I Chose Me Over My Marriage novel Chapter 226

They bumped into each other head-on.

In that instant, both sides stopped in their tracks.

Trailing behind Nathaniel, Maxwell saw Lyra like this for the very first time.

In his memory, she had always preferred black and white tones.

Seeing her now instantly took him back to when she was sixteen or seventeen.

Even back then, she had been breathtakingly beautiful.

At school, she was the dream girl of countless guys.

But back then, he had been so convinced those love letters were from Aria that he never paid Lyra much attention.

He had missed out on so much time.

He had missed the best years of her life.

While Maxwell was lost in these thoughts, he completely failed to notice the flash of astonishment—and the deep contemplation—in Nathaniel's eyes when he saw Lyra's outfit.

Lyra snapped out of it first. Surprised to see the two of them there, her brow furrowed, and her eyes filled with visible disgust.

She had looked into Nathaniel before; when he was abroad, he had been heavily involved in philanthropy, donating substantial amounts.

So no matter what kind of person he was behind closed doors, his public persona was at least decent.

That alone made him better than most.

"Ms. Lennox, it's been a while," Nathaniel greeted her first.

Lyra offered a faint smile. "Mr. Jude, it really has been a while since we last met. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I've spent most of my time overseas, but my wife was from Averston, so I've always maintained close ties to this city."

Suddenly, she wasn't in a hurry to leave.

Since Maxwell was here, there might just be a good show to watch.

Lyra flashed a meaningful smile, turned around, and went back to her seat.

Nathaniel pulled his gaze away and looked at Maxwell, his expression stripped of the politeness he had just shown Lyra.

"Your burden is heavier now, so think carefully about your next steps. Our betting agreement is almost up, and whether or not there will be additional investment—and how much—is entirely up to you."

It was both a reminder and a warning for Maxwell to snap back to reality.

Maxwell understood perfectly. He didn't say a word as he slowly walked toward the crowd.

Seeing this, Nathaniel nodded in satisfaction.