Chapter 141
Chapter Title: Unspoken Choices
Conan still had an axe to grind. He wanted Tony and Myra to be together, whether it was for Myra’s own good or for the future challenges she was about to face. He firmly believed that being with Tony was the best thing she could do.
A gentle smile tugged at the corners of Myra’s lips. “He’s very kind to me,” she said softly. “I know he treats me with sincerity. And… he’s the man I want.”
Her voice softened with the last sentence, and a flush crept across her cheeks. Secretly, she glanced at Conan, but when she saw that he wasn’t mocking her, she continued, “If I make the wrong choice again, I won’t regret it.”
“You’ve grown up, Myra,” Conan sighed, his voice thick with a mix of approval and resignation.
As she left the Ritz Carlton, Conan’s words still echoed in Myra’s mind. “Are you sure, Myra? Don’t you want the kid from the Hart family to help you? With his help, you could achieve twice the result with half the effort. You could even take back what’s yours from the Stark Group. It’s just a meeting for a project. Don’t underestimate his abilities. Even I’m afraid to do business with him.”
Walking with her head down, Myra lost herself in thought. She didn’t want to drag Tony into the Stark Family feud.
She loved him, cherished him—more than she had ever thought possible. Yet, she didn’t want to rely on him, not like this. For one, she didn’t want the Hart Family to think she was only with him for his help. The idea that she might be using Tony to get back what was hers from the Stark Family made her uneasy.
But it was more than that. Tony was powerful, a force of nature. Sometimes, the weight of his brilliance overwhelmed her. She feared that she wouldn’t be able to hold on to him. She didn’t want to be that clingy woman. She wanted to become stronger, so that one day, she could stand beside him, not beneath him. He deserved a better version of herself, and she was determined to be that version.
A faint smile curved Myra’s lips. It had only been one morning apart, but she missed him already—his contrasts, the coldness, the warmth, the sensuality, and that dominating presence that never failed to make her heart race.
As she stepped out of the Ritz Carlton, the valet handed her the car key. Just as she was about to get in, a shadow loomed over her. Startled, Myra looked up, only to find Lyla blocking her path.
“Let’s talk, Myra.” Lyla’s delicate features shone under the midday sun, her beauty radiant, though her eyes were anything but friendly. She stared at Myra with an intense, unsettling gaze.
Myra narrowed her eyes. The smile that had lingered on her lips faded, replaced by a cool, indifferent expression. “I don’t think there’s anything we need to talk about, Miss Fisher.”
Lyla was no longer the sweet, submissive woman she’d once been in front of Sean and Eve. She gritted her teeth, eyes sharp with disdain. “I know what you’re thinking, Myra. You want to take Sean from me, don’t you? You’re trying to make him regret his decision by telling Eve and him about your bargaining chip. You want them to come crawling back, but do you remember how they treated you back then? If you were truly brilliant, you’d stay away from them, especially after the divorce.”
Myra’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. “So, you came here to warn me for my own good?” Without waiting for an answer, she opened the door of her sports car and slid inside, making it clear that Lyla’s words had no effect on her.
Lyla’s expression shifted immediately, her anger bubbling to the surface. “I know you hate me for what I did to you, but didn’t I help you too? Why do you still want to stay in the Chase Family, with a family like that?”
Myra’s eyes glinted with an unreadable emotion as she slid on her sunglasses, turning to face Lyla once more. The amber-tinted lenses shielded her gaze, but her lips pressed into a thin line for the first time. “Lyla, we both know exactly what you’re up to. I remember everything you did to me, and you know it too. I used to be easygoing, but not anymore. You stopped me to warn me not to go back to Sean and Eve. But let me tell you this: you’re in no position to tell me what to do.”
Myra’s words hit their mark, and she saw the change in Lyla’s face—a mix of frustration and helplessness. Smirking, Myra slammed the car door and revved the engine. With a burst of speed, she drove away, leaving Lyla standing frozen, her face twisted with anger.
Behind her, Lyla seethed. She knew Myra’s feelings for Sean were deep, and after the divorce, she had been careful not to antagonize Myra. She didn’t want to provoke Myra’s desire for revenge, which might push her to reclaim Sean from Lyla. And yet, here was Myra, already back in the game.
Later, at the Chase Family dinner, Lyla overheard Eve asking Sean if Myra owned anything other than the Ritz Carlton. Eve’s greed was evident; if Myra revealed her assets, Eve would want her back.
Lyla clenched her fists. She knew Myra’s biggest secret—the Stark Group. If, according to Old Master Stark’s will, the entire group was to become Myra’s… Lyla’s face twisted with a surge of rage at the thought.
After the divorce, Myra felt strangely empty, without a job and Tony by her side. In the afternoon, she went to the golf club. Tony liked golf, but Myra wasn’t very good at it. So, she hired a coach to teach her. But the ball never seemed to cooperate, and without Tony’s guidance, she couldn’t sink a single shot. Finally, she gave up, though she found solace in the serene view.
Taking out her phone, she snapped a quick selfie, a smile bright on her lips.
After a moment’s hesitation, she sent the photo to Tony, the message accompanying it: “Don’t look at other women during work.”
Myra stared at the photo, then reread her message. Her face flushed slightly. She had become bolder since being with Tony.
Knowing he was still on the plane, she exited Messenger and set the phone aside.
As she was leaving the club, she saw a group of men in suits entering. At the front was a man in his forties, his handsome features youthful due to careful grooming. His charm was undeniable, but Myra’s lips curled into a smirk. The moment he noticed her, she turned on her heel and left the club. Her phone had been ringing nonstop that day, but she had never answered the calls from that number. When her phone vibrated again, she turned it off without a second thought.
Back home, Myra took a shower and made herself a simple meal. She wandered back to the bathroom, where her gaze lingered on a piece of black underwear in the laundry basket. Biting her lip, she picked it up, washed it, and hung it to dry.
It was almost 10 PM when a familiar ringtone cut through the quiet of the night.
Myra, teetering on the edge of sleep, reached for the phone on her nightstand. She answered on impulse. “Hello?”