In her past life, she had always been the one Jasmine brutally beat down.
In a direct physical confrontation, she had never once been a match for Jasmine.
The moment the thought crossed her mind, a coppery taste flooded her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.
A numb, empty sensation settled in her mouth. She reached up and realized she had lost a tooth.
Lyra's fingers slowly curled into a fist as Marcus's words echoed in her mind:
[If you're going to play dirty with Jasmine, do it in the shadows. Never confront her face-to-face. I've seen her back muscles in an evening gown—she's definitely trained in martial arts.]
Blood oozed from the corner of her mouth as she curled up on the ground like a broken doll.
A second before she blacked out entirely, she forced out a single, barely audible word:
"...Uncle."
And with that, she lost consciousness completely.
...
Meanwhile, Rowan was stuck at a mandatory business dinner.
As drinks flowed freely in the private dining room, a line of servers streamed in. One of them, a girl who still had the innocent aura of a college student, stepped forward to serve a dish. The pink crystal bracelet on her wrist caught the light, glinting softly.
Rowan's gaze snapped to it.
Almost instinctively, he reached out and grabbed the girl's wrist.
The sudden movement plunged the entire room into silence. Everyone assumed the aloof CEO had finally taken an interest in someone.
But he immediately let go, his tone utterly devoid of emotion. "Apologies."
He paused, adding an explanation. "My girlfriend has the exact same bracelet."
The guests exchanged bewildered glances.
They had been ready to play matchmaker and set him up for a night of romance, but now they realized Rowan wasn't interested in the girl at all—he was solely focused on the jewelry.
"Where did you get that bracelet?" Rowan asked, looking up at her.
The girl's face flushed hot. She couldn't exactly admit she had found it lying on the street, so she mumbled vaguely, "...A friend gave it to me."
His expression remained ice-cold the entire ride.
In a different car, Elara was texting Jasmine: [Jasmine, why did you tell him?]
Jasmine looked grim as she typed back: [People were taking pictures. Rowan would have found out sooner or later.]
Besides, it was much better for him to hear about Lyra's unhinged behavior from someone else than for Jasmine to try and explain it herself. It maintained her dignity.
At the hospital, once Lyra regained a shred of clarity, Rowan stood by her bed, his tone utterly indifferent. "Jasmine told me she had no choice but to throw you."
"You pulled a knife on them. How could you be so reckless?"
"If your father were still alive, he wouldn't want to see you end up in prison."
Was she supposed to thank Jasmine for this?
Rowan turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him. Still lying in the hospital bed, Lyra pulled out her phone and struggled to dial a number. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she whispered into the receiver:
"I need you all to come back. I want you to swallow... Ford Enterprises whole."

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