Chapter 14
Joel stood there, stunned, ready to blurt out some excuse about mixing up Renee with Vesper–but Lyra cut in, her voice flat.
“Hold up, Weston. Let me clear the room first.”
This was still her turf–Lebeau Corp. No way she was airing her personal drama in front of the staff.
She turned to Porter Corp’s CEO, who’d been dead silent the whole time. Her look was pure frost.
“Mr. Porter, Lebeau Corp’s done with your company. Please see yourself out.”
Weston didn’t miss a beat. “Windsor Corp’s pulling out too. Door’s that way.”
Porter Corp’s CEO went ghost–white as the secretary silently pointed him to the door. In seconds, it was just Lyra, Weston, and Joel in the room.
Joel’s eyes locked on Lyra, sitting way too close to Weston. That blank look on her face? It gutted him. She used to look at him like he was her whole world.
After a long beat, he finally spoke. “Lyra, Renee’s been punished. Can’t you come back to me?”
Weston let out a low scoff. Classic Fenwick–thinking he could wreck everything and still walk back like nothing happened.
Lyra didn’t flinch. Her voice was cool. “It’s over. You read the letter.”
Joel’s eyes burned red. “You really don’t love me anymore?”
“No.”
Flat. Final.
“After I found out you gave my bone marrow to Renee behind my back, I stopped trying to love you. That last week? I was just surviving. By the time I wrote that letter, I never wanted to see you again.”
Lyra replayed it all in her head–Joel had been her first real love. Growing up watching her parents‘ picture- perfect marriage, she honestly believed loving hard meant getting love back.
Saying she never loved him would’ve been a straight–up lie.
She stood by him through five brutal years, carrying everything without complaint. But right when she thought they’d finally move forward, Joel just… kept breaking her–for Renee. No one could survive that kind of heartbreak and still stay sane.
Even without saying anything cruel, Joel’s face went even paler.
“Joel, you can beg all you want–I’m not going back. It’s done. From now on, we’re strangers.
She didn’t even look at him. Just grabbed Weston’s hand and walked out.
Joel stared after her, stunned. He wanted to run after her, but the secretary stepped in, blocking the door. All he could do was stand there and watch her disappear.
