"Yes—him."
"When did you even meet him?" Lucas demanded, his eyes narrowing. "And since when have you two been involved—enough for him to agree to marry you?
So it's true, isn't it? You've been seeing someone behind my back? First Roger, now Rowan. You're truly unbelievable," he cursed under his breath.
"You know exactly how to get under my skin, don't you? Just trying to cozy up to my worst enemy!" he added, his words sharp enough to cut.
'Worst enemy?' Lyra repeated silently, her brows knitting in confusion.
"Wait, Lucas." Lyra raised her hand immediately to stop him before he could continue. She was trying to process the last thing he'd accused her of.
"Let me make this clear. I never cheated on you—not with Roger or Rowan," she retorted, certain she'd done nothing wrong. She had married Rowan only after breaking up with him.
Then, it was those two words that caught her attention.
She questioned, "You expect me to know who your enemy is? And that I'm cozying up to him just to bother you?"
Lucas snorted, crossing his arms. "Don't pretend you don't know anything. And you know exactly who I mean!"
"Who exactly? Rowan?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
And Lucas's face immediately twisted.
"Don't say that name. Just hearing it is enough to make my blood boil!" he snapped, his voice rough with anger.
Rowan Pierce—the name alone stirred every bitter memory. He was the worst enemy Lucas had ever faced in business.
Back when he was still finding his footing, Rowan had swooped in and stolen every major project he fought for. Ruthless and cunning, Rowan never left him a chance to win.
He had worked himself to the bone, chasing one opportunity after another, only to watch them slip through his fingers.
Most of his efforts ended in failure and every loss had Rowan's name written all over it.
Lyra's heart skipped a beat as the words sank in.
Married… to her ex-fiancé's enemy.
She pressed a hand to her chest.
The realization about Rowan was Lucas's enemy slipped into her mind. If Lucas and Rowan had been friends… that would have been unbearable.
But enemies? Wasn't it perfect?
She didn't have to deal with Lucas at all. So it wasn't a big deal, and it was better this way.
Lyra was deep in her thoughts when a thud snapped her out of it—the toilet door.
Lucas wasn't there, must've been in a rush to pee, because he darted straight inside, and slammed the door harshly behind him.
Seeing Lucas off guard, Lyra saw her chance to escape. She hurried took a few steps toward the exit.
But the toilet door flung open. Lyra felt a pang of disappointment—Lucas had finished his business way too quickly.
"Don't you dare go anywhere!"
Lucas shot her a warning finger while hastily fastening his pants and zipping them up.
"We're not done talking yet."
She was almost there, ignoring his warning. Lyra lunged for the door, her movements frantic.
But Lucas was too fast. With his long strides, he closed the distance in seconds, catching her from behind just before her fingers brushed the doorknob.
He hoisted her up as if she weighed nothing.
She screamed at the top of her lungs until her throat burned. The sound breaking with panic when she realized she wasn't getting away.
Lyra thrashed violently, kicking and twisting, her fingers clawing at his arms until they bled.
"Hey!" Lucas muttered, startled by how fierce she'd become.
He roughly placed her on the bed. His weight held her still as she struggled beneath him, panic wild in her eyes.
"Lyra, calm down!" Lucas's voice cracked between frustration and concern.
Tears streamed down her face as she thrashed against him, overwhelmed by the impossibility of escaping.
Once again, regret flickered across Lucas's face.
After a moment, he loosened his grip and held her more gently, running his hands along her arms to soothe her without causing harm.
"Lyra," he called softly, his voice heavy with hurt.
"Did you really change your heart? You don't love me anymore?"
She didn't answer. Her throat burned, and she felt utterly drained.
The tears she'd shed had already exhausted her, leaving her unable to raise her voice. All her muscles tensed from stress.
Seeing that she was still crying and not answering him, Lucas slowly reached out and placed his fingers under her chin, trying to lift her face so he could see her eyes.
But Lyra turned away and pushed his hand aside. Her movement barely forceful at all yet the rejection hit him harder.
Lucas swiftly pulled his phone from his pocket and called Hudson.
Earlier, he had instructed Hudson to quietly delete the CCTV footage and take Lyra's luggage and the handbag she had left by the elevator.
Now, forcing her to stay was pointless. He told Hudson to put her bag back where it had been left.
"Go," he said without looking at her.
"If you want to leave, go now before I change my mind."
His voice was heavy, betraying how much he didn't want to let her go but had no choice.
And Lyra, the moment Lucas told her she could leave, she slowly got to her feet.
His eyes followed her every move, silently pleading, hoping that she would turn back.
But she didn't. She walked toward the door, not even a glance back.
As her hand closed around the doorknob, Lucas rose to his feet, clinging to a fragile hope that she might hesitate, that she might step back into his arms.
He was ready—heart open, arms outstretched—for her to turn back.
Thud!
The door closed. Lyra was gone.
Lucas froze, the weight of disappointment crushing him.
…
Rowan's face went rigid, eyes blazing. He clenched the phone like it might vanish.
"What do you mean she's missing? How could this happen under your watch, Kane?"
Kane's voice came through the line, "It's my fault—I should've sent her to her room first before I went to grab the phone."
He admitted his fault.
Then he added, "But the room…it's empty. Strange. None of her things are there, as if she'd never been here at all. If someone had kidnapped her, they probably wouldn't have taken all her belongings too."
Rowan's chest tightened at the words. "You'd better pray she's fine, Kane Prince!"
The call ended.
Great—just great!
His boss had just dropped his full name. He was doomed.
…
A sleek black luxury sedan tore up to the hotel entrance.
The front passenger door flew open. Rowan didn't wait for the car to stop—he leapt out, landing with precise balance before dashing inside.
Damian froze, just for a beat. He'd seen this countless times, but today something was off. His boss's usual control seemed just a fraction shaky.
He shoved the car keys into the hands of a startled lobby staffer and sprinted after Rowan, matching his speed as the lobby whipping past him.
Inside, Kane paced back and forth, his eyes darting between the clock and the hotel's glass doors.
His expression was taut with unease, as he waited for the arrival of the one person who could bring his world crashing down—his boss.
The screech of brakes outside jolted him upright. The automatic doors slid open—Rowan sprinted through.
"You've disappointed me, Kane," Rowan said, striking the first blow.
Kane's stomach tightened. He had expected this, but hearing it still sent a shiver through him.
Rowan knew, though, that anger alone wouldn't help. He shoved the frustration down, forcing his mind to hunt for any way to find his wife.
He pushed the security room door open with a sharp shove, followed by a loud clang, leaving it bouncing slightly ajar.
The manager and staff froze mid-step, their eyes wide and hearts hammering in their chests at the sight of Rowan.
"Is this how a five-star hotel handles security? Show me what you have."
Rowan spoke in a low, rough voice, forcing himself to stay calm.
But the calm in his tone only made his presence feel more dangerous.
The security officer and manager scrambled, fingers flying over keyboards as they tried to pull up the recorded footage.
Rowan's gaze never left the monitor, his two fingers tapping an alternating rhythm on the polished surface of the table.
The screen flickered with static, showing nothing but noise and distortion at the moment Lyra stepped inside.
Damian and Kane slipped into the room a moment later, standing silently behind Rowan, both sensing the dangerous energy radiating from their boss.
"Someone's breached the security system," Rowan muttered under his breath, like a curse.