<h4>Chapter 683: The n</h4>


    Levi’s POV


    ?I sat in the darkness of my room, the curtains drawn tight. The silence felt heavy, a reminder of the four years I had lost and the family that felt like sand slipping through my fingers. My legs throbbed with a dull ache, but the pain in my chest was sharper. I felt useless.


    ?I stared at my hands—thin, scarred, and trembling. I didn’t want to see Olivia. I didn’t want to see Lennox or Louis. I didn’t want to see the pity in their eyes or the guilt on their faces.


    ?A soft knock echoed through the room. I didn’t respond. I didn’t have the energy to pretend I was okay.


    ?"Daddy?" A small, steady voice came from the other side. "It’s Liam. And Leon and Leo. Can wee in?"


    ?My heart squeezed. I couldn’t say no to the boys. They were the only ones who looked at me without thatplicatedyer of shame or forced politeness.


    ?"Come in," I rasped, clearing my throat.


    ?The door creaked open, and the three of them filed in. They approached my bed with a strange kind of solemnity.


    ?"You didn’te for lunch," Liam said, crossing his arms. He was the eldest, already exhibiting the character of Lennox.


    ?"I... I was feeling a bit weak today," I lied, looking away.


    ?"You’re lying," Leo said bluntly, hopping onto the edge of my bed. "You’re sad because of the girls. And because of the deal Daddy Louis made."


    ?I flinched. Even the children knew. "It doesn’t matter, Leo."


    ?"It does," Leon added, sitting on a chair nearby. "They don’t hate you. They’re just... they’re mad. They’re mad because you weren’t there to watch them grow."


    ?"I didn’t choose it," I whispered, the bitterness leaking into my voice.


    ?"We know that," Liam said, stepping closer. "But they’re girls. They’re dramatic. And they’ve been the center of the world for four years. They think they can punish you because everyone else lets them."


    ?I looked at him, surprised by the wisdom in his young face. These boys weren’t just kids; they were sharp. They saw the cracks in this house better than the adults did.


    ?"We have a game," Liam continued, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. "We use it on them when they get too bossy. It works every time."


    ?"What game?" I asked, curious.


    ?"The Ghost Game," Leo chirped. "You start ignoring them. You don’t look at them. You don’t answer them. You act like they don’t even exist in the room."


    ?I stared at them, horrified. "I can’t do that. They’re my daughters. I just got them back."


    ?"You don’t have them back yet," Liam countered firmly. "Right now, they think you’re a puppy waiting for a scrap of bread. They like the attention. They like that you’re sad for them. If you stop giving it to them, they’ll go crazy. They’ll start begging for your attention."


    ?"It’s the only way, Father," Leon said. "You have to do it... trust us... this will work."


    ?I looked at the three of them. They were barely nine, yet they talked with a calcted intelligence that reminded me so much of the power the Trinity used to hold.


    ?"I’ll... I’ll think about it," I said softly.


    ?"Don’t think too long," Liam said, standing up and heading for the door. "We’re going down to the pits to train. You should join us. Daddy Louis is there, and he feels bad. But you shoulde and show the girls what a real warrior looks like, even if you’re just watching."


    ?I watched them leave, their small shoulders held high. They were right. I had been ying the victim, waiting for love to be handed to me.


    ?I stood up, my legs shaking, and reached for the cane by my bed.


    ?I made it to the edge of the field, leaning heavily on my cane. Louis was there, helping Leon with his footwork. He looked up, his face filled with immediate relief and a deep, aching regret.


    ?"Levi," Louis breathed, taking a step toward me. "I’m so sorry about the deal. I just wanted—"


    ?I held up a hand, cutting him off. I didn’t look at him. My eyes stayed on the boys. "Not now, Louis."


    ?A few yards away, Lyra and Lana were sitting on a bench, holding their dolls. They saw me. I saw Lyra nudge Lana, her expression shifting into that practiced, "polite" mask. They waited for me to look at them, to wave, to offer a sad smile.


    ?I didn’t.


    ?I turned my back to them, focusing entirely on Liam’s form as he swung a practice sword.


    ?"Good follow-through, Liam," I called out, my voice stronger than it had been in years. "Keep your weight on your back foot."


    ?Liam grinned, catching my eye and giving me a subtle nod. The game had begun.


    ?I could feel the twins’ stares burning into my back. They were confused. Usually, I was desperate for their gaze. Now, I was acting like they didn’t exist.


    ?"Father Levi?" Lana’s small voice piped up from the bench.


    ?I didn’t turn. I didn’t even flinch. I just leaned closer to Louis, pointing at the boys. "He’s dropping his shoulder, Louis. Fix it."


    ?Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lyra stand up, her doll dropping to the grass. Her sea-blue eyes were wide with shock. Usually, I would have turned around at the mere sound of their voices, desperate for even a cold "hello." But I kept my eyes locked on the boys.


    ?"Again, Leon! Lock your wrist!" Imanded, my voice carrying that old Alpha authority that used to make the pack stand at attention.


    ?I could hear the soft thump, thump, thump of small footsteps on the grass. They wereing closer. They weren’t used to being ignored; they were used to being the center of every room they entered.


    ?"Father Levi?" Lyra’s voice was closer now,cking its usual sharp, bratty edge. It sounded small. Uncertain.


    ?I didn’t acknowledge her. I stepped forward, wincing as my weak leg protested, and took a practice wooden sword from the rack. I showed the boys a few tricks with the wooden sword.


    ?"Father Levi," Lana whispered, her sea-blue eyes wide as she watched me move. "Will you... will you teach me how to do that? The way you moved your arm?"


    ?My heart did a violent somersault in my chest. Gods, how I wanted to say yes. I wanted to drop the sword, scoop her up, and tell her I’d teach her everything I knew. I wanted to see her smile without a bribe for the first time in my life.


    ?I felt a sharp gaze on me. I nced at Liam. He was shaking his head almost imperceptibly, his expression hard. "Stick to the n," he mouthed.


    ?I forced my face into a mask of coldness. I didn’t even look at her. I kept my eyes on the wooden sword in my hand, wiping a smudge of dirt off the grip.


    ?"No," I said, my voice t and detached. "I’m busy with the boys."


    ?The silence that followed was deafening. I could practically feel the shock radiating off them.


    ?"But..." Lyra stammered, her voice rising in confusion. "But we want you to show us."


    ?I finally shifted my gaze, but I didn’t look at their faces. I looked past them, toward Louis, who was watching this entire exchange with a look of pure bewilderment.


    ?"Father Louis can show you," I said, my tone as distant as a winter mountain. "He’s the one you usually go to for everything, isn’t he? Ask him."


    ?I turned my back on them again, focusing on Leo. "Leo, your stance is wide. Close it up."


    ?I heard a small gasp behind me. Lana’s scent spiked with a sudden, sharp distress—not anger, but the sting of being pushed away. It was a mirror of what I had felt every day since I woke up.


    ?"But Father Louis is busy with Leon," Lyra argued, her voice trembling. "We’re asking you."


    ?I didn’t answer. I acted as if her voice was nothing more than the wind through the trees. I walked over to the water barrel, leaning heavily on my cane, and took a slow drink,pletely excluding them from my world.


    ?"Father Levi!" Lyra shouted, stomping her foot.


    ?Nothing.


    ?I started a conversation with Liam, my back still toward my daughters. I could hear them whispering frantically to each other.


    ?"Why isn’t he looking at us?" Lana whispered, her voice sounding like she was on the verge of tears.


    ?"I don’t know," Lyra replied, sounding genuinely panicked. "Is he... is he still mad about the act?"


    ?They stood there for five more minutes, waiting for me to break. I didn’t. Iughed at a joke Leo made—a real, heartyugh—and the sound of my joy seemed to hurt them more than a scolding ever could. I was happy, and they weren’t the reason for it.


    ?Finally, unable to handle the cold shoulder, they turned and trudged back toward the mansion. They didn’t run. They walked slowly, looking back over their shoulders every few steps, hoping I would call them back.


    ?I waited until the heavy oak doors shut behind them before I let out the breath I’d been holding. My hand shook so hard I nearly dropped my cane.


    ?"That was brutal," Louis whispered, walking over to me, his face pale. "Levi, they looked... heartbroken."


    ?"They needed to be," Liam said, stepping up beside me and patting my arm. "See? They wanted you. Tomorrow, it’ll be even better. We go to dinner, and you don’t even talk to them."


    ?I looked at my son—my nephew, but my son in every way that mattered. "I hope you’re right, Liam. Because that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do."


    ?