She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 85

The next morning, Lyra drove straight to the luxury mall. In her past life, the first time Kayla had visited their home, she had not only prepared thoughtful gifts for Arthur and Delilah, but she had also presented Lyra with an incredibly precious piece of jewelry.

And Lyra had given her absolutely nothing in return.

Worse, she had callously tossed her future sister-in-law's heartfelt gift aside like garbage. She hadn't respected Kayla or the monumental effort she had put into that first meeting.

Given a second chance, Lyra was determined to fix it. She spent over an hour scouring the boutiques until she found the exact same designer piece Kayla had bought for her. She purchased it, planning to present it as a matching gesture of solidarity.

Gift bag in hand, Lyra walked out of the boutique feeling lighter than she had in days.

As she navigated the crowded atrium, a tall, imposing figure caught her eye. Waylon Grayson stood out effortlessly from the sea of shoppers. He was currently looking down at his phone, projecting an aura of composed, terrifying authority.

In her past life, when her marriage to Rowan had spectacularly imploded and she had been left with nothing, Waylon was the one who quietly lent her millions of dollars to survive. It was an act of profound, silent kindness she had never forgotten.

After a second of hesitation, Lyra walked over. "Waylon."

Waylon glanced up, a flicker of surprise crossing his sharp features before settling into a polite, guarded smile. "Lyra. What a coincidence."

His greeting was perfectly cordial, but Lyra could feel the impenetrable wall of professional distance between them.

"Shopping for gifts?" Waylon asked, his gaze drifting to the high-end bag in her hand.

"Yeah," Lyra smiled, adjusting her grip. "My brother's girlfriend is coming over for dinner for the first time tomorrow, so I picked up a little welcome gift for her."

Waylon raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. "Caleb is seeing someone?"

"Yes," Lyra beamed. "She's an incredible woman."

"I'm sure she is. Congratulations on the impending addition to the family." Waylon offered a smooth smile, but a calculating light entered his eyes as he held her gaze.

"Thank you."

She walked into the dining room to find Delilah tapping an elegant pen against a heavily annotated menu, a deep frown on her face.

"Should we go with asparagus or broccolini for the greens?" Delilah asked Martha, clearly stressing over the details. "Asparagus is crisp, but some people find it too earthy. I have no idea what Kayla likes."

Martha was about to reply when she spotted Lyra walking in.

"Lyra, perfect timing." Delilah sighed in relief, sliding the menu across the table. "Take a look at the spread we have planned. Let me know if we need to add anything."

Lyra scanned the list from top to bottom. "Skip the broccolini, and change the seafood stew to consommé. Kayla absolutely hates anything overly bitter or fishy. Let's just stick to comforting, high-quality home-style dishes. Oh, and for dessert, make Chilled Mango Nectar and chill it ahead of time. It's her absolute favorite."

She handed the menu back to her mother and grabbed her shopping bags, heading for the stairs.

Delilah stared after her daughter, completely bewildered, before turning to Martha. "Have they secretly been hanging out? How on earth does she know the girl's palate that well?"