Grr. Loud enough to make her freeze.
"Was that your stomach or a wild animal?" Rowan teased.
Her cheeks flushed bright pink. Of course her stomach had to pick now to betray her.
"Fine. Then send me back to Grandma's house," she mumbled, turning her face away so he wouldn't see how flustered she was. Her voice was small—more mortified than annoyed.
Rowan chuckled and swept a hand toward the table. "Come on. Dinner."
They ate in a quiet that felt a little stiff at first. But slowly, they began to talk, small things—safe things, just enough to begin understanding each other.
Lyra was surprised by many things about him. First, he was a younger sibling, though he didn't look like one at all—certainly not spoiled or pampered. He had had a sister once, though she left them too soon.
Second, he turned thirty recently, but he had the look of someone in his twenties. Then she realize their age gap was seven years.
Then, Lyra learned that he had been militarily intelligent from an early age before joining the business world. He had gained so much experience on missions that it impressed her the most.
She couldn't help but compare her life, which had been fairly ordinary.
Raised as a spoiled child, everything was prepared for her—she just had to walk the path laid out before her. She spent most of her time studying and had just started her career less than a year ago.
To be honest, her life hadn't been all that interesting.
Watching him so easygoing, Lyra found herself thinking back to Owen's words—that he wasn't the man she had imagined.
She shook her head, brushing away the tiny devil whispering doubts in her ear. She wouldn't let Owen get under her skin.
Rowan mentioned that he'd be away for three days on a work trip and offered to take her with him, but Lyra politely declined.
He insisted, however, adding that after the three-day trip, he'd like to whisk her away on their honeymoon.
That made Lyra startle. "I… I need a moment to think before I say yes." she said.
Rowan reminded her, "Remember your promise—do your part as a wife." Then he chuckled and walked away.
He halted, remembering something.
"I'd better return right away before I forget again,"
As Rowan slid open the wall-like door, Lyra's eyes wandered around the space. The bedroom itself was already spacious, but there was another door inside.
Rowan opened one of the drawers, a small velvet box in his hand. She stared at the box, unable to stop her curiosity. "What is that?"
He didn't say a word, open it and Lyra frowned slightly, puzzled.
"Wait the minute…" her voice trailing off.
He handed her the necklace. "Is this yours, right?"
"It looks much like mine," Lyra said, quickly opening her handbag and rummaging through it.
After a moment, she blinked in confusion—it wasn't there.
"When did I lose it?" she murmured.
"Thank goodness it was you who found it—otherwise, I don't know where I'd even start looking."
She told Rowan that the pendant was her friendship charm. She and her best friends each had one.
"Look at this stone—it's the same color as my eyes, see?" she said, leaning in so Rowan could see what she meant.
"It's like with my friends—their pendants all match their own eyes. Eve's, Pearl's, Hazel's… each stone mirrors them perfectly," she added.
"They must be special," Rowan said, he couldn't bring himself to tell her where he had found them.
"Of course—they're my day-ones," she replied, ran her thumb over the blue stone. Her lips curved into a small smile.
Slowly, her gaze lifted and lingered on Rowan, who was easy on the eyes.
Could the universe have sent this man? In less than a week, he had already done so much for her.
She traced the edge of her sleeve with her fingers, trying to steady the flutter in her chest.
She shifted closer, her hand brushing lightly against his as if by accident. She couldn't help leaning in, tilting her head slightly, and planting a soft kiss on his lips.
"What's that for?" he whispered, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he reached up to gently tuck a strand hair behind her ear.
"A little thank-you kiss for you, Mister," she murmured, her cheeks warming at how bold she'd been.
He smiled, leaning just a fraction closer, but before anything else could happen, she laughed nervously and stepped back. "I… I need a shower."
Lyra could still hear his quiet chuckle as she hurried to the bathroom.
…
Rowan reminded her, insisting that she must follow him abroad. So, she rushed to the office, planning to gather anything that might be useful while Rowan was busy at a three-day conference.
Pulling the key from her handbag, she unlocked the office she had been away from for a week.
"Ugh!" She waved her hand in front of her nose. "What is this smell?"
The stench made her hesitate at the door, but curiosity got the better of her, and she took a peek.
A bunch of flowers sat on her desk—she wondered who they were from. She couldn't bring herself to get any closer.
"Cough!" she slammed the door shut and hurried to the housekeeping desk, asking them to tidy up her office. She made sure to mention that no flowers or deliveries should be left while she was away.
Rowan waited in the lobby, sitting on one of the waiting chairs—one leg casually crossed over the other, flipping through the newspaper.
The staff nurses nearby whispered and giggled, clearly amused to see him there.
They couldn't stop talking about how lucky Lyra was—breaking off her engagement with a CEO only to marry an even more handsome one.
"Ah, here she comes," the nurses murmured, glancing toward the lift. She looked breathtaking in her long, sleeveless, silky white dress.
"Dr. Ashford!" they called out excitedly, grabbing her hands and giving her quick hugs. They had missed her so much, asking when she would be back at work.
Lyra felt touched by their warmth, holding back tears as her nose turned red.
From behind, Rowan appeared with a small smile, giving a slight nod. The nurses couldn't help but go aww—look at the two of them standing together. Truly a match made in heaven.
Rowan sensed someone watching them from afar, but he remained unbothered.
On a distant building, a photographer carefully aimed his long-lens camera.
Click, snap, snap!
He grinned, satisfied with having successfully captured images of Lyra and Rowan together.