She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 432

"That time my classmate hid a razor blade in my cake to hurt me, Lyra was the one who warned me. She stopped my face from getting ruined. She's actually a really good person..."

Vivienne froze, staring in disbelief. "How did she know about the blade? Did she put your classmate up to it?"

"Mom, where is your head at?" Maisie groaned. "My classmate didn't even know her. You investigated exactly why Cora did it. Why are you trying to pin this on Lyra?"

Vivienne was momentarily speechless.

Rowan's lips curved into a deeper smile, his eyes turning a shade darker.

"Rowan," Sylvia's voice chimed in at the perfect moment.

Vivienne recognized Sylvia Wynter immediately. Shortly after Sylvia approached, the ballroom's stage music swelled.

"You two should go dance," Vivienne urged, more than happy to play matchmaker. Her brother and sister-in-law had made it clear they wanted Sylvia and Rowan together.

Standing beside him, Sylvia looked up and asked softly, "Would you like to?"

Rowan glanced toward where Lyra had gone, only to find her already on the dance floor with another man.

"Sure."

He took Sylvia's hand and led her to the floor, his calm, steady presence radiating a reassuring energy.

Sylvia's heart raced uncontrollably.

To the onlookers, Rowan and Sylvia looked like the ultimate power couple. Both were striking and carried themselves with an effortless, aristocratic grace that made them painfully well-matched.

As they held each other and swayed to the music, guests turned to whisper. Many wondered if this Ms. Wynter was the mystery woman Rowan had been seen kissing on the terrace the other night. Sylvia's manicured nails were clean and elegant, lacking any flashy polish, which closely matched the blurry descriptions.

Across the room, Lyra was in a foul mood. Returning from Jansville had left her depressed, and she had zero interest in dancing. She had politely declined several men, just waiting for the auction to begin.

She hadn't expected Calvin Sinclair to approach her.

If Lucas were still in Seaborne City, Calvin wouldn't have dared to ask Lyra for a dance even if he had a death wish. But tonight, he had called in a web of favors just to snag an invite to the gala.

Cornering her in the shadows, Rowan sneered, "You really didn't care that I was out there dancing with Sylvia."

Lyra pursed her lips. "It's just a dance. What, was she going to eat you alive in front of hundreds of people?"

Rowan looked down at her. "My parents want me to marry her."

Hearing that, Lyra had to fight the urge to smile. But Rowan was staring intently at her, tracking every micro-expression.

Instead, she let out a soft, distressed sound and buried herself against his firm chest. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she hid her satisfied smirk, playing the part of a devastated, clingy lover.

Rowan tilted her chin up and captured her lips, pressing her hard against him. The kiss was desperate and possessive.

It took a long time for him to finally pull back and catch his breath. "As soon as Caspian messes up again, I'll make sure Jasmine catches him. That'll give me the perfect excuse to have my parents ship him overseas. Once he's gone, we can go public."

Lyra hadn't expected that to be his grand strategy. A strange, cold feeling twisted in her gut.