CHAPTER 51: MASQUERADE MYSTERY

"And if the other staff find out, especially Nancy—I’m doomed." She dropped Nancy’s name again, on purpose.

"Fine!" John slammed his hand on the desk. She had completely ruined his mood.

He jabbed a button and summoned a staff member.

The staff arrived and knock, confused because the door was locked. When it clicked open and he saw John with a woman inside. The air between them strangely awkward.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, pretending he didn’t notice a thing.

"This is Camela, the new staff. She’ll be under you," John said, then dismissed them both immediately.

...

At the Mother and Child Clinic, the nurse from room one called out. "Baby Elly."

A mother carrying her two-day-old baby stepped inside for a jaundice check. The nurse held the door open until the mother walked in, then closed it behind her.

"Have a seat, ma’am" Lyra said gently, guiding her toward the chair.

"We’ll check mama first, okay?" Lyra added. The mother handed her baby to the nurse, and Lyra began examining her.

Lyra checked her postpartum wound. "You’ve done well. It’s healing beautifully, and there’s no infection."

Then she helped the mother sit down and went over to the baby. Lyra pressed gently on the baby’s skin. There was a slight sign of jaundice.

The nurse handed over the baby’s weight, head circumference, and blood test results.

Lyra advised the mother to avoid meals that contained ginger and black pepper for now, as those could make the baby’s jaundice worsen.

Once they were done, she called in the next patient. When her break finally rolled around, Lyra headed to another building in the hospital.

She stopped at Alex’s office, knocked. "Can I come in?"

She waited longer than she expected before Alex finally responded, "Come back later, okay? I’m on a call." Most likely, he had an urgent call.

"Alright," she replied, forcing a faint smile.

She’d meant to ask Alex to join her for lunch outside the hospital, but the moment slipped away. It looked like she’d be eating alone today. Usually, Edris was the one who kept her company.

She made the walk to the street-side stall by herself.

Lyra ate quietly, surrounded by the familiar mix of honking, passing cars, and vendors shouting out orders. She actually liked the noise. It made the place feel alive.

But her ease faded when someone unexpected crossed the road and headed straight toward her. Lucas had been trailing her from the moment she walked out, waiting for the right moment to show himself.

He looked rough. His hair had grown out a bit, dark circles clung under his eyes from lack of sleep, and the uneven stubble on his jaw showed he hadn’t bothered shaving.

"Can I sit with you?" he asked, his voice polite but edged with sadness.

Lyra recognized that voice instantly. She shot to her feet, the chair scraping against the pavement.

"Wait—I mean no harm, please," Lucas said quickly, raising both hands.

"There are plenty of people around. I really mean it. No harm. I just want to talk."

Lyra hesitated. He was right—the place was crowded, too many eyes for anything to go wrong.

She finally lowered herself back into her seat and continued eating, but she still refusing to look at him or say a word.

Lucas understood her gesture, she was on guard. He dragged a chair and sat, and only ordered plain water.

Lucas smiled awkwardly and began, "Thank you for giving me a chance to talk."

Lyra checked the time and said, "I only have five minutes for you." She sounded aloof and cold.

She didn’t give Lucas any room to think she had forgiven him. And Lucas got the message.

He was a bit regretful about what he had done to her.

"Lyra... I know I hurt you. I know I broke your trust. And I’m not here expecting forgiveness. I only want to own what I did."

Lucas drew in a breath, as he added, "After my terrible mistake in Bellwyn, father gave me a choice—either marry the woman he chose, or leave for the US and never come back."

He paused for a moment, the words catching in his throat.

His chest felt heavy as he continued, "Of course I chose the US... and I’m leaving tonight."

Lyra’s chewing slowed as the weight of his words sank in. So Lucas had come to say goodbye.

"...this is our last moment, Lyra," he continued softly. "I owe you the truth. Please... just listen until the end."

Her heart softened just a little at the sight of him like this. She dabbed her lips with a napkin, then took a slow sip of her juice.

"What truth?" she asked.

"This is about Owen. If you meet him, please don’t ignore him," Lucas said.

Lyra lifted her brows. "And why should I do that?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Guilt flickered across Lucas’s face. He took a small sip of his water, as if the taste alone could give him the courage to go on.

"You always talked about that masquerade night, and every time you did, I avoided answering... because I was hiding something."

Lyra nodded slowly. It was the night she first met Lucas.

The party had carried a strange, alluring mystery. Beneath its pretty surface, behind every mask, there was a dark edge that made her uneasy. She remembered how unsafe she’d felt, surrounded by strangers whose intentions were anything but decent.

Drunk guests kept stumbling toward her, and some hid hungry eyes behind their masks, trying to coax her into warming their beds.

But Lucas had stepped in. He came to her side and, without hesitation, chased off anyone who tried to bother her. The situation escalated, and a fight broke out.

In the chaos, a drunk guest swung a shard of broken glass at him, leaving a deep cut along Lucas’s neck.

"You know I’m not the type who goes to parties like that," Lucas said quietly. "Owen was the only one who attended. The man you met that night... that wasn’t me. It was Owen."

Lyra froze, staring at him in disbelief.

"I know it sounds ridiculous," he added quickly.

"But when he came home injured, our parents panicked. I knew exactly what happened because I was there when he explain everything to them."