CHAPTER 52: GOODBYE FOR GOOD

"Lucas, none of this adds up," she said, feeling her stomach tighten. "How could it be Owen?"

"I know it’s confusing, Lyra, but please just listen until I’m finished, okay?"

Lucas kept his voice steady, trying to calm her before she could interrupt. He needed to explain everything clearly, without leaving anything out.

"The following day, the guy Owen had fought was waiting for him," Lucas said, his voice tightening.

"He brought his whole gang with him. They cornered Owen and beat him so badly he slipped into a coma. Six months, Lyra. He was unconscious for six months."

Lyra’s breath hitched, but Lucas pressed on.

"And while all that was happening... you bumped into me by accident, thinking I was Owen."

He let out a hollow laugh, full of guilt. "You chased after me; you courted the wrong person."

Lucas paused, shaking his head.

"No... none of that was your fault," he said, his voice cracking. "I should’ve told you the truth. But by then, I had already fallen in love with you. I was selfish, Lyra. I let you believe I was the man you met at the masquerade night."

Lucas leaned back in his chair, drawing in a deep breath as if trying to steady the tremor running through him.

Lyra, meanwhile, went completely still. Old memories surfaced one by one, reminding her of that night and the man she thought she knew.

That night, the masked man who stepped in for her was hurt because of her, even though she was a stranger to him.

As a medical student, she had done what she could to treat his wound, and they eventually removed their masks in front of each other.

Even in pain, he told her she was beautiful. But at the time, Lyra was too overwhelmed with guilt to respond.

The cut on his neck scared her, and for a moment she feared he might die.

He’d cracked a small joke, saying this definitely wasn’t the heroic image he’d planned for the night. And if the cut left a scar, his market value might drop—meaning she’d have to take responsibility and marry him.

The absurdity of it made her laugh through her tears, easing her panic. And in that moment, her heart opened to him for the first time.

Lyra had asked for his name so she could find him again, but he only smiled and reminded her that the night was meant to stay mysterious.

Instead, he suggested they meet the next day at a nearby café, promising to tell her his name and everything about himself then.

Now she finally understood why he never came. She had waited... and nearly gave up, until a few days later she ran into Lucas—believing he was Owen.

"Lyra... Lyra..." Lucas’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She’d been completely lost in them.

Lucas placed an envelope on the table and slid it toward her.

"What is this?" she asked, pulling it closer.

"The truth is all inside," Lucas said quietly. "Medical file... and the police report about the incident."

"After the coma, he had to go through treatment after treatment—broken bones, partial amnesia from the blow to his head. It took years before he fully recovered."

"He still remembers you... but he chose to stay quiet about that night. He didn’t want to come between us, and he didn’t want us brothers fighting over the thing. And that... that made the guilt even worse for me."

"He was angry... because I let you slip away and marry another man. He said I’d thrown away his sacrifice. And he was right. I was a fool."

Lucas stood slowly, and Lyra rose at the same time.

"That’s all I needed to tell you."

He paid for her lunch and walked her back to the hospital gate.

Lyra turned around when she sensed him stop. They faced each other.

"Lyra... this is goodbye." He forced a small smile.

He met her blue eyes—the same eyes that had captured him from the beginning, and still did.

He lifted his hand, brushing her cheek gently before pulling away.

"Are you really never coming back?" she asked, her voice heavy with sadness.

"Yes. Someone like me should just disappear for good."

Lucas pulled her into a brief hug, then stepped back and began to walk away.

Lyra stayed where she was, eyes following him as he left. He never once looked back.

When he finally disappeared from her sight, she realized he really was leaving for good.

She slowly raised her hand in a small gesture of farewell and said goodbye quietly.

Lyra walked back into the clinic with red eyes. The other staff noticed, but none of them dared to ask.

She went to the restroom and washed her face before starting her afternoon shift.

Later that day, a notification from an unknown number appeared on Rowan’s phone.

When he opened it, his breath caught. There were several photos attached—taken from different angles.

Every single one of them showed Lyra and Lucas together, including one where they were hugging for their farewell.

"Damian!" he roared.

Everyone outside his office heard the shout, including Damian, who raced in.

"Yes, boss!"

Rowan tossed his phone before Damian could reach him, and it hit the floor. Damian rushed to pick it up.

"Check those pictures. Find out if they’re fake or real—now!"

Damian bowed and moved quickly to carry out the order.

The door was barely a few inches from the frame when he heard Rowan shouting inside, followed by the crash of objects hitting the floor.

A few staff members stretched their necks, trying to peek, but Damian raised a finger to his lips.

Everyone knew they had to pretend they heard nothing.

Their boss was in a foul mood today, and the entire floor felt heavy because of it.

Damian used the company’s security app, hoping the photos were fake. But he saw no signs of editing.

He ran the scan again, three times and each result came back the same.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath. Rowan losing his temper was always a disaster.

Damian stepped back inside, already dreading Rowan’s reaction.

Rowan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze fixed on the city far beyond. A cigarette burned between his fingers, and an open bottle of alcohol sat on the desk behind him.

His tie hung loose, and sleeves were rolled high. His aura was terrifying.

Damian placed Rowan’s phone back on the desk and spoke quietly.

"Boss... the photos are all real," he said, standing rigidly at attention.

Rowan didn’t react.

Taking the hint, Damian slipped out of the room and closed the door softly behind him.

When the door clicked shut, Rowan stepped over to his desk and picked up his phone.

He swiped through the photos slowly, one by one.

Lyra sitting with Lucas, face-to-face over lunch.

Lucas’s hand on her face.

Lucas hugging her.

Rowan let out a bitter laugh. "What kind of joke are you pulling, Lyra?" Rowan hissed.