Chapter 5

When Lyra woke up, the first thing she saw was a pair of worried eyes.

Joel shot up and called the doctor, finally breathing out when they confirmed she was okay.

Lyra glanced at her left wrist—a bracelet with a cross. Looked just like Joel's.

The assistant nearby smiled. "You were out for so long, Mr. Fenwick gave you his bracelet. Even prayed last night that if you woke up, he'd give up drinking and smoking for good."

Lyra frowned, sliding the bracelet off and holding it out. "Don't change your habits for me."

Joel didn't take it, just slid it back onto her wrist. "Didn't you make vows like that when you prayed for me back then?"

Her heart clenched.

Back in Joel's second year of being disabled, she'd heard that making a wish at Everlight Cathedral in Lindale was supposed to be especially powerful. One night, she took him there.

They wrote their wishes on paper slips. Hers said: [I'd give up everything to make Joel healthy again.]

Joel's slip said he wanted to marry her in five years. When she saw it, her eyes burned with tears. Joel pulled her into his arms and held her for what felt like forever. Those were the rare moments when his eyes were only on her—when Renee wasn't around.

But now that Renee was back in Khelmark, she knew his focus would never be on her again.

She glanced at Joel's eager expression, like he was waiting for praise, and looked away. "I'm a bit tired."

***

When Lyra woke up, it was already afternoon.

She sat up, ready to ask the doctor about getting discharged, but froze when she caught voices from the hallway.

Evelyn sounded curious. "So, when's the wedding with Lyra?"

Joel's voice was flat. "End of the month. I told her before."

Evelyn nodded. "Make it grand. The gifts better be top-tier—nothing cheap. Lyra gave her bone marrow to your little sweetheart, remember? You owe her that much."

Then her tone shifted, like something just clicked. "Weird coincidence—your wedding's this month, and I heard the Windsors are planning one too. The bride's name's Lyra... crazy, right?"

Lyra didn't let them keep talking—she shoved the door open and cleared her throat, making them both shut up immediately.

That evening, the doctor gave the all-clear for discharge.

Back home, Lyra got a friend request—Weston Windsor.

Must be the guy she was supposed to marry. She hit accept, and almost instantly, he sent over a gift list.

The document was packed—line after line of meticulous details. Just skimming made her head spin.

Two more messages popped up.

[Here's the wedding gift list. Let me know if it's satisfactory.]

[Mrs. Lebeau said your flight is the day after tomorrow, and you'll arrive the morning after that. I'll be at the airport with her to pick you up.]

Lyra thought for a second before typing back.

[The gifts are enough. Thank you.]

He didn't respond, and she didn't bother checking again.

That night, Joel kept trying to chat her up, but Lyra barely gave him the time of day. Figuring she was still mad about earlier, he decided to fix it by planning a pre-wedding bachelor party. He had his assistant spread the word, and by evening, the place was packed.

As soon as Lyra showed up, Joel wrapped his arm around her waist and handed her a car purchase contract, his eyes fixed on hers.

"I kept thinking that last supercar didn't really suit you, so I ordered a new one."

Then he hesitated, shooting a quick glance at Renee, who looked all delicate and pitiful by the sidelines. Reluctantly, he handed her the original Lamborghini contract.

"Renee, this car was originally for Lyra, but since she's got a new one now, you can have it. Sorry if it's a bit lacking."

Renee's face lit up; she was trying to play humble.

"It's okay—today's all about Lyra."

But anyone could tell she was thrilled. The Lamborghini was a limited edition from Khelmark, while Lyra's new car was just a regular, though pricey, model.

Guests nearby couldn't help but whisper.

"Is Joel really marrying Lyra? This is supposed to be their bachelor party, but he's giving gifts to Renee?"

"Yeah, right. Just an excuse to hand that limited edition car to Renee."

"Everyone knows Lyra's obsessed with cars. Total slap in the face."

"Shh, I heard Renee's some kind of racing prodigy. Rumor has it she's Vesper—saved Joel's life on the track. That's how he fell for her in the first place..."

Lyra, sitting in the corner, frowned.

Vesper?

Wasn't that... her?