Take a bite of the Forbidden Love

Chapter 11

The low hum of the dryer echoed through Levitt's modest apartment. While the machine worked to restore the clothes he had worn through the previous night's storm, Demetrius sat patiently on the edge of her bed, a single white towel wrapped firmly around his waist. Moisture still glistened faintly on his broad, muscular shoulders, but his gaze was entirely fixed on Levitt as she tidied up the small room.

Once the cycle finished, Levitt brought him his freshly washed and dried shirt and trousers. Demetrius dressed smoothly, adjusting his collar and cuffs with practiced ease, turning back into the sharp, commanding architect she knew so well. Levitt walked over, holding the scarf she made for him. She carefully wrapped the warm wool around his neck, her fingers lightly brushing against his jaw.

Demetrius let out an amused chuckle rumble deep within his throat. He caught her by the waist, pulling her in for a brief, warm press of his lips against her temple.

"I have a packed schedule today," Demetrius told her as they walked down to his car. He opened the passenger door for her before sliding into the driver's seat and navigating through the morning Manhattan traffic. "Between the final sign-offs on the London contract and a few high-profile client meetings, I'll be tied up until late afternoon."

Levitt leaned over, placing a hand over his on the gearshift, her eyes warm and understanding. "It's completely fine, Demetrius. I understand that my boyfriend is a very busy man."

Demetrius instantly brought the car to a smooth stop at the curb outside her office building. The word boyfriend echoed in his mind, striking him with a wave of pure, unadulterated joy. A slow, breathtaking smile broke across his usually stern features. Without a word, he reached over, cupped the back of her neck, and pulled her into a deep, heartfelt kiss—one that left her flushed and breathless before he finally let her out of his car at the entrance of the towering fashion magazine headquarters.

"Have a wonderful first day. I'll see you tonight," he murmured against her lips, watching her step out before driving back to the Goh mansion to fully shower, change into a fresh suit, and head straight to his firm.

By midday, Demetrius was deep in discussion with one of his firm's major prospective clients, Randolf Vance. As their initial meeting concluded, Randolf clapped him on the shoulder. "Splendid work, Demetrius. Let's continue this conversation over lunch. My daughter, Kirsten, is joining us at a restaurant downtown—she just stepped in to manage our corporate PR."

Thinking it was a harmless, strictly professional networking lunch, Demetrius accepted.

However, the moment he walked into the private dining room of the high-end French restaurant, his jaw tightened. Sitting at the table was Kirsten Vance, a poised, impeccably dressed woman of high society. But standing a step behind her, holding a thick stack of folders and a tablet with her eyes quietly fixed on the floor, was Levitt.

Levitt glanced up for a fraction of a second, her eyes widening in momentary shock before she quickly lowered her head again, assuming the submissive posture of a brand-new assistant.

Demetrius felt an immediate, sharp pain in his chest. The bright, radiant confidence he had felt from her only hours ago had completely vanished. As the lunch progressed, it became painfully obvious that Kirsten treated Levitt not as a rising professional, but as a belittled, glorified servant—sharply commanding her to adjust the room's temperature, fetch fresh water, and hold up design briefs.

Worse still, the lunch was a blatant, calculated matchmaking attempt orchestrated by Randolf and Kirsten. The two continuously dropped heavy remarks about prestigious bloodlines, high-society galas, and how seamlessly the Vance and Goh legacies aligned.

Demetrius ignored them both entirely. His dark, intense gaze remained firmly locked on Levitt, watching her knuckles turn white as she stood quietly in the corner, enduring Kirsten's condescending demeanor.

Levitt softly cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Miss Vance. I need to step out to check on the afternoon print schedules," she whispered, her voice barely audible before she quickly slipped out of the dining room.

Demetrius stood up immediately, pushing his chair back with a heavy sound that cut Randolf off mid-sentence. "Excuse me," he said coldly, leaving the table without waiting for a response.

He strode down the quiet, carpeted hallway until he spotted her standing near the dim alcove outside the restrooms, her head bowed, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Levitt," he said softly, stepping directly into her space and taking her small, cold hand into his.

The moment she looked up, the tears held back in her eyes spilled over her cheeks. "Demetrius, you shouldn't be out here," she choked out, trying to pull her hand away, though his grip remained firm. "Seeing you in there... with them... it felt like a reality check I wasn't ready for. Our worlds are still so far apart. I'm just a nobody assistant getting ordered around, while Kirsten matches your family's status so effortlessly."

She swallowed hard, her voice cracking with raw vulnerability and undeniable jealousy. "She looks like she actually belongs beside a Goh."

"Listen to me," Demetrius commanded, his deep baritone cutting through her panic. He stepped closer, trapping her gently against the wall and cupping her face in his large, warm hands. His thumbs gently wiped away her tears, his eyes burning with an intense, unwavering devotion.

"I don't care about the Vances, I don't care about high society, and I certainly don't care about matching status," he murmured fiercely, pressing his forehead against hers. "That is exactly why I refused to work for my brother. That is why I am building my own company from the ground up—so that no one, not my family, and not this superficial world, can ever dictate how I live or who I am allowed to love."

He tipped her chin up, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. "I will always choose you, Levitt. I didn't wait four agonizing years, watching over you from the shadows and fighting every instinct I had, just to let anyone stand between us now. You are the only world I care about."