It wasn't real.
It was all some cruel nightmare.
At least that's what you'd like to believe.
Anything was easier to believe than the reality you were facing right now. In the span of twenty-four hours, your life has taken a change for the worst, the worst you could ever imagine.
Everyone, with the exception of Levi, was in the spare room due to the press outside and the police wanting to ask some questions. It was extremely small compared to the other one you were previously in, the air feeling stuffy due to all the tension. No one dared to say anything, if there was anything to say.
You were standing in a corner against the wall, your [e/c] eyes glued to the ground. Armin and Pieck sat on the leather couch together, holding each other's hand in comfort. Moblit was pacing back and forth, making calls to who you assumed was Hange and some lawyers. Mikasa and Jean stood on the other side of the room, her eyes containing to gaze menacingly at you. Reiner and Erwin were talking to each other, you weren't sure of what though.
"Thank you Hange, please keep me updated," Moblit says, breaking the dreadful silence. Erwin's blue eyes look up at him, "What did Hange say?"
"Doesn't look too good," he sighs, "Lawyers say this will be an extremely difficult case to overrule, let alone prove his innocence. I refused to believe the boss had anything to do with this, but everything points to him. They will do all they can — but for the time being, Levi will unfortunately be facing time in prison."
prison.
Your felt your blood turn cold at the mention of that word.
"Oh my god," Mikasa says, her hand covering her mouth, "I-I need to call Kuchel."
Your heart hurt at the mention of Levi's mom, how confused and distraught she must be right now.
kuchel, poor kuchel.
Erwin's demeanor grew furious, slamming the coffee table in front of him, "How is this possible!? Levi is not a murderer."
You and Erwin both knew that wasn't the whole truth, but Levi was not capable of killing an innocent man like Willy Tybur. He had no reason to, unlike the criminals he faced in the underground.
Only you and Erwin knew that in this room. Maybe Mikasa. You really hoped the police didn't.
"We need to leave this place and get back to Paradis with the others," Pieck says, glancing towards you. You didn't dare to look up at anyone, it was too humiliating. Her gaze softened as she looked at you, wishing you would talk to her. Pieck knew how you were though, always bottling things in; never expecting it to blow up. But when it did, you shut down completely.
She's seen it happen first hand; when you got cheated on by that one guy freshman year of college, or when you were denied from the two other internships you applied for, thinking your career was over before it even started. But nothing of what she's witnessed was to this extent — it scared her.
"You're right, but it'll be a challenge," Jean began with an discouraging tone, his face written with stress all over it, "The press is going to be on our ass; especially when we arrive in Paradis."
Paradis. The company. You thought of your place, and your work, and wanted to sob once more. Your eyes stayed glossy, refusing the tears to stain your cheeks again.
You felt ruined. You felt extreme guilt when thinking of Levi's detainment, wondering what he must be going through right now. You shattered his heart, and now he has to deal with matters beyond his control. Everything was too much for you, it felt as if your head was spinning uncontrollably.
"Alright," Erwin announces, everyone looking towards him as he gets up from his seat, "Let's get this over with. We're leaving."
"Sir, I hate to defy you but..." Moblit says as he points towards the window. You turned your head slightly, looking down. Your hand immediately covers your mouth in absolute shock.
holy fuck.
Hundreds of people crowded in front of the building, like nothing you've ever seen before.
"Holy fuck," Reiner mutters. They looked like ants from the view you all had, a massing overwhelming feeling entering you all. Moblit grabs the remote that fell off from the table, turning on the TV.
The first channel that appeared was the news, the headline being "Ackerman Inc. CEO arrested for murder."
"I am here outside of the national conference for technological advances in Marley where news just broke out of CEO Levi Ackerman arrested for the murder of William Tybur. Mr. Tybur was found shot in the head four months ago, the initial cause of death being ruled as suicide-"
The reporter stops talking as the commotion between the crowd shoves her. The camera view shakes a bit, finally becoming stable; revealing Levi walking out of the building.
You shut your eyes in anguish; he looked absolutely broken. His eyes. They had no motive, no expression, nothing behind them. He walked idly, a limp body being pushed by officers into a car, sending him to a place he didn't deserve to be at.
"We will keep you all updated as this story develops."
"Mr. Ackerman..." Armin mutters solemnly, "We can't just stand here and do nothing."
"I agree," Reiner stands up, nodding, "Let's go back, meet up with the others and figure something out."
The head of police enters the room along with another police officer, catching everyone's attention. He places his hands on his hips, "Alright, we're going to ask you all some questions. Starting with Mr. Smith, please come with me. Ms. L/n, please follow officer Hoover as he will be asking you questions as well."
You look towards the officer, a short plump man who kept eyeing you, making you feel very uncomfortable. You gave an uneasy look but nevertheless nodded and walked outside, heading into another spare room. He closed the door, you desperately wanting to get this over with.
"Go ahead and sit, Ms. L/n," he says. There was a table with two chairs on opposite ends, you sitting on the one nearest to the door. He sits down as well, taking a paper out to document any important details you might mention.
"Can you please state your name and your position with the company?"
"Y/n L/n, a chemical engineer at Ackerman Inc."
"Thank you," he says, writing your name down, "So, Ms. L/n, how long have you been working under Mr. Ackerman?"
You take a moment to think, so much happening since then making it hard to get the exact time frame.
"I'd say about six months, officer."
have six months really passed...
"So pretty recent," he nods, "How would you describe Mr. Ackerman's behavior and attitude when working? Anything out of the ordinary, or concerning maybe?"
You stared at the officer, not sure what to say. Though you knew he was innocent, anything said in the wrong context could be used against him.
"Mr. Ackerman is very thorough, to the point. Not the most ecstatic person you'll meet, but he is not a wall either," you began, "He lets his ideas be known and clear, as well as his expectations. He believes in every one of his employees, his company is everything to him. He'd never do anything to jeopardize it."
The officer stares at you, his eyes squinting. You stared back, "Is something wrong, officer?"
He frowns, shaking his head, "Not at all. Well, I believe that's all I have for you."
You smile, beginning to get up from your seat, "Very we-"
"- Actually, there is another thing I'd like to ask you, Ms.L/n. In regards to your relationship with Mr. Ackerman," the officer says, his tone turning dark as he interrupted you.
Your smile slowly faded as you sat back down, feeling uncomfortable once again. You respond politely, "Yes?"
"We are aware of your... personal matters with Mr. Ackerman. Though unlike him, we at the police department can not be swayed by any...tactics you are used to. We can count on your truthful statements, and you will tell us anything you may know in regard to this case. Am I correct?"
what the fuck did he just say.
His eyes followed your body, shamelessly staring at your cleavage, looking back up at your face. Your eyes lowered in anger, "If I had anything to say in regards to Mr. Ackerman and this case, It has been said already. Was that all, officer?"
He smirks, clearly mocking you and satisfied by the reaction he received, "That is all."
Before you open the door, you turn back around sharply, "He's innocent, I have no doubt of it."
Officer Hoover stares blankly at you, "We shall see about that."
"Yes, we will."
You immediately walked back into the conference room furiously, slamming the door behind you. Everyone except for Erwin, who was still being questioned, stared concerned. Pieck stands up from the couch, looking at you with worried eyes.
"What happened?" Moblit asks. You look at everyone else, them waiting as well, "They just asked me questions about Levi. They also questioned my credibility, for obvious reasons."
You've never felt so belittled before. The way the officer stared at you disgustingly, mocking you the whole time. It enraged you how you were not taken seriously, how even in your attempt to help Levi show his innocence, it would mean nothing. You began to walk towards the corner, seething in frustration and anger, choosing to let it out on the one person to blame in this room that was not you.
Jean warns you as you walked straight towards Mikasa with a dangerous gleam in your eyes, "Don't you dare touch-"
"Step back, Kirstein." you spit out infuriatingly, gazing at Mikasa. She stayed frozen as you were now inches away from her face, "So, are you satisfied?"
"You've humiliated this whole company, not only me. You ruined any credibility I may have towards this case, YOUR UNCLE'S CASE," you shouted, "For what? A small, incredibly selfish moment of revenge? Are you really that low? That vile?"
Armin calls out to you, "Okay Y/n, I think she–"
"I wasn't finished," you blurt out hastily.
"You know what, you should feel threatened by me. I didn't get this job because of Levi, the only person that helped me get this position was myself. You want to talk about hard work and dedication? Look where we are at right now. I was the one on that stage because I am damn good at my job and you know it. You can't take that away from me, Mikasa. I may be known as a slut, but all you'll ever be is an insecure, self-centered bitch."
You shook uncontrollably in anger, feeling your veins pop out of your skin. She was left speechless, the room dead silent. What could she possibly say, you were right. Everyone in this room knew you were right, but at this moment you were someone they'd never seen before. You slowly stepped back, walking outside to the hall. You exhaled harshly as you slowly slid down to the floor, bringing your knees to your chest.
You felt fragile. Like a glass box with rocks being thrown against it, leaving cracks all over, to the point it simply shatters altogether. It felt as if everyone was looking right through, assuming they knew everything about you. Truth was, they didn't know a damn thing.
The door opens, and your eyes look up to see Pieck. They avert quickly back to the cold ground, avoiding any eye contact with her. She says nothing as she goes to sit right next to you.
"..."
"Hey."
"Hey."
"..."
"..."
"So... is he 'bar guy'?" she asks quietly, breaking the silence as her doe eyes look at you. You nod slowly, silently admitting it.
"Oh god," she sighs deeply, running her hands through her black hair.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" her voice cracks.
You refused to look at her, your face filled with so much shame, "I couldn't tell anyone, it was too risky."
"Really, Y/n?," Pieck scoffs, clearly offended, "C'mon, it's me. I'm not just anyone." she softly says. A tear slowly trailed down your cheek as you clenched your eyes together, "I know."
"I, I didn't want to be judged. I feared for something like this to happen."
Pieck kneels in front of you, grabbing both of your hands. You look back at her pale face, small strands of her jet black hair falling to the front, "I would never judge you- not even now, not at all. You are the most hard-working, most stubborn person I know. It's an insult to even assume you've been sleeping with Mr. Ackerman for an advantage."
"You didn't deserve this, I'm sorry Y/n."
"No Pieck, I'm sorry. For lying, for the secrets, for being such a shitty friend. You are completely right, if anyone deserved to know about this, it was you. I am so, so sorry," you began to cry, Pieck embracing you. Your arms naturally embrace her, her warmth bringing you comfort.
"How long has this been going on?" Pieck asks, your head still on her chest. You could hear her heart beat, it somehow soothing you.
"Since the banquet," you admitted, "We've been together, well we were together, for four months."
"Were?"
Your lip quivered at her response, "I ended things today," you said out loud for the first time. It hurt even more once you spoke, it settling in deeper. You could feel her sigh, "Fuck."
"Yeah."
"..."
"..."
"That was a good hit, by the way. Knocked the bitch down."
You let out a small, dry laugh. The corners of Pieck's lips curve up as she hears you. She begins to laugh as well, immediately soothing your aches a bit. You began to feel some wave of relief in knowing that at least in all this chaos, you still had Pieck.
Your bestest friend.
Five long, gruesome hours have passed and you were all given the green light to go back to Paradis. The press was still alive outside the building, despite them already capturing their shots of a detained Levi leaving the building and entering a cop car.
"Wear this," Pieck says, grabbing a pair of black sunglasses out of her purse and handing them to you. You take them, putting them on, "Thank you."
Armin gives you his brown suit jacket as well, "Here, they most likely know what you're wearing, but it doesn't hurt to try to divert them away a bit," he says as well, giving you a reassuring smile.
"Thank you, Armin. Really," you genuinely say, your gaze softening at his efforts, "I'm so sorry for all of this, I didn't want you do be dragged into this mess."
Armin places his hands on your shoulders, "Stop apologizing, Y/n. This isn't your fault. Look, I-I can't justify what Mikasa did... and although it hurt me as well, I know she's not in the right headspace right now," he sighs, "And I cant speak for everyone, but just know that I do not judge you for anything you have done with Mr. Ackerman. I've worked beside you long enough to know your character, and you are not what the public may say you are."
You hug him suddenly, his blue eyes stunned at the abrupt action. His hands finally wrap around you, patting your back. You smile as your chin rests over his shoulder, "Thank you."
"Of course."
Erwin finally walks back inside, somehow in a worse mood than he was earlier, "We're leaving."
Reiner gives him a weary look, "Sir, what about the pre-"
"Have you all forgotten what I said earlier? Do not answer any questions," Erwin says sternly, his eyes locking with yours, "Especially you."
You gulped, nodding nervously. Erwin was scary when he was mad.
Jean and Mikasa left first, being in the front so there was a good amount of distance between the two of you. You, Pieck, and Armin were the last ones to leave the room, making your way to the front lobby.
You were all informed that the conference did, in fact proceed after your presentation. The family of Willy Tybur was notified during the conference as well, leaving to go back to their home when hearing the news. You weren't sure why specifically during the conference, if you hadn't ran off, the police would most likely have arrested Levi in front of everybody. It lingered in your mind how this all unfolded.
Or rather, who unfolded it.
You remember Levi's words from the day you both left the Ackerman estate;
"You don't actually believe someone killed him, right?"
"I don't know. One thing is for sure, anyone with a shitload of money and high status will always have a price on their head; that includes me."
Levi was well aware of the fact that he had many, many enemies around him, near or far. Anyone with a shitload of money and high status will always have a price on their head, that part was for certain;
but who placed the price?
This clouded your mind as you kept walking, your thoughts immediately being interrupted once reaching the exit. You were so distracted, you didn't even notice when passing Zeke Yeager and Colt Grice, who both eyed your every step despite talking to fellow tech employees in the lobby.
"Beautiful presentation, Mr. Grice," Ms. Azumabito says, "I'm sorry it was overshadowed by such tragic news, I still can't wrap my head around it," she shakes her head, placing her hand on top of her chest.
Zeke places a hand on Colt's shoulder, "Yes, very tragic. We shall keep the Tybur family in our thoughts," he says solemnly, a tear falling down from his cheek, "I'm just glad my dear friend got the justice he deserved. May Willy finally rest."
The doors of the front lobby opened, and you were met by the now familiar flashing lights and shouts. You kept you head down and walk straight, Pieck holding your arm the whole way.
"Mr. Smith! Please give a statement about today's news!"
"How will Ackerman Inc. proceed without Mr. Ackerman!?"
"Ackerman deserves life! Murderer!"
"You should all be ashamed!"
"Who's the employee!?"
"Yeah!? Who is she!?"
Your heart stopped as you heard the last comment, making your knees shake. Pieck grasps your arm tighter, "It's okay, keep going. We're almost there."
You nodded, cancelling out anything else they might have said. Once you all reached the limo, you took a deep sigh out of relief as you took the sunglasses off.
"That was horrible," Reiner mutters, "Wait, none of them mentioned Y/n."
"I noticed that too," Armin says, looking towards you, "It seems like they don't have your identity quite yet."
"And they won't."
You all turn to face Erwin, your mouth agape at the words he uttered, "W-what?"
"You can thank Rico."
"Who's that?" Pieck questions. Erwin smirks, "Levi's personal publicist, also the company's head of PR. She doesn't do much for Levi since he stays out of the public eye, but when she does, she gets the job done."
"She had to get what happened at the conference that out the way before dealing with the real obstacle; his arrest."
Erwin looks towards you, "You should thank her when we head back, after she chews you out."
You felt your chest slowly go down, relieved that at least your name wouldn't be on magazine headlines and articles. But, the tech world was like any other; people loved to talk, especially when it came to the judgement of one's character. You braced yourself for what would be coming next; gossip spreading around like wildfire.
Nevertheless, you were grateful for whoever this Rico person was.
"Speaking of heading back," said Moblit with an uneasy tone, "What will happen, with um, certain people's employment?"
Everyone stays silent, your eyes slowly trailing to Mikasa. She was silent this whole time, not uttering one word, not even to Jean. You left quite the effect on her in the conference room, her eyes low with no expression on her face.
Erwin's tone turns serious again, "That, we will discuss once we're all back together."
not all of us, per say.
The sun began its departure when you all arrived back in San Paradis, orange hues from the sky welcoming you all once landing on the company roof. You grabbed your bags, walking down the stairs once again. You see Hange waiting, their arms crossed as they waited for you all to get off the jet.
"Hange," you say as you walk towards them. Their face was incredibly still, your heart beating faster by the minute.
"Hi, dear. Welcome back," they say softly. You felt your tears try to resurface, this time out of relief that Hange did not absolutely hate you right now.
Hange greets everyone except for Mikasa, walking towards Moblit and Erwin, "Glad you're all back in one piece," they sigh, "Now what the hell are we gonna do."
The elevator ride down was nerve wracking on its own. You were clutching your luggage handle and tapping your foot uncontrollably. Pieck and Armin were still beside you, but they couldn't possibly relate to the overwhelming anxiety you were feeling at the moment.
The doors open, revealing almost every employee in the building waiting for you all, leaning against the side. You felt your heart sink, looking at their faces as the stared at you, some with criticism, others with pity. You then catch Eren, Sasha, and Connie; whose faces were weary and still. Eren breaks eye contact with you, looking off to the side.
ouch.
You began to walk, the hall somehow feeling as if it was becoming elongated with every step you took. Their faces were never ending, all on you as if you were some creature, something that didn't have any feelings. That's exactly how it felt, their stares; full of judgment, no empathy in sight.
You heard Floch scoff as you walked past him, him muttering "Ridiculous." The others said hi to Pieck and Armin, the occasional "Welcome back" being uttered. You reach the end, where you saw Petra, her arms crossed and an angered expression. She eyes you up and down as walks right past you, "Unbelievable," she mutters, bumping into your shoulder.
Erwin stands in the middle of the hall, everyone waiting to hear what he says, "I'm sure you all have heard the news by now; Levi will not be with us, for who knows how long. For the time being I will be in charge, and Hange will be stepping up as interim COO," he announces, "I expect all of you here tomorrow morning, where we will have an official meeting to discuss all matters. You are all dismissed."
Everyone begins their conversations once more, departing from the hall. You and Pieck glance at each other, "See, that wasn't too bad, right?" she says, trying to comfort you.
"Sure," you mutter sarcastically. You both turn back to see Erwin who was walking towards you, "We will discuss privately after the meeting, understood?"
You nod your head nervously in agreement, "Yes sir."
He gives you a small nod back as he walks away, leaving you and Pieck alone, standing still for a second. She lightly taps your shoulder, breaking you out of your trance, "Let's go home?"
A small smile creeps up on your face, "Yeah."
"I am passing the fuck out when we get home," Pieck says as you both walk out of the company building, heading to her car, "I don't think I've ever missed my bed so much."
Pieck turns to look at you, wondering why you weren't responding to anything she was saying, "Hey, you okay?"
"What?"
"I asked if you were okay," she repeats herself, "How are you feeling?"
You shake your head and give her your best fake smile, "I'm good."
She squints her eyes, unlocking her car as you both got closer to it , "You sure?"
"Yup."
She hums in response, getting into the car. You opened your door, about to get in before immediately stopping.
wait.
You stand still, not getting into the car. Pieck sits down in the driver's seat as she calls out to you once more, "What's wrong?"
"I have to go do something," you announce. Pieck pauses before she responds, giving you a confused look, "Okay, I'll take-"
"No. It's okay, trust me," you reassure her, placing your luggage inside her car. You close the door and step back onto the curb, "I'll be fine, swear."
Pieck's pouty lips slowly turn into a soft smile, deciding not to banter with you, "Okay, see ya at home."
You wave as she drives off, leaving you on the sidewalk was you waited for a cab. You closed your eyes in attempts to compose your aching chest, realizing you had one last stop before heading home.
"Ms. Y/n, you are back," Dorota says as she opens the door, holding Kuroo with her other arm. Her eyes looked at you with such sympathy, her face saddened as well. You grab Kuroo and walk into Levi's empty penthouse, "So, I'm guessing you know?"
She nods sullenly, "I'm afraid so."
You sigh, slowly petting kuroo as you walk around the living room. You glance at his coffee table, where he had his favorite books and the newspaper laid out. You look towards the dining table at the far end, where you both would eat breakfast together.
It was extremely silent, your heels almost echoing as you walked into the kitchen, seeing his little assortment of tea and teacups. To the side your coffee mug covered with black cats around the base. He bought it for as a gift for your promotion, since he knew you weren't the biggest fan of tea.
You turn to face Dorota, "Where will you go, Dorota? Mr. Levi won't be here for a while."
"Mr. Levi mom, Ms. Kuchel, is letting me work at her house. Very kind lady," she responds as she fiddles with her apron. You smile in relief, "Yes, very kind lady."
It feel silent once more as you slowly made your way to Levi's bedroom. It was his favorite place, his walls were made up of big, tall windows, the view almost overwhelming to look at. The floors were this grey marble texture, cold to the touch. His bed was massive, linen white sheets on top. To one it may have not brought any peace or comfort, but to Levi, this was his ideal place to call home.
You furrow your brows as you notice his bed was unmade, which was not like him. Even his favorite grey shirt was thrown on his chair.
"He was in a rush this morning," Dorota says as she enters the room, "I haven't had chance to clean Mr. Levi's room, with Mr. Kuroo here and the police coming to inspect the place."
You were taken aback as you heard her say "this morning." This was the most painfully longest day of your life. So much has happened, too much for you to handle.
"I can clean-"
"No," you blurt out, "It's okay, Dorota. Please leave everything as it is."
"You can go, I'll make sure to lock the place before I leave."
"Of course, have a good night, Ms. Y/n."
You placed Kuroo down on the floor, him wandering around. Once you hear Dorota leave the penthouse, you began to silently cry, as you found yourself alone for the first time since everything happened.
You then let everything out, not caring if your cries were echoing through the room, or if your mascara ran down your face. You held your arms around your body, slowly laying down on Levi's bed. You swore it still had his scent, his warmth. You wished it had him, his usual grumpy face relaxed as it rested on his pillow, your favorite view to look at.
You kept replaying his voice in your head, how he said he loved you, how he swore you were everything to him. How you shattered his heart.
You cursed and beat yourself up for how stupid you were. For making that choice that one night at the bar. For confessing you wanted to be with him that one rainy night. For falling head over heels for your boss. For letting what other people think get in front of what was real, what was genuine; Levi.
But, you decided to no longer dwell on what was already said and done. Right now, the only thing on your mind was Levi's innocence, it physically hurt you how you felt like you couldn't do anything.
can i really not do anything, y/n?
No, that wasn't true. The truth of it all, was there was something you could do. Something you told yourself you wouldn't do.
You immediately got up from his bed, frantically thinking about what to do next. You ran your hands through your hair, slowly scrunching it as you closed your eyes.
yes, you can do something.
You ran to get your phone from the kitchen counter, trying to remember the certain number you had to dial as you walked back into the room.
In one last, final act of desperation, you called the one person you swore you never would. As the phone rang, you thought of Levi and his future that was on the line — in your eyes, he was bigger than anything you've ever sworn to.
"Federal Bureau of Private Investigation, how may we help you?"
"I'd like to speak to Mr. Theo Magath," your voice shakes, grasping your phone harshly as you hold it up to your ear.
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Magath is bu-"
"Busy at the moment," you finish the sentence, "I know, but this is of utmost importance, could you please let me speak to him," you plead, walking back and forth, "Please."
"Let me see if I can redirect you to his line. To whom am I speaking?"
You stop in front of the windows in Levi's penthouse, looking out at the night sky, refusing to let another hour pass feeling helpless once again.
for Levi.
"This is Y/n L/n, let Mr. Magath know his daughter is asking for him."
-
thank you for reading, ♡
i've stared at this chapter for so long i'm sorry if there are any typos or errors i didn't catch !!