She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 170

The voice on the other end of the line was absolute. "The R&D Department confirmed it. There's no mistake. She's the one who proposed the core framework."

Rowan let out a low breath. "Got it."

He hung up and walked back to the dining table.

Every eye at the table immediately locked onto him. Grandma Ford, Jonathan, Tabitha... everyone held their breath, waiting for him to sit before they dared resume their meal.

Noticing his shift in demeanor, Jasmine asked with deep concern, "Rowan, did something happen?"

"It's nothing. Just some business."

Rowan sat back down, picking up his fork. He maintained his flawless facade of polite composure, quietly sitting through the rest of the meal with the Ford family.

He offered brief, mechanical replies to their relentless small talk, but his mind was miles away.

Jasmine was the only one who noticed.

She had heard him say Lyra's name on the phone.

Jasmine tightened her grip on her fork until her knuckles turned white. Was Lyra deliberately trying to ruin this perfect moment for her? If she was, Jasmine would make her pay.

After lunch, Rowan didn't linger. The Fords escorted him outside to his car, which he had driven himself and parked just down the driveway.

He walked toward his vehicle with a commanding stride, but Jasmine caught a faint, unmistakable edge of urgency in his movements.

Opening the car door, he glanced back and gave a perfunctory nod of farewell before sliding into the driver's seat.

The engine let out a low, predatory growl before the car surged forward smoothly but incredibly fast, quickly disappearing until only the taillights were visible. Finn watched in utter awe, fiercely envious of the exotic sports car.

"You don't need to go through all that trouble, Caleb," Lyra said, shaking her head as she closed her laptop. "I'll just head down to the cafeteria. It's quick and easy."

Just as she stood up to leave, her phone rang. It was Madeline.

"Lyra, come hang out with me for lunch! I don't have classes this afternoon. Let's go get our nails done..."

"I can't—" Lyra started to decline, but Caleb gently shoved her toward the door. "Go, go! I'll finish up whatever you have left when I get back this afternoon."

"Take a break and get your nails done."

Madeline heard everything loud and clear over the phone and immediately started cheering. "Thank you, Caleb! You really are the best brother Lyra could ask for."

Stumbling forward from his push, Lyra felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. She grabbed her purse and let out a helpless sigh into the phone. "Alright... I'm on my way."