Fated To Not Just One But Three novel Chapter 485

Chapter 485: It was a lie

Levi’s POV

The room was still. Too still. For a long moment, I didn’t move. I could hear the faint sound of Olivia’s sobs somewhere nearby, Louis’s tense breathing, the healer whispering fake prayers under her breath. Everyone thought I was unconscious. They thought I had fainted because I was weak. But I wasn’t. I was awake the whole time. My heart was beating fine, my mind clear. Only the healer knew the truth. She understood right away and pretended to keep praying so no one would notice.

When I finally opened my eyes, the room was empty. The healer had asked everyone to leave so I could rest. My body ached, my chest felt heavy, but not from weakness. From guilt. Because what everyone believed had happened was a lie. I hadn’t fainted. I’d pretended. I’d needed Olivia to believe something, and the voice Olivia heard through me—the message that made her stop fighting, that made her cry and finally let go—that wasn’t Lennox.

It was me. Lennox hadn’t reached out. No spirit had whispered through me. That voice, that warning, "Keep her away from him," had been mine. I said it because I knew it was the only way to make her stop. It was the only thing that could reach her heart. Nothing else worked. She wouldn’t listen to me, to Louis, or even to reason. But if she thought Lennox himself wanted her to stop the ritual, maybe she would finally listen. Maybe she would believe it wasn’t her fault. Maybe she would finally rest instead of breaking herself to save someone she couldn’t reach anymore.

I hated myself for saying those words, for using his name that way. But I had no choice. If she believed it came from me, she would fight harder. If she believed it came from Lennox, she would finally let go. But I never expected the pain that followed. The moment I saw her face—the heartbreak, the fear, the way her hope shattered—it nearly destroyed me. And yet, I’d do it again. Because if lying was the only way to keep her alive, then I’d carry that lie until my last breath. I’d rather she hate me and live than love me and die.

I pressed my shaking hand against my forehead. My chest felt so heavy, like a stone sitting on my heart. The guilt was eating me up inside, but I knew I couldn’t tell her the truth. Not ever. If she found out that I lied, that Lennox never spoke through me, that he never reached out, she’d never forgive me. She’d look at me with those same hurt eyes, and this time, she wouldn’t cry because of pain. She’d cry because of betrayal.

I stared up at the ceiling, my throat tight. "I’m sorry, brother," I whispered. "I had to." The words felt heavy, like they were made of stone. My chest hurt with the weight of them.

Just then, the door creaked open. I turned my head slowly, and there she was. Olivia. The moment she saw my eyes open, her whole face lit up. It was like watching the sun break through storm clouds after a long, dark night. Her lips parted in shock, then curved into a smile, shaky but real.

"Levi," she breathed, her voice full of relief. She rushed across the room before I could even sit up. For the first time since this nightmare began, I saw light in her eyes—not pain, not anger, not grief, but genuine happiness.

It had been so long since I’d seen that spark in her. The last time she’d looked at me that way was before everything fell apart, before Lennox, before the rituals. I forced a weak smile, pretending not to notice the tears in her eyes. "Hey," I murmured, my voice hoarse. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

She let out a shaky laugh and cupped my face with trembling hands. "I thought I lost you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You scared me so much, Levi."

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against mine, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for saving me. For not giving up on me even when I tried to push you away."

I closed my eyes, her warmth seeping through me, and with it, guilt. Heavy, bitter guilt. Because she was thanking me for a lie. A lie I’d told to protect her, but one that could destroy everything if she ever found out.

"I’ll make it up to you," she whispered, her thumb brushing my cheek. "I promise I’ll trust you from now on."

I swallowed hard and nodded, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. "That’s all I ask," I said softly. But deep down, I knew the truth. Trust built on a lie never lasts.

As she leaned into me, I stared past her shoulder, my heart pounding with a fear I couldn’t shake. Because if the goddess ever decided to reveal what I’d done, I wouldn’t just lose Olivia’s trust. I’d lose her completely.