Chapter 54

Lydia just stared, completely at a loss. Did he really have nothing better to do than chase people down for street races?
“I’m busy.” She barely glanced back before slamming her foot on the gas, leaving the scene behind in a blur.
Tonight, she had things to do.
“Hey, you’re just gonna leave?” Chris yelled after her, but she was already gone, just a faint memory on the road. He muttered under his breath, “Other people would beg me for a race. She doesn’t even look at me.”
Lydia sped through the city, her mind focused. As she neared Grandview Estates, she pulled over and dialed Juna.
Juna picked up almost immediately, her excitement impossible to miss. “Boss, you’re done already? It’s not even dark yet.”
They had plans to hit the underground auction at eight. Rumor had it the auction was offering a rare herb. Golden Antler. Lydia needed it for a special medicine, something that could help Mrs. Smith’s leg recover.
“Yeah,” Lydia replied. “Starting today, we’re cutting all ties with Smith Corporation.”
Juna nearly squealed. “Lyds, finally! You’re done being their safety net. The Smiths think they’re such business geniuses. If you hadn’t been feeding them resources and cleaning up their messes all these years, they would’ve been out of business ages ago!”
Lydia’s eyes turned icy.
She didn’t want to talk about her past with the Smith family. As of today, whatever happened to them had absolutely nothing to do with her.
…
At the same time, Connor met up with Austin.
Austin was the picture of corporate confidence—tall, sharp-dressed, with a presence that made most people sit up a little straighter. He was surprised, honestly, that Connor wanted to see him.
“Aren’t you supposed to still be in the hospital?” Austin teased, giving Connor a once-over. He’d already heard how Connor managed to injure himself running off to avoid a matchmaking setup.
Connor didn’t bother with small talk. “I need you to look into someone for me.”
Austin’s eyebrows shot up. “Connor Jefferson, actually asking for my help? Did the world just flip upside down? Who’s got you jumping through hoops like this?”
Connor usually handled everything himself. For him to reach out meant he was out of options.
“She’s a creator on your platform. I need her real info.”
“Wait, boy or girl?” Austin was actually taken aback. No wonder Connor came to him -his company’s platform was the link.
“A girl.”
Austin choked on his coffee, nearly spraying it everywhere.
Connor shot him a look that could kill. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ~net
Austin grabbed a napkin, trying to recover. “Sorry, you just seriously surprised me.”
In Austin’s mind, Connor was basically immune to girls. Growing up, he’d never had any female friends. The only woman even remotely connected to him was his official fiancée, Miss Norwood, and they’d barely even met.
Now Connor was asking about a girl?
“Don’t tell me you’ve finally fallen for someone,” Austin said, still in shock.
Connor didn’t answer directly. “She never shows her face on your platform. I just want to know who she really is.”
Austin pulled out his phone and opened the app. “What’s her username?”
“Chief Lydia,” Connor replied without missing a beat.
Austin’s hand froze mid-scroll, and he stared at Connor. “Wait. What’s going on between you two?”