Panic surged through her, and she broke into a run.
In her haste, she stumbled, and the keys slipped from her grip, sliding beneath the car.
Lyra hit the ground hard, her palms scraping against the pavement, but she barely noticed as the echo of footsteps grew louder.
Too many, too close.
Lyra lunged for her keys, praying she still had time to run, but blinding flashes erupted before she could reach them.
The air filled with shouts.
"Miss Ashford! Is it true the wedding's off?"
"Did you call it off or did Mr. Arden?"
"Is it because of another man?"
"Doctor, are you still seeing him?"
Questions fired from every direction, their voices overlapping, became a blur of noise and light.
Lyra shielded her face with her hands and tried to get to her feet, but her legs wouldn't obey.
"Why are you doing this?" she shouted over the chaos. "I'm not your story! Leave me alone!"
Another camera went off inches from her face.
Her plea vanished into the chaos.
They swarmed closer, relentless, their questions biting through the noise.
Lyra felt the walls of panic closing in.
A tall man wearing a dark trench coat pushed his way through the crowd.
"That's enough." A deep calm voice. There was quiet authority in his tone. "Step back."
It went unnoticed by Lyra as she was still trapped beneath the storm of flashing lights.
No one seemed to recognize him, yet his presence drew uneasy glances.
Someone asked, "Who is he?"
"Is that your new lover, Miss Ashford?"
The question sliced through the air, followed by a frenzy of camera flashes.
The question made him pause. Who was this woman, that every reporter seemed so desperate to dig into her life?
He stopped beside Lyra, offering his hand.
"Are you alright?"
Lyra stayed silent, her body shaking so violently she could barely stay upright beneath the flashing lights.
Rowan frowned slightly. Without a word, he stepped closer and blocked the nearest camera with his shoulder.
"Enough!" he said again, this time colder.
The reporters hesitated. Some lowered their cameras, others stepped back, murmuring among themselves.
Rowan crouched and reached for Lyra's keys under the car, then gently took her arm to help her stand.
"Take a breath," he said, steadying her. "You're safe now."
Lyra blinked, still shaking. She didn't know him, but his presence steadied her.
"T— Thank you," she said, hissing softly as pain shot through her scraped palms.
Rowan's gaze flicked to her hands. A faint line appeared between his brows.
"You're hurt," he said.
He took a handkerchief from his coat and offered it to her.
Lyra hesitated, unsure whether to accept, but the sting in her palms forced her to.
"It's just a scratch," she murmured.
"Even small wounds get worse if ignored," he replied, his tone firm yet gentle.
Their eyes met for a brief moment— her cool azure against his fierce amethyst and something unfamiliar flickered to life between them.
Neither of them noticed the man slipping through the crowd, a glint of metal hidden in his hand.
It happened too fast that the attacker lunged toward Lyra, the blade aimed at her face.
Rowan reacted on instinct, grabbing her and knocking the blade aside. A sharp pain tore through his palm as the knife grazed him.
Gasps erupted around them. The reporters scattered, shouting.
Enraged, the attacker swung the blade again and again.
From a distance, Kane sprinted forward and threw a punch the moment he reached them.
The attacker dodged and swung the blade dangerously close, but Kane ducked low and slid forward, sweeping the man's legs from under him.
The attacker hit the ground hard. Kane was on him in an instant, tackling him, wrenching the blade free before the man could strike again.
"Boss, are you alright?" Kane asked, breathing hard.
Rowan flexed his injured hand, blood seeping between his fingers.
"I'm fine," he said quietly.
Lyra trembled in his arms, frozen by shock.
Just then, Nora and Edris came running.
"Mr. Pierce, you're bleeding!" Edris exclaimed, rushing toward him.
***
Back inside the hospital, Edris worked on Rowan's bandaged hand.
Across the room, Lyra sat trembling, while Nora tried to calm her as a nurse tended to her scratched palm.
"Dr. Ashford, here. Have a sip," the nurse said, pressing a cup into her shaking hands.
Rowan's head turned at the title. Doctor?
He frowned, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Why was a mere doctor caught up in such a dangerous scandal?
Someone had clearly been after her life. If he hadn't shown up... ah, best not think about that. Thank goodness everyone was safe.
He studied her closely, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Beautiful—even in that messy state. Maybe he should hire her as his next lover.
The thought made him almost smile. Yeah… no.
She looked far too innocent for that. The small, nervous way she tensed when he offered her a handkerchief told him she wasn't the kind who played those games.
Outside the treatment room, Kane Prince gave his statement to the police officer and Chloe watched from a distance, tense.
This wasn't how she'd thought things would turn out.