custom rings now weighing down my finger, I’m guessing that being understated is kind of your thing. ”
While her tone was teasing and playful, Levi’s face hardened. “My pompous car?” he echoed. “I bought that car after my company went public. It was the first thing I let myself splurge on after years of sacrifice. I earned it.”
Her grin faltered. “Levi, I was kidding—”
He didn’t let her finish.
“So, what then?” he asked, irritation rising in his voice. “If my house is as big and lavish as you think, what does that say to you? That I’m some show-off? That I throw money around to prove my worth? That I’m just another flashy asshole in a suit?”
Confusion flickered across her face, quickly giving way to discomfort. She raised her hands between them, a gentle but firm barrier. “No—that’s not what I meant. I wasn’t—” Her voice wavered, the words tripping over rising alarm.
But he was already too far in.
“If I really cared about all that, Aurelia, I would have married one of the women who’ve been trying to crawl into my life for a cut of the profits. Trust me, there were plenty of options.”
Around them, conversation at nearby tables quieted. Conversations stalled. The mood at their table had shifted incredibly fast.
He leaned forward, lowering his voice, but not the weight behind it.
“That’s twice today. Twice , you’ve made assumptions about me without trying to understand who I actually am. And both times, you’ve made me feel like a walking stereotype.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
And it was only then, when he truly looked at her, that he saw what he had done.
Aurelia wasn’t snapping back. She wasn’t rolling her eyes or calling him out. She sat frozen in place, hands clenched tightly in her lap, eyes fixed on the table. Her shoulders curled inward, her entire posture guarded and withdrawn.
She wasn’t angry…she was scared.
Levi’s gut twisted with shame.
His wealth and how women reacted to them was a sensitive topic for Levi, stemming from his insecurities. He had escalated it with his tone, bulldozing her with something sharp and defensive…and completely disproportionate to what had been a joke.
A nervous, lighthearted jab she had made while trying to find footing in unfamiliar territory…and he turned it into a minefield.
Remembering Estrella’s handwritten note, Levi knew he had crossed a line.
Aurelia
Aurelia tried to slow her racing heart with concentrated, silent breaths, but it refused to listen, its beats wild and erratic.
This was all her fault.
Again.
Levi was right. It was the second time today she said something without thinking it through…he hadn’t deserved it.
He made it too easy to talk to him—to let a sliver of her guard down. Too easy to forget that comfort could be a dangerous threat to her survival.
Her jab about his wealth had been meant as a joke—her awkward way of diffusing the tension, of softening the sharp edges around this whole ridiculous situation.
She wasn’t used to fancy restaurants or custom jewelry or the kind of polished confidence he wore so effortlessly. The teasing had been her armor.
The way he had responded, the snap in his voice, the heat behind it—it jabbed her like a sucker punch.
Because she knew that tone. That sudden shift. That cold defensiveness that came without warning made her body brace for impact.
It echoed far too clearly of the one who had come before. The one who had charmed her with smiles and sweet words, only to tear her down with carefully aimed barbs and strikes.
The way Levi looked at her—angry, wounded, disappointed—it hadn’t been intentionally cruel. But even now, it made her flinch out of habit, unable to stop the instinct to protect herself. Not because of what he had said…but because of what it reminded her of.
Silence had been the safest response.
So that’s what she gave him. Stillness. Quiet. The smallest version of herself she could muster.
Wishing desperately that she could rewind ten minutes and take it all back. Wishing she had never opened her mouth.
Of course, they’d live in his house. It was the practical choice, the obvious one. She should’ve just said that full stop. No sarcasm, no jokes. Because he was right—she had made assumptions, judged him based on surface details instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt.
She should have been grateful. He had done everything right.
And now...she owed him another apology.
She was unsure how long she sat like that. A statue locked in place, detached from everything. She didn’t hear Levi if he had spoken at all. Didn’t register the low murmur of the other tables or the quiet clink of utensils.
At least not until the first course arrived. The aroma of ginger, soy, and warm, spiced steam grounded her barely enough to breathe. Barely enough to remember where she was.
Not in the past. Not with him .
Her breathing evened out...not entirely, but enough.
She turned to face Levi, cautiously, and met his gaze. Her voice scarcely carried across the table.
“We can live in your house,” she said, carefully measured. “Just let me know what works best for you.”
She didn’t explain.
She didn’t ask for forgiveness or make excuses.
She simply gave in—quietly, completely.