Page 76 of Code of Heart

Relief flooded through her. Maybe this wouldn’t be as intimidating as she thought.

“Your home is gorgeous,” Aurelia added sincerely. “Thank you for having us. Can I help with anything before dinner?”

Grace smiled, her warmth palpable. “Everything’s handled. Shepherd’s pie is in the oven, salad’s in the fridge, and you brought dessert. All that’s left is relaxing—and trying not to kill Owen when he starts in again.”

“It’s inevitable,” Ivy sighed.

Before Aurelia could respond, Owen returned triumphantly holding up a bottle of champagne.

“Found it! Also found someone’s phone out there between our cars. Either of you missing one?”

Aurelia patted her purse with a sinking feeling and realized it was hers.

“Mine! Thank you,” she called, accepting the phone with an embarrassed smile. It must have fallen from her purse as she exited the car.

“Is itfinallytime to eat?” Owen groaned as he collapsed dramatically onto the couch.

And right on cue, the oven timer chimed.

Grace shot a knowing look at Ivy and Aurelia. “Showtime,” she whispered, before heading toward the kitchen.

Levi

Levi sat back on the couch, his attention fully captured by the sight of Aurelia laughing with Grace and Ivy. She belonged there, seamlessly folding into their little circle like she had always been part of it. The sight stirred something deep inside him, a comforting warmth that felt a lot like hope.

He took a slow sip of his beer, letting the hum of conversation swirl around him.

Then Owen’s voice shattered the moment.

“So, are youstillmad at me for the ceremony and my investigation? Aurelia sure hasn’t forgotten.” Owen dropped onto the couch beside him, clearly aiming for lighthearted…but the guilt in his eyes betrayed him.

Levi gave him a long, pointed look, his brow arching in disbelief. “Would you expect either of us to be over it already? The ceremony was already nerve-wracking, and you somehow found a way to make it weirder—and as if that weren’t enough chaos, you had to add your special brand of insanity afterward.”

He turned toward Isaac, leveling him with a look. “Did he tell you what he did?”

Isaac held his hands up in mock surrender, barely suppressing a knowing smirk.

Before Owen could defend himself, Levi cut in. “He filmed the whole disaster and sent the video to all of you—which, by the way, I’m still trying to wrap my head around—and then, when I didn’t answer his calls, he took it upon himself toinvestigateby driving to Aurelia’s house, sneaking onto her property, andpeeking through the windowslike some deranged stalker. And that’s how he got a front-row seat to…well, you know.”

Levi’s ears burned as the memory flashed through his mind, and Isaac let out a low whistle, grinning widely.

Before anyone could respond, the unmistakable sound of shattering glass cut through the air.

Levi shot to his feet, his heart in his throat as he turned toward the kitchen.

Aurelia was crouched on the floor, frantically gathering the shards of a broken glass, her long hair veiling her face. Her hands trembled as she tried to sweep the pieces into her palm. Her phone had fallen too, lying a short distance away like a silent witness to whatever had unraveled her.

Grace and Ivy were immediately at her side, murmuring soft reassurances as they carefully helped her clean up. But when Ivy lifted her gaze toward the living room, her eyes were sharp, her mouth set in a tight, grim line.

“You might want to check the tabloids, Levi,” she said coldly. “Looks like you’re tonight’s headliner.”

Levi’s stomach dropped.

He and Owen fumbled for their phones, while Isaac grabbed the TV remote and flipped to the local news station.

The headline blazed across the screen like a slap to the face:LOCKWOOD LOCKED DOWN: Trouble in Paradise Already?

Levi’s chest tightened painfully as the photos flashed across the screen…crystal clear shots taken with a long-range lens.