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?

Before Lyra could wrap her head around it, people started flocking to Renee, drinks in hand, piling on the compliments.

"Renee, Joel's so good to you—just handing over a supercar like it's nothing."

"That white dress is gorgeous—you look like a princess."

"Heard you're killer at racing—sweet and fierce. You and Joel are perfect together!"

The crowd around Renee kept growing, completely forgetting the party was supposed to be for Lyra.

An hour later, the place was buzzing—singing, games, people having a blast. Joel stayed glued to Renee's side, eyes never leaving her. When Renee reached for some crab, he stopped her, his voice low and gentle.

"Be good. You're pregnant—you can't eat that. Once the baby's born, I'll get it for you."

Renee pouted like she was about to throw a fit, so Joel sighed and pulled out an Amex Black Card, pressing it into her hand. The move sent another wave of whispers through the room.

"He's still stuck on Renee, huh?"

"Yeah... guess no one tops the first love. Poor Lyra."

Lyra just sat in the corner, messing with her phone, acting like none of it bothered her.

Renee scanned the room and spotted Lyra alone in the corner. Smirking, she strutted over in her heels. "This is your and Joel's bachelor party, but I stole the spotlight.

"Everyone's flocking to me, showering me with praise. You must be so pissed. But no matter how much it bugs you, all you can do is grit your teeth and take it.

"Stuck by Joel's side for five years—so what? The second I show up, I'm still the one he loves most."

Lyra didn't bite. She'd run out of tears the day she left the hospital.

When Lyra stayed silent, a chill flickered in Renee's eyes. She zeroed in on the chain bracelet around Lyra's wrist, jealousy flashing across her face. Suddenly, she yanked it off and gripped it tight.

Lyra snapped. "Are you crazy? What are you doing?"

She reached to grab it back, but Renee held on, knuckles white, rubbing the bracelet with a look of pure envy.

"I heard this was from Mrs. Fenwick—a gift for the future daughter-in-law, huh?"

Before Lyra could react, Renee shoved the bracelet into her mouth, yanking so hard at her lips that blood streaked down her chin. Red droplets hit the floor as she crumpled, the bracelet slipping from her hand.

Tears welled up as she looked up, sobbing.

"Lyra, I just thought Mrs. Fenwick's bracelet was pretty. Why did you shove it into my mouth? It hurts... it hurts so much..."

A dark blur shot past, shoving Lyra hard. She couldn't keep her balance and crashed into the table holding the giant celebration cake. Pain ripped through her head as the wound reopened, fresh blood trickling down. The cake toppled over her, sticky icing smearing everywhere.

Dazed and fighting back tears, she looked up just in time to see Joel rushing over—but not to her. He didn't even look her way, just pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from Renee's mouth, his eyes soft with worry.

Lyra finally got it—Renee was putting on one hell of a show.

Wiping frosting off her face, Lyra spotted the bracelet on the floor. She picked it up and walked over to Renee, catching Joel's glare like he expected her to snap. Instead, she calmly grabbed Renee's wrist and fastened the bracelet on.

"It's from Mrs. Fenwick. You like it, right? Keep it."

Renee just stared, totally forgetting to keep up the whole helpless act.

Joel frowned, clearly not getting what Lyra was up to.

"That's Mom's birthday gift to you. Only the Fenwick daughter-in-law's supposed to wear it."

Lyra pushed herself up, voice cold.

"She touched it. It's dirty now. I don't want it."

She didn't bother looking back, just limped out of the room. Behind her, Joel watched her leave, confusion clouding his face.

Later that night, he finally got home, cleaned up, and slipped into bed, sighing when he saw Lyra still turned away.

"Don't be mad. Stop picking on Renee. She really respects you, you know? Said she wants to patch things up, so... she'll be staying with us for a few days. Just... don't bully her, okay?"

Lyra kept her eyes shut, staying quiet for a beat. Then, in a calm, almost detached voice, she asked,

"If... and I'm just saying if... Renee wasn't 'Vesper,' would you still treat her like this?"

Joel brushed his fingers through her hair, his voice low and rough.

"She's like my sister. I'm good to her because she's Renee. Has nothing to do with being 'Vesper.'"

Lyra just hummed faintly, gaze dropping. One more day—she just had to hang on one more day.

Lyra woke up to giggles from upstairs. Still half-asleep, she wandered out and spotted Joel and Renee messing around with flowers. They stood way too close, Joel showing her how to trim the stems like it was some big romantic moment.

For a second, Lyra just stood there, frozen. Back when Joel was stuck at home, she'd taught him how to arrange flowers to keep him from losing his mind. He picked it up like a pro—never needed a second lesson.

Every morning after that, he'd order fresh flowers and leave a bouquet on her nightstand. But ever since Renee waltzed back, that little tradition died.

Lyra dropped her gaze, swallowing the knot in her throat.

She ignored them, just trying to get some breakfast.

Didn't even make it halfway before—

Bam!

A heavy vase smashed into her, knocking her flat. Pain ripped through her skull, warm blood dripping down as she curled up on the floor.

Through the haze, Lyra saw Renee gliding down the stairs, all smiles.

"Oh no, Lyra!" Renee gasped, eyes wide with fake concern. "I just wanted to show you the flowers I arranged, but my hand slipped and the vase hit your head.

"You're bleeding so much—it's super scary! Should I call an ambulance? I'm just so shaken, I can't even pick up my phone.

"You're not mad at me, right? Just hold on a little longer..."

Before Renee could finish her little performance, Lyra blacked out from the pain.

A housekeeper eventually found her and freaked out, rushing her to the hospital.

When Lyra came to, it was already noon. Her head throbbed, and she reached up to feel the rough stitches—thirty of them. The doctor said she had a mild concussion and temporary blindness in her right eye. Great.

Joel stood by the bed, leaning in to see if she was in pain, helping her sit up and sip some water. His touch was gentle, but his words cut deep.

"Renee feels awful," he said, like that was supposed to fix it. "She almost fainted from guilt earlier.

"When the housekeeper brought you here, some gossip reporter snapped a pic, and now the media's all over it.

"Just say you fell and hit your head, okay? That way, her family will owe you. You know, Renee's Vesper—the one who saved my life back then..."

Lyra turned away, yanking the blanket over her head. Whether it was the pain or the heartbreak, her eyes stung as she curled up, holding back tears.

She couldn't help but remember how Joel used to be—the guy who freaked out over her low fevers and kept three private doctors on call. When cramps hit during her period, he'd spoil her all day, making sure she stayed in bed and ate properly.

But now... that guy was gone.

Joel heard her quiet sobs and hesitated, guilt gnawing at him. Just as he reached out, a nurse burst in.

"Mr. Fenwick, the young lady who came with you this morning just fainted from crying. Do you want to check on her?"

The second he heard Renee's name, Joel didn't think twice—he rushed out without looking back.

Silence fell, leaving Lyra completely alone.

Ten minutes later, Lyra's phone buzzed—a text from ReeRee Bliss.

[So what if you have thirty stitches on your head and lost vision in one eye? I don't even have to cry, and he'll come running to me.]

[Lyra, I was gone for a few years, but the second I said I wanted his baby, he agreed. You really think he doesn't love me?]

Then came a video.

In it, Joel was holding a sobbing Renee, his eyes red and puffy.

"Shh... Don't blame yourself. I promised to always protect you. Lyra just hurt her head—it's no big deal. She won't tell anyone you hit her. You're pregnant now, so take care of yourself and don't stress over this."

Lyra watched in silence, her nails digging into her palms. Without another thought, she forced herself upright, got out of bed, and left the hospital alone.

Six hours left before she was gone for good. Lyra made her way to Everlight Cathedral and found the wish slip she'd written herself—the one that said, [I want to marry Joel and be his wife.]

She tore it down, the cold wind whipping past and scattering two old slips onto the ground. They were Joel's.

The first one read:

[Marry Lyra Lebeau as my bride in five years.]

The second one made her breath hitch:

[As long as you come back, no matter when, I will always choose you.]

Of course. That one was for Renee.

Lyra let out a bitter laugh.

"Congrats, Joel Fenwick. You got exactly what you wanted."

***

Back at the villa, Lyra's phone kept buzzing with Renee's petty texts. She ignored them, sitting at her desk to write a farewell letter. She set a photo of Vesper next to it, then grabbed her suitcase and headed downstairs.

She slipped off the engagement ring Joel had given her, placed it in a gray velvet box, and handed it to Colin.

"When Joel gets back, give this to him. Let him know there's a letter on the desk."

Colin's face went pale—he'd noticed her taking off the ring earlier and knew something was up.

"Ms. Lebeau... are you leaving?"

Lyra gave him a faint smile.

"Thanks for looking after me all these years. If fate allows, we'll meet again."

With a small wave, she wheeled her suitcase to the door and called a cab to the airport.

An hour later, at the airport entrance, her best friend, Poppy Pryce, pulled her into a tight hug, refusing to let go.

"Lyra, don't you dare come back. Live your best life in Emmerica and forget that scumbag Joel ever existed!"

Lyra's eyes were red as she hugged her back. She glanced over her shoulder at the city of Lindale one last time, tilting her chin up.

'Goodbye, Lindale.

'Goodbye forever, Joel.'