CHAPTER 54: I EXPECTED A SIMPLE LIFE WITH HIM

"Was someone investigating me?" Lyra guessed, curiosity slipping into her voice.

"Not exactly," Martin said. "But they requested your photos. That’s all I got."

A waiter came by and set a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Who exactly were those people?" she pressed.

Martin shook his head lightly. "Can’t say. The requests came in through different channels. I don’t get names unless clients choose to give them."

His tone stayed professional—neither hiding nor revealing too much.

"Then forget it," Lyra said, her voice tightening. "I can’t trust you if you’re already hiding things from me."

She pushed back her chair and stood abruptly, turning away from the table.

"Hey—I’m not hiding anything from you," Martin called after her, watching her head for the café door.

He realized he hadn’t been careful with his words. Now she thought he couldn’t be trusted, even though he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

He grunted and stepped forward to stop her from leaving. He’d never chased after a client before—there were always plenty waiting after her.

So why bother now? Even he was puzzled by his own instinctive reaction.

He caught her by the arm, stopping her just as she reached the half-open door. Martin pulled her back gently and closed the door behind them.

A few customers glanced over, assuming they were a couple caught in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel.

"See? You’re causing a scene. Now everyone’s getting the wrong idea," Martin said, easily catching the whispers around them.

"Let’s talk first. Then you can decide whether you want to continue or walk away."

Lyra pressed her lips together, feeling small next to his authority. And he was right—people were whispering because of her unprofessional behavior.

She forced herself to follow him back to their table. Martin pulled her chair out and guided her into it.

"If you calm down, everything will be fine."

He moved his chair a little closer to her before sitting down, keeping his voice low—people were still staring.

He took a sip of his coffee, set the cup down, and said, "I’m not hiding anything. I’m telling you what I know so you can be more careful from now on. Do you understand?"

Martin crossed his arms and leaned back. He’d said everything he needed to say, and he watched her closely for a reaction.

"Okay, I understand," she muttered, her lips pulling into a small pout.

"So... what do you need me to do?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

Her expression soured as she handed him the envelope.

"I just want to know if everything in here is real or fake. That’s all."

Martin almost laughed at the expressions crossing her face—it looked like she was giving her facial muscles a full workout.

"Alright," he said with a small nod. "I’ll call you once I’m done."

Lyra glanced at her watch—she had an appointment with Dr. Lewis in an hour.

"I should get going. I have another appointment."

Martin nodded. They shook hands.

As she turned to leave, he lifted a hand.

"Wait."

Lyra turned back. "Yes?"

Martin looked at her for a moment, then offered a light, easy smile.

"You might want to start wearing sunglasses and a scarf," he said. "Trust me... those eyes of yours? They attract attention."

...

Lyra arrived at the therapy room fifteen minutes early. She took a seat in the waiting area, and five minutes later, the patient before her stepped out of Dr. Lewis’s office.

"Lyra Ashford?" a middle-aged man with white hair called out. He was tall and slim, leaning lazily against the doorframe.

Lyra stood, and Lewis didn’t bother hiding the way he looked her over from head to toe.

"You look worse than before," he said, circling a finger in her direction.

"Yeah. If I were in a good mood, I wouldn’t be here," she said, giving a small, sarcastic curtsey as if presenting the worst version of herself.

He let out a short, humorless laugh and waved her inside. "Alright, alright. Come in before you scare the next patient."

Lewis closed the door and made his way to his desk.

"I thought you’d come straight to me the moment you broke off your engagement. What took you so long to reach out?"

Lyra hadn’t even sat down yet when Lewis started firing questions at her.

"Because that wasn’t the end of my world. There are things way worse than that."

Lyra grabbed one of the large plush pillows and hugged it. The softness of the fabric brought her a small sense of calm.

"Alright, alright. Let’s start so I can understand the situation. Two nights before the wedding—when you were at the hospital until late at night. I’m guessing that’s when everything started."

Lewis reached for her record book and began flipping through the pages.

She sat up straight, her expression puzzled as she asked, "Do you have CCTV everywhere or something? How did you even know?"

"Ah, pure coincidence. I just happened to be there," he answered without even looking up.

"Is that so?" Lyra sank into the reclining chair, getting comfortable, stared up at the white ceiling.

"So much has happened in such a short time. First, Lucas and I broke up... and then I married someone my grandfather chose."

"How do you know your grandfather chose him? Your grandfather’s... dead, Lyra."

"Obviously. Grandma told me."

"Seriously? You actually believed your grandmother?"

He never bothered to filter his thoughts, and Lyra liked that about him—it was why she always ended up unloading her problems on him.

"It’s too late—I’m already married to the man my grandfather picked. And believe it or not, he saved me from a crowd of reporters the night before the wedding."

Lewis finally looked up from the file, his brows lifting.

"So that’s the same man? I did hear something about you getting attacked by reporters. Hm. Quite the dramatic twist of fate."

"Do you think it’s good fate or bad fate?"

"Depends on how he treats you now and afterward—and how you take it," he said, tapping his pen lightly.

Lewis struck a nerve. Lyra paused, thinking it over, before speaking.

"Seriously... I thought all I had to do was get married and live my life as usual.

But everything turned out completely different from what I expected.

First, he’s the one who saved me—he treated me so well, and I even promised myself I’d be a good wife, the kind he wanted.

Then suddenly he doubted me, thinking I’d run back to Lucas. After that, we were fine again. We even went on our honeymoon.

And now... he just doesn’t come home for a whole week."