She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 103

Lyra remembered that night vividly, too.

Jasmine had been so fragile, her pride shattered by a single sentence, bolting from the room in tears.

Back then, Lyra hadn't caught the undercurrents. She had just chased after Jasmine to comfort her. But looking back with perfect clarity, she finally understood.

"He doesn't acknowledge people he doesn't care about," Lyra said quietly. "He wouldn't have bothered making a comment like that if he wasn't already interested."

Saving his life in that crash? It was just a convenient excuse.

It didn't matter what happened. It only mattered that it was Jasmine. He had wanted it to be her all along.

"Lyra..." Madeline's heart broke for her best friend. She pulled Lyra into a fierce hug, unable to find the words.

It was all so agonizingly unfair.

Lyra just smiled, a quiet acceptance settling over her. She hadn't realized how early Rowan had been captivated by Jasmine. His obsession had been buried deep, making Lyra blind to the fact that she never even stood a chance.

She had suffered a lifetime for that ignorance.

She wouldn't be that foolish girl ever again.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the two friends quickly pulled apart.

"I need to get back to the office," Lyra said. "Keep your head down. No more impulsive stunts, okay?"

"I know," Madeline muttered, finally understanding the gravity of the situation. Recklessness would only put a bigger target on the Vance family and on Lyra. She had severely underestimated Rowan's retaliation.

Lyra stood up. Just as she reached the door, Mrs. Vance walked in.

Lyra faced the older woman respectfully. "Mrs. Vance, I am so sorry. This is my fault. I failed to handle my own mess, and it dragged your family into a nightmare. I know apologies don't fix anything, but if there is ever anything Fairchild Holdings can do to help, I will do everything in my power..."

Lyra spoke from the heart.

Mrs. Vance's expression remained rigid, her posture defensive.

Lyra took the hint and stepped out into the hallway. As she walked away, Mrs. Vance's sharp voice drifted through the cracked door.

Lyra took a deep breath, shifted into drive, and headed for Fairchild Holdings.

It was past six, and the corporate offices were deserted. Only the Research and Development department still had its lights on.

Lyra pushed open the glass doors.

To her surprise, Quentin Pierce was still at his desk, intensely focused on his monitors.

"You haven't clocked out yet?" Lyra asked, breaking the silence.

Quentin was essentially the crown jewel of the R&D division. The moment he joined the company, Lyra had convinced her father to offer him a massive compensation package and an executive title. The rest of the staff quickly saw his undeniable genius and treated him with absolute reverence.

"I'm here voluntarily. Almost done," Quentin muttered, barely glancing away from his screens. His fingers flew across the keyboard in a frantic rhythm.

Lyra nodded and quietly took a seat at an empty cubicle a polite distance away, not wanting to break his concentration. She picked up an advanced algorithm textbook left on the desk and started flipping through the pages.

When Quentin finally pushed his chair back and stood up, he was startled to see Lyra still there, silently reading in the dim light.