She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 546

Seeing Caleb frozen in place, unable to utter a single word, Lyra's chest tightened. She practically flew down the stairs and snatched the gold-embossed wedding invitation from his grip.

Her eyes darted to the bold, elegant handwriting across the thick cardstock.

Groom: Rowan Jameson. Bride: Jasmine Ford.

Those names sent the room spinning, a suffocating wave of vertigo crashing over her.

Steadying herself, she immediately dialed the police precinct. Tabitha had been sentenced to six months of detention for her previous harassment, thanks to Lyra pulling some strings. But the response on the other end of the line extinguished her last shred of hope: Tabitha had been bailed out a month ago.

A chill swept through Lyra's veins as her worst fears took root. Did that mean Thomas Townsend, Elara Townsend, and the rest of that wretched family were all roaming free too?

Caleb remained silent for a moment before calling Leo Chavez to dig for answers. When he finally hung up, his expression was grim. "When Rowan was attacked in the Middle East, he wasn't the one who took the bullet. It was Jasmine. She threw herself in front of him. He only survived because she took the hit."

Kayla sat on the sofa, her brows knitted together in concern. "So his month-long absence... he's been overseas taking care of Jasmine this whole time?"

"I... assume so." Caleb instinctively turned toward Lyra. Her face was ashen, her lips completely drained of color.

"What about Sylvia?" Lyra asked, desperately clinging to the hope that Sylvia Wynter's engagement would still hold weight.

"Sylvia? I almost forgot," Caleb sighed. "The shooter who targeted Rowan was Sylvia's ex-boyfriend. The guy she dumped lost his mind out of jealousy and tried to assassinate Rowan."

It was over.

The onslaught of devastating news hammered against Lyra's skull until it felt ready to split. A heavy weight settled on her chest, making it impossible to breathe.

Noticing her distress, Kayla quickly stood up and wrapped a supportive arm around her. "Lyra, are you alright?"

Lyra forced a hollow, trembling smile. "The Fairchild family is doomed."

Kayla froze, completely taken aback.

Caleb frowned. "Don't be so dramatic."

"Don't worry. You've got me here to handle things."

You've got me here. He had said those exact same words in their past life. And then he had abandoned his wife and sister, jumping off a building to his death.

Despair finally shattered her composure. Lyra gripped the wedding invitation and frantically tried to rip it apart, but the premium cardstock was too thick. Eyes bloodshot, she completely lost control, bringing the edge to her mouth and viciously biting into the heavy paper.

Caleb and Kayla stared in absolute horror before rushing forward to pull the crumbling girl away from the destroyed card.

Shocked and heartbroken, Caleb's voice dropped. "Are you out of your mind? If losing him hurts this much, why did you push him away in the first place?"

Lyra ignored him, choking on a sob. "He's already back in the country, isn't he?"

"What? Are you going to go running after him?" Delilah marched out from the inner rooms. Taking one look at her daughter's tear-streaked, devastated state, her face darkened with barely suppressed fury.

"Lyra Fairchild," she snapped harshly. "Our family cannot afford this kind of humiliation."

"Whether Rowan marries Sylvia or Jasmine, it has absolutely nothing to do with you! Look at you, sobbing and throwing a tantrum like a child. Pull yourself together."

Tabitha's smug smile faltered. She opened her mouth to argue, but Lyra took a menacing step forward. "I said, get the hell out of my house. Take your pathetic gloating somewhere else."

Realizing she wasn't going to win this standoff, Tabitha awkwardly shoved the invitation away. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she shot them one last bitter glare before turning on her heel and marching out.

Once back in her bedroom, Lyra turned to Andrea. "Distract my mom for a bit. I need to leave."

Andrea gave a firm nod.

By dusk, a light drizzle had begun to fall.

Lyra drove straight to Blackwood Manor. But unlike before, the security system no longer recognized her.

She stood alone outside the wrought-iron gates for what felt like hours. The biting evening wind soaked through her clothes, leaving her shivering in the cold.

Finally, a pair of headlights sliced through the darkness. Rowan's car pulled up, smoothly coming to a halt at the security scanner.

The tinted window was rolled halfway down, giving her a painfully clear view of the interior. Rowan's profile was set in stone, his jaw tight. Jasmine leaned delicately against his shoulder, a covert gleam of triumph flashing in her eyes when she spotted Lyra.

The vehicle didn't idle for an extra second, and the man inside made no move to step out.

Rowan simply glanced forward and gave Wesley Wade a low command. "Drive."

The heavy gates swung open. The sleek car glided up the sprawling driveway without hesitation, leaving Lyra abandoned in the pitch-black, freezing rain.