Free Web NovelChapter 30: A taste of luxury
Lyvana froze at the door as she stared at her grandmother, unable to believe her eyes. Only an hour ago, the old woman had looked pale, weak, and barely able to keep her eyes open. She had looked like someone who was ready to let go.
Now, the color had returned to her cheeks. She was already out of the hospital bed, smoothing her dress with steady hands. She had even managed to charm, or perhaps bully, the doctor into signing her release papers.
"You’re... leaving?" Lyvana asked.
"The air in here is suffocating," Lady Glowen said. "And I must leave for London. Don’t change the subject. You are leaving Mark?"
She looked at her grandmother’s piercing eyes and quickly looked away. She wasn’t ready to admit how dangerous Mark had become—not while her grandmother was still recovering.
"That was just a misunderstanding," Lyvana said quickly. "We already sorted it out. You don’t need to worry about it, Grandma."
Lady Glowen narrowed her eyes and looked at Lyvana as if she could see right through the lie.
"A misunderstanding?" the old woman repeated. "Lyvana, you have never been a good liar... But I don’t have time to argue with you. As I told you, I need to be in London."
"Grandma, please," Lyvana began gently, stepping closer to the bed. "The doctors said you need proper rest."
"I’ll rest by all means, child. Just not here," she looked towards the door. "Now, where is my son-in-law? Your father."
"He is outside," Lyvana admitted, knowing she couldn’t stop her.
"Good. Tell him I am ready to go. He is to take me straight to the house to pick up my bags, they are already packed, and then straight to the airport."
Lyvana sighed, crossing her arms. "You are so stubborn, you know that?"
A small, sharp smile touched Lady Glowen’s lips.
"For a woman my age," she replied calmly, "that is a compliment."
When Lyvana got home that afternoon, Emily was hunched over the kitchen table, her eyes red and swollen, staring at her phone.
"It’s over," she whispered the moment she saw Lyvana.
A cold chill ran down Lyvana’s spine. Oh no, she thought. A memory flashed vividly in her mind — a scene from her past life. She knew exactly what was coming. This was the day Emily found her boyfriend in bed with another woman.
"What do you mean, Emy?" Lyvana asked, keeping her voice soft even though she already knew the answer. "What happened?"
"James," Emily choked out between heavy sobs. "That... that idiot. I caught him... in bed... with the same girl he swore was just his cousin."
Lyvana felt a flash of pure rage. She held her tighter.
"Bastard," Lyvana hissed. "I’m going to kill him?"
Then she gently pulled back.
She took Emily’s face in her hands and wiped away her tears with her thumbs.
"Listen to me," Lyvana said firmly. "You deserve so much better than that loser. We’re going to get through this, okay? Together."
Just then, the doorbell rang. Lyvana’s eyes narrowed. "Who’s that?"
Emily sniffled, wiping her nose. "I don’t know. I didn’t order anything."
Lyvana opened the door to find a man in a sharp suit standing at the door. A white napkin was draped over his arm, embroidered with the words L’Oiseau Bleu.
"Lyvana Montclair?" he asked.
"Yes?" Lyvana replied.
The man gave a warm, professional smile.
"I am Frank, the assistant manager of L’Oiseau Bleu here in the city," he said. "And this is Chef Louis."
The chef, dressed in a crisp white uniform, bowed slightly. Behind him were two servers pushing a golden trolley.
"Compliments of Mr. Blackwood," the manager continued. "He sends his best regards and hopes you’re hungry."
Lyvana stepped aside as they wheeled the feast into the room. Even Emily stopped crying, her eyes widening as she forgot about James for a moment.
The rich scent of truffles and fresh herbs filled the room. Lyvana’s stomach growled. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until that very second.
"What in the... Liv, what is this?" Emily whispered.
"Julian sent us lunch." Lyvana said simply.
The servers began uncovering the silver dishes, revealing double portions of seared scallops, creamy truffle risotto, and a rich chocolate cake. There was also sweet wine and a platter of freshly cut fruit.
"We are being served by the staff of L’Oiseau Bleu in our own apartment?" Emily said excitedly. "Someone pinch me."
"This is not lunch. This is a royal banquet!" Emily declared, circling the trolley like a child on Christmas morning.
The staff served the meal with perfect precision, then bowed and left.
"Seared scallops?" Emily gasped. "Double portions? Liv, I love this man already."
Lyvana shook her head and picked up a glass. "You loved him the moment you saw the trolley?"
"Correct," Emily said shamelessly, lifting her own glass. "To the best temporary boyfriend ever!"
Lyvana laughed, clinking her glass against hers. "To good food, better timing, and forgetting useless men."
They both burst into laughter.
Just then her phone rang. fгeewebnovёl.com
"I hope you like the food," Julian’s voice came through the line. "I heard you had a long morning at the hospital. I figured you shouldn’t have to worry about something as simple as lunch."
Lyvana glanced at the golden trolley and then at Emily, who was currently stuffing a scallop into her mouth and giving Lyvana a thumbs-up.
"It’s more than just lunch, Julian. It’s a royal banquet, according to Emy. She says she loves you already."
Emily nearly choked on the scallop.
"He’s on the phone?" she mouthed dramatically, swallowing fast and smoothing her hair as if Julian could somehow see her through the line.
Lyvana rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile
Julian let out a low, smooth laugh. "Well, please tell Emy she has excellent taste."
Lyvana rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. "You didn’t have to do this."
"I know," Julian said quietly. "That was the point. How is your grandmother?"
"How do you know about my grandma."
"I make it a habit to know when someone important to me spends the morning in a hospital," Julian replied evenly.
"And how did you know I was in the hospital?"
