She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Once the holiday feast was set on the table, Arthur finally walked through the door.

On a night like this, Arthur only ever wanted to be with his wife and children, no matter how relentlessly his business associates tried to keep him out.

He handed out thick envelopes of cash to everyone-crisp, sequential bills he had specifically asked his secretary to prep days in advance. Even Liam received one.

As the family gathered around the table, they recounted the highs and lows of the past year, their laughter filling the room.

Lyra ate quietly, terrified that this warm, bustling version of her family was nothing but a fragile illusion waiting to shatter.

Before she knew it, the evening had slipped away.

After dinner, Lyra retreated to her bedroom to rest.

It wasn’t long before Caleb knocked and let himself in. “You still haven’t told me where you were these past two days.”

Lyra hadn’t expected him to be so relentless. She fell silent for a moment before dodging the question with one of her own. “Caleb, if I found solid evidence of corruption among the executives, and Dad was too soft-hearted to let them go… would you step in and fire them for him?”

Caleb didn’t hesitate, his tone hardening. “Firing them wouldn’t be enough. If they’re committing corporate fraud, I’ll personally see them locked in a cell.”

Lyra let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She had been genuinely terrified that her father’s mercy would rub off on her brother. After all, several of the executives were extended relatives, and others were nepotism hires brought in by those relatives. The company was crawling with cronyism.

In her past life, as Rowan’s wife, she had learned intimately that Rowan promoted based purely on merit. Not a single person in the Jameson Group held their position through family connections.

“You still haven’t answered my question. Where were you?”

Lyra pulled her phone from her purse, unlocked it, and handed it to him. “Look at the photo gallery.”

Caleb took the phone. The screen displayed photo after photo of massive, unauthorized wire transfers. The longer he swiped, the colder his expression became.

She didn’t need to hear Rowan’s voice or see his face to know the exact look of disdain he was giving the phone right now.

The moment Arthur hung up, Lyra stormed into the study, her frustration boiling over. “Dad, you need to cut all ties with Rowan immediately. He is only going to drag this family down.”

Her father sighed, clearly weighed down by a different anxiety. “The Ford family’s business heavily overlaps with our supply chain. If the Fords secure their foothold, it’s going to be nearly impossible for us to survive in Seaborne City.”

Lyra couldn’t accept that logic. Whether her father begged him or not, Rowan was always going to back Jonathan Ford.

After all, Jonathan Ford was going to be his father-in-law.

There was nothing Rowan wouldn’t do to put a smile on Jasmine’s face.

Remembering the horrific tragedies that had befallen her family in her past life, Lyra pleaded, “I’m not lying to you. If you partner with Rowan, Fairchild Holdings will bleed out even faster. Rowan is already funding Jonathan Ford just to please Jasmine…”

Arthur feigned annoyance. “And whose fault is that? It’s all because of you, you scrawny little thing. I gave you years, and you couldn’t even lock down one man.”