She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 264

Lyra still didn't feel at ease. Staring in the direction of the café, she made another call. "I need a few guys to go to Island Café every day and cause a scene. Nothing illegal, just make it impossible for a waiter named Peyton Marshall to work there—keep it up until management fires him."

In her previous life, this was exactly the kind of setup Peyton had used to slowly sink his claws into Maddie.

He never actually cared about Maddie. He had simply noticed her designer clothes and carefree spending, identified her as a wealthy heiress, and calculated his approach.

Nobody knew that he secretly had an innocent-looking childhood sweetheart he had grown up with in foster care, and every cent he drained from Maddie went straight into that girl's pockets.

Years later, when Vance Real Estate began going downhill, Maddie was already stressed out of her mind. Blinded by Peyton's sweet talk, she willingly threw money at him to maintain his lifestyle, covering up his messes. By the time it was over, he had drained her dry, leaving her completely broken and humiliated.

Just the thought of Maddie repeating that nightmare made a chilling light flash in Lyra's eyes.

This time around, she would never give Peyton the chance to get anywhere near the people she cared about.

...

Meanwhile, the moment Victoria returned to the Jameson estate, she spotted Vivienne in the living room.

"Victoria, what's wrong? You look terrible."

Victoria grabbed a glass of ice water and took a heavy gulp. When she set it down, her voice was practically dripping with anger. "Lyra gets a tiny bit of power and suddenly she thinks she owns the world. Her ego is through the roof."

"She doesn't have an ounce of Jasmine's maturity or manners. Out in public, she treats service workers like garbage, completely throwing her weight around."

What bothered her even more was the icy, untouchable distance Lyra had maintained the entire time. It was a complete shift.

Rubbing her throbbing temples, Victoria let out an exhausted sigh.

Vivienne asked, "Where does Rowan stand on all this?"

Mentioning him only made Victoria's headache worse. "If you ask me, he still isn't over Jasmine. He normally never smokes, but lately, his room reeks of tobacco every single day. If this keeps up..."

Understanding dawned on Vivienne's face. "Deep down, he still loves Jasmine."

"I've been through this, Victoria. You can't force matters of the heart. You're better off letting Rowan follow his own feelings."

Victoria nodded slowly. "I suppose we have no choice."