The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 172

"That's not obsession," she said with a smile. "Come on, let's go. If we don't hurry, the show will be over before we even get to our seats."

She headed toward the ticket checkpoint. Charley watched her back for a moment before following her lead.

***

It was late by the time the concert ended. They mingled with the crowd pouring out of the venue, but they didn't run into Jocelyn again.

The car was parked by the curb. Charley pulled the door open, letting her get in first.

Leaning against the window, Lavinia watched the city lights blur past and suddenly realized she had never been on a real date with Garnett.

Every single time, she had to beg him, and he only ever showed up reluctantly if he couldn't find a way out of it. Whether it was shopping, a movie, or anything else, he always left early.

The car turned onto Bridal Row, a historic street lined with bespoke wedding dress boutiques. The display windows were brightly lit, showcasing exquisite gowns that felt like advertisements for a happy marriage.

It hit Lavinia that she had her own wedding dress custom-made on this very street.

Bridal Row was famous for a reason—tradition dictated that not only should a bride order her gown here, but she should also take this route on her wedding day for good luck.

A song was playing softly on the radio. The melody flowed gently, like a quiet confession.

"Forget the flowers you grew, start anew, leave your dreams behind. Don't look at the faded wedding invites, it's time to move on..."

Outside the window, the illuminated gowns drifted backward one by one. A tide of melancholy rose in her chest.

Charley reached over, his hand resting on the volume knob.

"Don't turn it off," she said softly. "It's a beautiful song."

"When you get married next time, I'll treat the whole city to champagne."

Lavinia froze and turned to look at him. "Why would you suddenly say that?"

He didn't look back at her. Keeping his eyes on the road, his voice dropped lower.

"Only a glorious future is worthy of the path you've walked."

Dropping his voice even further, Ethan added, "But Celestial Capital didn't secure the lead investor spot. We've been bumped down to co-investor, which means we didn't get maximum equity."

"Co-investor? Then who got the lead?"

"Some venture capital firm no one's ever heard of. I heard they just set up their domestic operations," Ethan whispered. "Word is, it's another one of The Principal's investment companies."

"If they're all owned by The Principal, why give the lead to that one?"

"I heard The Principal is still furious about what happened last time. This is his way of warning Mr. Coleman for not following orders."

Ethan sighed. "Mr. Coleman must be pretty miserable right now. He might even take it out on Sigrid. Oh, by the way, once the meeting's over, you can officially congratulate your cousin."

Lavinia beamed. "Not long ago, the banks were trying to pull Saul's loans. With this investment, he won't have to worry about funding anymore."

"It's more than that. Your cousin is about to hit the big leagues. You probably don't know this yet, but Joplin Adhesives Corp just earned the 'Provincial Vanguard SME' title. Everyone's going to be throwing money at him now."

Lavinia walked out of the breakroom with a huge smile on her face. Her family was finally catching a break.