Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Fifty-One

Channing jerked his hand away from mine so abruptly that his face flushed a bright crimson. I couldn't help but smirk as I reached out to pull his shirt straight again, exposing his midriff once more. "Seriously, what are you two doing?" Levi’s voice sliced through the thick tension, his tone laced with amusement. He stood leaning against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest, one eyebrow raised in question.

I froze, but Levi didn’t stop there. "You thought you'd hide in the closet? Really?" He looked between the two of us, eyes twinkling with mischief. "You were hoping to hook up or something?"

Channing cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably while shooting me a quick glance, his usual confident demeanor faltering. "It’s not like that," he muttered, running a hand through his now-ruffled wig, which had tilted sideways from the frantic movement earlier.

"Sure," Levi drawled sarcastically, chuckling to himself. "Hiding in Mrs. Connor's office like you're a pair of teenagers sneaking around for fun?"

"Levi," I said, trying to compose myself, "this isn't what it looks like."

He gave me a sly grin, shrugging nonchalantly. "Oh, I’m sure it’s exactly what it looks like."

Channing, looking mortified, tugged at his ill-fitted disguise again. His fingers fumbled with the hem of his shirt, and the wig nearly fell off his head. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing at the absurdity of it all. Despite the gravity of the situation, the sight of Channing dressed as a UPS worker with his chicken legs wobbling in those tight brown pants was too much. The more he tried to fix it, the worse it got.

Levi, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He leaned back, crossing his arms tighter. "Seriously, you two. I thought I walked into a comedy show, not a break-in."

"Levi, it’s not a joke," I said, swallowing my laughter. "We needed to get something from here. It’s important."

"Important enough to dress up Channing like a UPS guy?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that the best plan you could come up with?"

Channing shot me a pleading look, silently begging for a lifeline. "We thought it would be less suspicious," I explained, though even I couldn’t believe how ridiculous it sounded now.

Levi snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. "Less suspicious? You two are the least sneaky people I’ve ever met. You should see your faces right now."

I sighed, leaning against the wall as I tried to gather my thoughts. Levi was still smirking, but the teasing glint in his eyes softened a bit. "Alright, alright," he said, his voice lowering, "what’s really going on? What’s so important that you’re pulling off this… half-baked disguise routine?"

Channing hesitated, glancing at me before speaking. "We think Mrs. Connor might be hiding something—something big."

Levi’s smirk faded, his expression growing serious. "Hiding what?"

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "We believe she framed someone, Levi. And we think she’s willing to hurt people to cover it up."

Levi’s face went pale. "What? Who?"

Before I could answer, the door swung open with an ominous creak, and my heart nearly stopped. Mrs. Connor stood in the doorway, her sharp eyes surveying the room. My stomach dropped, and I could feel Channing freeze beside me. Levi’s smirk vanished as he straightened up, suddenly alert.

"Well, well," Mrs. Connor’s voice dripped with venom, "what do we have here?"

Channing shuffled awkwardly, adjusting his wig one last time before pulling it off entirely, realizing there was no point in maintaining the charade. Levi, on the other hand, stepped forward, trying to block Mrs. Connor’s view of us.

"Mom," Levi started, his voice trembling slightly. "We were just…"

Mrs. Connor raised her hand, silencing him with a glare. "You think I don’t know what’s going on, Levi? Do you think I’m blind?"

The room felt like it was closing in on us as her words hung in the air. Channing and I exchanged nervous glances, but Levi stood his ground. "It’s not what you think," he said, his voice firm.

Mrs. Connor’s cold laughter filled the room, chilling me to the core. "You honestly think you can outsmart me? All of you? I’ve been playing this game for longer than you’ve been alive."

Her words were like a slap to the face. This was not a woman you could intimidate or easily fool. I felt a shiver run down my spine as her gaze landed on me, her eyes narrowing with disdain.

"Do you think I’m stupid, Ella?" she hissed, taking a step toward me. "That I wouldn’t notice you sneaking around with my son? Disrupting my family? You’re nothing but a meddler. A nobody."

"I’m not trying to disrupt anything," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I care about them—about Levi and Luke."

Mrs. Connor’s smile twisted into something cruel. "Care? You think your little infatuation means anything? You’re a distraction, nothing more."

My heart pounded, but I refused to back down. "I’m not scared of you."

Her smile widened. "You should be."

Levi tried to intervene, stepping between us, but Mrs. Connor’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. "You’ve always been a disappointment, Levi. Just like your brother. Pathetic."

Levi’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening. "I’m not a disappointment," he said through gritted teeth.

Mrs. Connor laughed, a hollow, mocking sound. "You’ve been a disappointment since the day you were born. And now, look at you—siding with them? Against me? You’re a fool."

Levi’s face contorted in anger, but before he could respond, Channing spoke up, his voice surprisingly steady. "We know what you did," he said, his eyes locking with Mrs. Connor’s. "We know you framed someone, and we’re going to prove it."

The room fell into a tense silence. Mrs. Connor’s eyes flicked to Channing, her smile never wavering. "Is that so?" she said softly. "And how do you plan to do that, dear boy?"

Channing didn’t flinch. "We have evidence."

Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second, just long enough for me to notice. She recovered quickly, but the damage was done. She knew we were onto her.

"Get out of my office," Mrs. Connor said coldly. "All of you."

We didn’t need to be told twice. Levi grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the door, while Channing followed closely behind. As we reached the hallway, Mrs. Connor’s voice echoed behind us. "This isn’t over."

I glanced back at her, my heart pounding in my chest. "No," I whispered. "It’s just beginning."