She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 7

Rowan was notoriously arrogant and emotionally detached. Bringing a beautiful woman to a casual gathering was entirely out of character for him.

But what shocked the crowd even more was Lyra's absolute lack of reaction.

Instead of looking at the new couple, Lyra kept her focus entirely on Caleb.

Just as she feared, Caleb's expression darkened. In her previous life, Caleb and Rowan had suffered a massive falling out over this exact incident. It was hard to say whether Caleb had been furious on his sister's behalf or because of Jasmine. Caleb had thrown a punch at Rowan, and Rowan had retaliated with ruthless, devastating force.

Beating Caleb into the ground.

Naturally, Jasmine had taken Rowan's side.

"Caleb, I don't like you. I'm in love with Rowan!"

That one angry outburst from Jasmine had instantly cemented the rumor that Caleb harbored a secret obsession with her.

It was true that Caleb felt some mild attraction toward Jasmine at the time, but that was all it was. He had never actively pursued her. Yet, the rumors had quickly spiraled out of control, painting him as a man desperately and tragically in love with her.

The heirs of Seaborne City's two most powerful families fighting over the same woman—it was the ultimate gossip for high society.

Inevitably, the scandal had only elevated Jasmine's status, giving her an irresistible aura of desirability.

People had even placed insane bets on who Miss Ford would eventually choose.

When word got out that Rowan was the winner, even outsiders claimed it was the obvious choice. Anyone with eyes could see Rowan's devastating good looks, and the Jameson Group was Seaborne City's largest taxpayer. Caleb and Fairchild Holdings couldn't even compete.

That night had completely humiliated both Fairchild siblings.

Looking back, both Caleb and Lyra had simply been used as stepping stones in Jasmine's grand romance.

Lyra gripped her wine glass tighter, her gaze turning somber. The incident had eventually been leaked to the Harrington family, specifically to Kayla Harrington, the woman Caleb was preparing to marry.

Even after Kayla and Caleb tied the knot, the lingering jealousy had poisoned their marriage, with her sister-in-law constantly dragging up the past.

Caleb had suffered entirely for nothing.

Thankfully, Lyra was prepared this time. By explicitly stating she no longer cared about Rowan, she had removed Caleb's main reason to lash out.

Seeing her brother's hands clenching into fists on his lap, Lyra reached over and gently covered his tense knuckles with her own.

If only for the sake of her future sister-in-law, she was going to stop Caleb from making a huge mistake tonight.

Jasmine leaned against Rowan, her eyes fixed on Lyra. She was fully expecting Lyra to snap and hysterically scream that she was the one who had saved Rowan that night.

But she had clearly miscalculated.

Lyra's attention remained entirely on her brother.

Jasmine blinked in mild surprise. She quickly realized she wasn't the only one watching Lyra. Lucas broke the silence with a snide remark. "You siblings sure are close."

Lyra shot Lucas an icy glare before releasing Caleb's hand.

Caleb had no intention of sticking around. He picked up his glass, downed the remaining liquor, and pulled Lyra to her feet. "We have things to take care of at home. We're leaving."

"Aw," Lucas scoffed, feigning disappointment. "Leaving so soon?"

"Definitely."

Hearing this, a faint smile played on Jasmine's lips.

Rowan remained silent, his expression unreadable. Ignoring Lucas's advice to power down his phone, he simply raised his glass and took a sip of his drink.

But by the time the party ended and they walked out of the club, there still wasn't a single call from his grandfather.

A twinge of unease twisted in Jasmine's chest. She wasn't afraid of Lyra complaining to the elders; rather, it was Lyra's wildly uncharacteristic behavior that set her on edge.

It felt as if Lyra had slipped completely out of her control.

Sensing her sudden tension, Rowan squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's fine. I'm here."

Relieved, Jasmine offered him a soft smile.

The crowd watched Rowan hold Jasmine's hand, his protective stance glaringly obvious.

They all silently agreed that Lyra was utterly finished this time.

She was probably back home crying her eyes out right now.

...

Over the next few days, Rowan's inner circle waited eagerly for the inevitable drama to unfold. It was human nature to assume that Lyra would eventually crack, staging a tearful, hysterical breakdown.