CHAPTER 83: ELYSTRA, OWEN’S BETROTHED

Rowan held Lyra’s hand to help her stand and greeted Oliver with a polite handshake.

"Lyra, you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you. Looks like Rowan is taking good care of you."

"He really does. He shows me every day how much he cares," Lyra replied lightly, her words making it clear Rowan was good and Lucas had been far worse.

"Oh, that must be lucky of you."

Lyra noticed he seemed unusually cheerful today.

Oliver stepped aside, giving space for the couple behind him to come forward and greet the Pierces.

It was Owen, accompanied by a stunning woman, and Lyra couldn’t help noticing his hand resting on the woman’s slim waist.

Her gaze drifted to the woman, and she offered her a warm smile. She pulled her into a light hug before stepping back and meeting Owen’s eyes.

A wide smile spread across his face as he raised his brows twice.

She let out a small laugh, watching Owen proudly show off the person who clearly meant a lot to him.

Then she immediately turned back to Oliver, acting as if she was gossiping with the old man.

"Uncle, who is this charming lady? She must mean a lot to Owen."

"Of course. Isn’t it obvious how thrilled Owen’s been since he arrived?" he replied, clearing his throat before continuing.

"Everyone, this is Elystra. She owns a law firm and, of course, is Owen’s fiancée. Elystra, meet the Pierce family."

Albert leaned closer to Oliver, lowering his voice so only his friend could hear.

"Something tells me he won’t keep us waiting long for a wedding announcement."

"Yes... I’ll make sure it happens this year, and all of you will be invited," he replied, mirroring Albert’s tone.

Albert laughed softly, happy for his friend, and walked past him to the future groom. He patted Owen’s shoulder and congratulated him.

As the Ardens walked toward their table, Lyra lightly tugged Rowan’s sleeve, locking eyes with him firmly.

"Do you still doubt me? The proof is right there, he’s nothing like his brother."

Rowan only smiled, knowing he had been wrong back then. He didn’t dare say anything, afraid his wife would grill him.

The charity dinner began with a speech from the master of ceremonies. He welcomed the new donors, with Cortez among them.

Lyra immediately recognized the name. She scratched her neck lightly and glanced toward the table where Dante stood as the room applauded for him.

His eyes met hers, and she turned her head away, assuming Dante had been staring at someone else around her.

The items donated by the Cortez family were displayed onstage and auctioned off one by one.

Albert leaned toward his son, his eyes fixed on Dante.

"Is the Cortez family new here? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that name before."

"Neither have I," Rowan replied simply. Dante did bother him slightly.

"Lyra, overhearing the question, chewed quickly and swallowed her food before speaking up.

"He came to our hospital about a month ago and donated some funds."

"Oh? What business is his family in?" Albert asked her.

"I’m not sure. I only know he came to provide the funding. Maybe Director Carvin would know the rest."

"He’s got a lot of unique pieces," Albert said, rubbing his jaw as his eyes trailed back to the stage where an item was being displayed.

People leaned forward, raising their paddles, drawn to the piece’s one-of-a-kind sparkle under the stage lights.

Rowan, who from the beginning had been focused on putting food on his wife’s plate, turned his gaze to his father.

A skeptical look crossed his face as he asked, "How can you be sure it’s a unique piece?"

"I used to follow Harold to underground auctions... and that was decades ago."

He knew exactly what he was seeing because he had come across those kinds of items many times in the old underground auctions. It had been years since he last went to one.

Rowan didn’t reply. He wasn’t exactly amused that his father had gone to underground auctions back in the day.

His grandmother liked to bring up stories about how his father had been even wilder than him when he was young.

"You mean my grandfather attended black-market auctions?" Lyra asked, a hint of interest and disbelief in her eyes.

She wondered if this was the same grandfather who had always been soft-spoken with her, gentle in every gesture.

It was hard to imagine him being so daring and reckless in his younger years, and the thought made her quietly amused.

"Yes, he was adventurous."

Her eyes sparkled when she heard that her grandfather had been the kind to challenge himself with dangerous things.

"That must be an interesting story behind that word."

"Of course. Lots of stories. I bet you want to know what Harold was like back then."

Her eyes widened, and she put down her cutlery. "Yes, tell me about him."

She was ready to listen, but Albert waved his hand.

"Not now... why don’t you come by our place sometime? I’ll tell you the stories and show you our old photos too. But don’t tell Agnes. She’s still recovering, and I don’t want her stressing over little things."

"Okay. How about this weekend?"

Monica’s eyes lit up when she heard Lyra would be coming over, and she gracefully leaned in.

"Do come whenever you like, and stay for several days. Let’s meet my friends, and we’ll go to a tea party just for us women."

Rowan chewed slowly, displeasure written across his face as he looked at his parents, who were trying to steal his wife’s attention.

Suddenly, the hall dimmed, and a spotlight landed on their table. The host’s cheerful voice echoed through the room.

"The lady in the gold silk gown, please come to the stage. We need your lucky touch here."

Lyra froze. She glanced at Monica, who was wearing a red gown, then at Albert and Rowan, who paused for a moment.

"Yes, you, ma’am... This is a request from one of our donors, and it would be a pleasure if you could share your luck with us tonight."

The host said politely, noticing Lyra hesitate.

"Is that you who requested this?"

Lyra asked her husband, readying her hand to pinch his waist if it was true.

The Pierces were indeed one of the donors, but it wasn’t them who had requested such attention.

"I’ve been here since the beginning," Rowan said, denying it.

Lyra thought he was right. No one had approached them except the servers.