The Tyrant's Stolen Bride-Chapter 141: Jealousy

"Edris?" A familiar voice called his name from behind, and he turned, pushing himself to his feet.

"Oh... Lyra. Sorry."

He flicked away his cigarette, crushing it under his shoe, waving away the smoke.

"That won’t be necessary," she said, nodding at the discarded cigarette. Rowan was a heavy smoker—she could tolerate the smoke.

Lyra looked at him, a quiet warmth in her eyes.

"It’s been months since the last time I came here. How are you, Edris?"

"I’ve been well enough," he said, keeping it brief.

His hair had grown long—long enough to be tied back neatly. She wondered how Pearl would react if she saw him in this new look.

Pearl would probably either cry or scream at how handsome her crush had become. The thought made her smile widely.

"I was just coming back from the restroom and saw you. Mind if I join you?"

"Of course."

Lyra sat on the bench, and Edris joined her quietly.

He scanned the area—there was no sign of the man he had been trying to spot.

"You okay sitting here? Won’t your husband be looking for you?"

Lyra shook her head faintly.

"I should be the one looking for him. He’s been gone longer than I expected... but nah, I’ll let him be."

Edris nodded, drumming his fingers lightly against the armrest.

"It seems like Rowan treats you well," Edris said, stating what he had quietly observed. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Yes. I’m glad." She smiled. A light in her eyes he had never seen before. It pierced his heart.

"So, what about you? How long are you planning to stay single like this?"

She was teasing him, but underneath it, she was trying to catch a hint—whether Pearl still had a chance.

"I don’t know. Maybe until the woman I like comes to me and tells me she needs me. When that happens, I won’t hesitate to accept her."

"Hm? That sounds quite mysterious... who is she?" she giggled.

"Sorry, I’m being nosy. Give me a hint— is she blonde?" Lyra dropped the hint deliberately—as Pearl also had blonde hair.

Edris frowned. He wondered if she truly understood the depth of his feelings now. She had a strong, happy marriage now, and he didn’t want to be the one to interfere or cause it harm.

He shook his head.

"Nope—zero points for you. Better luck next time," he said, his tone teasing as he smiled.

"Oh." Lyra frowned, disappointed.

Edris let out a long, quiet exhale, the smile fading from his face.

"Marriage isn’t on my mind right now. My sister needs me more than anything."

"I understand... I’ll make some time to visit Bellwyn... we’re all family now," Lyra said softly as she felt the familiar ache of loss.

She reached for his hand and patted it lightly, hoping to ease the burden he carried.

Her touch was gentle, yet the warmth of her skin sent a sharp jolt straight to his heart.

But she didn’t seem to feel it the same way—she didn’t feel the spark.

He pulled his hand back slowly.

"I think it’s time we go back. Come on." He rose and walked away without waiting for her.

Lyra had barely taken a few steps when a familiar voice called her name. She turned instinctively, and her expression softened at once, warmth flooding her eyes when she saw Rowan.

She moved toward him, slipping her arms around his waist in a quiet embrace.

A few steps ahead, Edris could hear the soft murmur of flirtation behind him. His heart raced, and he felt like running, but he forced himself not to show it.

Ahead, his mother was watching, so he smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Mother, why are you frowning?" he asked, gently smoothing the furrows on her brow with his fingers.

He leaned in slightly and whispered, "Don’t worry so much. I told you—I’ve already moved on."

"Edris..." she murmured, knowing he was lying, sensing the pain he tried to hide.

"Mother, Mia’s coming," he said quietly. They both straightened, slipping on calm masks as the bride and groom approached.

Edris felt relieved that he had managed to draw his mother’s attention away from himself.

He didn’t want her dwelling on his heartbreak anymore. Instead, he wanted her—wanted both of them—to focus solely on Mia.

From afar, Rowan’s displeasure simmered as Lyra sat beside him, yet her attention was fixed on her phone, snapping photos of Edris instead of him.

He grunted, but Lyra didn’t hear him—though his grandmother did.

"I told you to pick a proper wife. Not someone like her, secretly taking pictures of a man who isn’t her husband," she said loudly, her voice carrying across the table.

Rowan frowned and snatched the phone from her.

"Hey..." Lyra blinked, startled.

"Rowan, give it back. I haven’t even finished yet," she whispered, a hint of frustration in her voice.

The more she insisted, the more his pride flared.

"Shameless," Elean muttered, her eyes narrowing at Lyra with disgust.

"What? What did I do wrong?" Lyra asked, completely confused, her voice faltering as she realized everyone around them was watching.

What hurt even more was that Rowan stood by his grandmother this time, saying nothing.

Rowan shoved the phone back into her hand.

Lyra swiped through her phone immediately.

All the photos were gone.

He had deleted all of it. She hadn’t managed to send to Pearl yet—the ones perfectly captured, the ones she had taken so carefully.

"Why did you delete them? They’re for Pearl," Lyra said, her voice heavy with sadness.

"Then let her deal with him herself," he said, his voice cold, leaving no room for argument.

She lowered her phone and fell silent. Her eyes burned painfully. She blinked, refusing to let the tears spill.

Slowly, Lyra rose from her seat. "I need to use the restroom."

Lyra cupped her hands under the cold tap and splashed water onto her face, trying to cool herself down—to extinguish the fire still burning in her chest.

She pushed open the restroom door and drifted through the quiet hallways of the mansion, letting her steps guide her toward one of the guest rooms.

"Dr. Ashford," Peter called out.

"Oh... Peter."

Having visited before, Lyra was already familiar to the butler and the maids, who greeted her with smiles.

"Do you need to rest?"

Lyra nodded.

"Those rooms are already occupied. Come, I’ll show you another one."

Peter turned and headed in a different direction—to the room she had used before on the upper floor.

Lyra followed without hesitation, feeling that she needed some space now.