The Billionaire's Bridal Chase

Part 2 EP 13: Maybe This Time

Levi stared at the apartment, a mess of tape and divided spaces, with a growing sense of disbelief. The bed was now split in two, the kitchen counter marked with a jagged line, and even the fridge door had a strip across it. Caly was committed to marking her territory. He rubbed his temples as he made his way back to the kitchen.

There was no sense in arguing. Not yet.

He poured himself some orange juice and leaned against the counter, sipping it thoughtfully. Caly wasn’t just being difficult—this was her way of rebelling against a life she hadn’t chosen. Arranged marriages weren’t exactly common in their circles, but when the financial stakes between their families were involved, personal desires often took a back seat. Levi understood that much. But the funny thing was, Levi didn’t mind her spirit. If anything, he found it strangely refreshing. It was better than living with someone resigned to their fate.

The door to the bedroom swung open, and Caly stormed out, arms crossed tightly. She didn't acknowledge him as she made her way to the fridge. It was like he didn’t exist—her way of telling him that the divide between them wasn’t just physical, it was emotional, too.

"Do you want breakfast?" Levi asked.

"No," she answered sharply, though she glanced at his plate of eggs and toast.

He shrugged and sat down, eating quietly. Caly stood at the counter, her fingers drumming impatiently. She was wearing the same loose pajamas she had the night before, her hair wild, her face set in a permanent frown.

"You know, we could talk about this," Levi ventured after a few moments of silence. "About how we’re supposed to get through this… situation."

"No need." Caly’s response was clipped, devoid of any warmth. "I’m buying my own bed as soon as possible. We’ll divide everything until the wedding, and then we’ll get divorced. Simple."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

"Yes. Just like that." Caly turned to face him, her green eyes sharp and defensive. "I don’t want to be tied to someone I don’t love. And you? You don’t seem to care either way. So, we go through the motions, keep our parents happy, and then we move on with our lives."

He leaned back in his chair, observing her. She was strong, fiercely independent, and her resolve was impressive. But Levi couldn’t help but notice the cracks beneath the surface—the irritation, the stress lines on her face, the way her hands occasionally trembled when she thought he wasn’t looking.

"Why do you think I don’t care?" Levi asked after a long pause.

Caly snorted. "Come on, Levi. It’s obvious. You’re just as much a pawn in this as I am. You’re going along with it because it’s easier than fighting."

"I’m going along with it because fighting with you isn’t going to help either of us," he replied calmly. "And because I think it would be easier if we found some way to get through this together. It doesn’t have to be a war."

"A war?" Caly echoed, incredulous. "You think I’m making this a war?"

Levi gestured to the tape-lined apartment. "It kind of feels that way."

Caly blinked and glanced around as if seeing her handiwork for the first time. She bit her lip, looking a little embarrassed, but then quickly masked it with a frown. "I’m just… establishing boundaries. You don’t seem to respect the fact that I don’t want to be around you."

Levi shrugged. "It’s not that I don’t respect it. It’s just that we’re living together, and we have to figure out how to coexist. You can tape everything if it makes you feel better, but it’s not going to change the fact that we’re in this together for now."

Caly’s frustration boiled over, and she slammed the fridge shut. "You don’t get it! I don’t want to be in this together. I don’t want to marry you. I don’t want to be forced into anything!"

Her voice cracked, just for a moment, and Levi noticed. He saw the strain in her eyes, the battle between the fierce woman standing before him and the little girl still afraid of losing control over her life.

Levi stood up and walked over to her slowly, careful not to crowd her. "I’m not here to force you into anything, Caly. But we’re in this situation because of our families, and I think we both know there’s no easy way out. If I thought I could break this off without hurting them, I would. But I can't. So, for the time being, we’re stuck. That doesn’t mean it has to be miserable."

Caly looked at him, her anger softening slightly. "You sound like you’ve already resigned yourself to this. Like you’ve given up."

He met her gaze steadily. "I haven’t given up. I just think that if we keep treating each other like enemies, this is going to be a very long and painful few months."

For the first time, Caly looked uncertain. She opened her mouth to respond but seemed to think better of it. Instead, she turned and walked back toward the bedroom without another word, leaving Levi alone in the kitchen once more.

Over the next few days, things between Levi and Caly didn’t exactly improve, but they did shift. The apartment remained divided by tape, and Caly kept her distance, but there was less hostility in her actions. Levi did his best to avoid pressing her further, choosing instead to focus on the little moments when they managed to be civil to each other.

On the fourth night, Levi was lounging on the sofa, flipping through channels on the TV when he heard Caly’s voice from the bedroom.

"Do you have the passcode for the Wi-Fi?"

Levi blinked in surprise. It was the first time she’d spoken to him since their conversation in the kitchen. "Uh, yeah. It’s on the router under the TV."

There was a brief silence before Caly appeared in the doorway, her phone in hand. She walked over to the TV and crouched down, squinting at the router. "Why do they make these things so complicated?"

Levi chuckled. "I think it’s part of the plan to make us all feel stupid."

Caly didn’t respond, but she didn’t snap at him either, which Levi took as a small victory. She entered the passcode on her phone and stood up, heading back to the bedroom without another word.

Levi watched her go, wondering if this was the start of something—if maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to navigate this mess without hating each other.

The next morning, Levi woke up to find Caly already in the kitchen, making coffee. She didn’t acknowledge him as he entered, but there was no tape on the floor, no clear line dividing the kitchen as there had been before.

He hesitated for a moment before pouring himself a cup and sitting down at the table. "Morning."

"Morning," she replied, her tone neutral.

They sat in silence for a while, sipping their coffee. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it wasn’t tense either.

"So," Levi began after a long pause, "I was thinking… maybe we could figure out some kind of schedule. You know, for using the kitchen or the TV or whatever."

Caly raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like a roommate schedule?"

"Something like that, yeah," Levi replied. "It might make things easier. That way, we’re not stepping on each other’s toes."

Caly considered this for a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay. That makes sense."

Levi was a little taken aback by her quick agreement but didn’t show it. "Great. I’ll write something up later, and we can figure it out together."

"Sure," Caly said, her focus returning to her coffee.

Levi took another sip, feeling a small sense of relief. It wasn’t much, but it was progress. Maybe they could find a way to coexist after all.

Days passed, and the tentative truce between Levi and Caly held. The tape lines slowly disappeared, replaced by a mutual, if reluctant, understanding that they were both stuck in the same situation. Levi noticed little changes in their routine—how Caly would no longer bolt from the room when he entered, or how she sometimes left him space on the couch when she was watching TV. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

One evening, Levi returned home to find Caly sitting on the sofa, her feet propped up on the coffee table, flipping through a magazine. The TV was on in the background, some cooking show that neither of them was really watching.

"Hey," Levi said as he kicked off his shoes and dropped onto the couch beside her.

"Hey," Caly responded, glancing up from her magazine.

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound the murmur of the TV. Then, out of nowhere, Caly spoke.

"I’m going out tomorrow night. You can have the place to yourself."

Levi looked at her, surprised. "Oh. Okay. Thanks for the heads-up."

Caly shrugged. "Figured I’d let you know."

Levi nodded. "I appreciate it."

Another silence fell, but this time it felt different—less awkward, more comfortable