Chapter 13
Evelyn’s voice was tight. “The woman Weston Windsor’s marrying? It’s Lyra—your ex.”
Joel’s eyes went sharp. “No way.”
She pulled out a photo. “Paparazzi shot.”
In it, Weston was wiping oil off Lyra’s cheek, all soft and boyfriend–coded.
“She’s there, isn’t she? I’m flying out.”
Evelyn grabbed his arm. “You’ve been so wrapped up in chasing Lyra, you didn’t even notice Windsor Corp outbid you at the dock. That was a warning. Think, Joel. You really wanna pick a fight with the Windsors over her?”
Joel dropped his head, jaw clenched, the pain written all over his face. After a long beat, his voice came out rough. “Evelyn, without her… I’ll lose it.”
She just sighed and let it go.
***
Lyra had her hands full taking over Lebeau Corp. She was out early, back late, barely keeping up–until her sharp instincts and Weston’s guidance kicked in.
Digging through old records, she spotted something sketchy. A bunch of failing projects all traced back to Fenwick Corp subsidiaries.
She was knee–deep in contracts when Weston walked in with a lunch box. He took one look at her pale face and frowned. “What’s wrong? You look wrecked.”
She pointed to the mountain of paperwork. “Why would Joel’s family want to tank my parents‘ company?”
Weston flipped through the files, his jaw tightening. “The Fenwicks are all about backstabbing. They probably thought you’d marry Joel and wanted to weaken his leverage.”
He paused. “With how bad things got for your family, Joel must’ve known… but looks like he didn’t care.”
Lyra let out a bitter laugh. Joel had always been laser–focused on Renee. Even when she went abroad, he made sure the money kept flowing–never once checked in on the Lebeaus.
“Well, at least my parents weren’t the problem,” she muttered.
That afternoon, Weston stayed close, helping her dig through years of investment data. When they finally wrapped up, Lyra let out a long sigh.
“Wanna take our wedding photos tomorrow?” he asked.
“The day after. I’ve got a meeting.”
“Cool.”
