She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“Jasmine’s father?” Caleb frowned, utterly confused as to why the man was even here. The Ford family’s business was on life support, they certainly didn’t have the capital or influence to secure an invite to an event of this magnitude.

“Look at who’s standing next to him.”

Caleb followed her gaze, and his expression instantly darkened.

Standing faithfully at Jonathan Ford’s side was Wesley Wade, Rowan’s right-hand man and chief secretary.

In Seaborne City’s corporate circles, seeing Wesley was equivalent to seeing Rowan himself.

Yet here was Rowan’s most trusted executive, acting as a glorified guide, respectfully introducing Jonathan to the city’s most powerful billionaires.

Caleb’s blood ran cold. He quickly scanned the ballroom.

Neither Rowan nor Jasmine were present.

But even in his absence, Rowan had orchestrated everything to elevate Jonathan Ford.

Nearby, a few executives were whispering about the sudden appearance of the Ford patriarch.

“I heard Jonathan Ford is the father of Rowan Jameson’s new favorite girl.”

“Ah, so he’s the future father-in-law? No wonder Wesley Wade is guarding him like a hawk.”

“Rumor has it his daughter saved Rowan’s life. Makes sense that Rowan is paying back the favor in spades…”

“Say what you want, but Jonathan is a brilliant opportunist. Now that he’s secured an alliance with Rowan, the Ford family is going to skyrocket.”

“Having a daughter is the ultimate investment, isn’t it? As long as she marries up, the whole family ascends.”

“Exactly.”

Hearing the blatant gossip, a freezing chill washed over Caleb. The Ford family’s primary business model overlapped with Fairchild Holdings by nearly eighty percent. If Rowan was injecting his infinite resources into the Fords, he was deliberately sanctioning an attack on the Fairchild empire.

Rowan truly had zero respect for their family.

Lyra remained entirely unfazed. She had learned this lesson the hard way in her past life. She knew exactly how far Rowan would go for Jasmine, violently extending his protection to her entire family.

Caleb, however, was reeling. When his sister had warned him that Rowan would weaponize the Ford family against them, he thought she was being dramatic.

Now, seeing it unfold before his eyes, his heart plummeted.

He had no choice but to immediately treat the Fords as a massive, lethal threat.

After thoroughly scanning the room and confirming Rowan’s absence, Caleb spotted Waylon Grayson walking toward them.

“Mr. Fairchild.”

Waylon greeted him smoothly. “If you’re looking for Rowan, he’s out of town on a business trip.”

“And the man standing next to Wesley Wade?” Caleb asked, feigning ignorance.

“Jonathan Ford,” Waylon replied, fully aware of the political tension. He had already spoken with Jonathan before the Fairchild siblings arrived. “Even while away on business, Rowan made sure Jasmine’s father was treated like royalty tonight.”

“Rowan is deadly serious this time…” Waylon trailed off, glancing at Lyra with a flicker of genuine pity in his eyes.

But as he studied her face, he froze.

“How are you adjusting to the corporate world?”

“Everything is fine,” she answered with a brief, dismissive tone. Waylon easily caught the hint that she had no desire to continue the conversation.

A few minutes later, Caleb returned. From then on, Caleb handled all the networking, chatting extensively with Waylon and later with the CEO of an investment firm.

Lyra wandered off to get some fresh air, and by the time she returned, Waylon was gone.

An hour later, the Fairchild siblings quietly exited the banquet.

As they left, Wesley Wade and Jonathan Ford were still holding court in the center of the room.

Seeing Wesley tonight had violently triggered Lyra, leaving her in a terrible state by the time she returned home.

During the agonizing months leading up to her divorce in her previous life, Rowan had completely vanished. Wesley was the one who handled every single agonizing detail on Rowan’s behalf.

When they negotiated the divorce terms, Wesley was the one sitting across the table.

When she tried to confront Jasmine, Wesley was the one who deployed security to block her.

Even after she was forced to sign the papers, she wasn’t allowed to see Rowan one last time.

He had become a ghost, utterly unreachable.

The only time she finally managed to track him down was when she broke into the Ford family’s private residence.

There, she found Rowan sitting comfortably at the dining table, having a warm, intimate dinner with Jonathan Ford and his family. The divorce hadn’t even been finalized yet, but Rowan was already playing the perfect son-in-law for the Fords.

The suffocating weight of those memories crushed her chest, guaranteeing Lyra wouldn’t sleep a wink that night.