She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 13

Lyra met Madeline Vance for lunch in a private room on the second floor of a high-end restaurant. She had asked Maddie to connect her with a luxury reseller, and the buyer was coming over to appraise the goods. Since it was lunchtime and the buyer was an acquaintance of Maddie's, Lyra decided to treat them to a meal.

As lunch wrapped up, the appraiser excused himself to use the restroom.

Maddie leaned across the table. "Why the sudden need to sell your bags? I thought you were just joking last time."

"I need the cash," Lyra replied simply.

"Are you having financial trouble? Did your parents cut you off because of the whole mess with Rowan?" Maddie could only assume Arthur and Delilah were punishing her for Rowan's infidelity. "If you need money, I can lend it to you. You really don't have to sell your bags... aren't they practically decorative pieces to you?"

Lyra smiled softly, knowing her friend genuinely cared. "They're just taking up space."

Taking up space? Maddie stared at her, utterly convinced Lyra was having a mental breakdown from heartbreak.

"You've heard the rumors, haven't you?" Maddie let out a heavy sigh. "It's true. During the six months you were gone, Jasmine got incredibly close with Lucas, Waylon, and the rest of them. They treat her like one of the boys now."

"And Rowan... he spoils her rotten. You know he's allergic to pollen, right? But he actually wore a mask just to buy Jasmine flowers himself."

"At the charity gala, he didn't just bid on jewelry for her, he bought millions of dollars' worth of antiques and gifts for her parents, her grandmother, and her brother."

Lyra paused for a moment. He certainly knew how to be romantic now. In her previous life, during their entire marriage, he had been nothing but cold, rigid, and brutally unromantic.

"But Lyra," Maddie said, sounding both frustrated and faintly envious, "why did you have to leave for half a year? By the time you came back, they had already built this massive foundation. Now you're the one pushed out. If you had just stayed, all of that could have been yours, and you wouldn't be sitting here selling your bags."

Lyra lowered her gaze. In her past life, she hadn't left. She had stayed and fought Jasmine tooth and nail. She had loudly objected to their relationship, screaming to anyone who would listen that she was the one who had actually saved Rowan's life. But no one believed her. Rowan definitely didn't believe her. He just thought she was a deranged, jealous lunatic.

Given a second chance, she was more than happy to let those two lock themselves in a toxic embrace. Once a mad dog set its sights on you, your life was over. If Jasmine wanted him so badly, she could have him.

Lyra had let it all go. Her only focus now was making money. She needed capital. Investments, stocks, crypto, they all required cash.

Rowan and Jasmine walked past without glancing their way, led by the restaurant's general manager. Lyra let out a silent breath of relief as they disappeared onto the landing.

However, Lucas, who was trailing at the back of the group, glanced over his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of a figure bundled up in a coat and scarf. He thought the girl's silhouette looked exactly like Lyra Fairchild.

He considered pointing it out to Rowan but quickly swallowed the thought. Rowan wouldn't care anyway.

A few minutes later, Lyra and the appraiser stood by the entrance waiting for Maddie.

The appraiser shook his head in awe. "Did you see that? That was the CEO of the Jameson Group. Young, brilliant, and absolutely ruthless. Some media outlets were whispering he might be gay, but clearly, he's got a girlfriend."

Anyone with eyes could see the romantic tension between Rowan and Jasmine.

Lyra nodded calmly. "Good for them."