From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 113

She completely understood his reasoning.

Chloe was a Harvard prodigy with a master's and a doctorate, a top-tier researcher at Zener. Her high-profile recruitment would instantly elevate the new institute's reputation and attract a flood of world-class scientists.

More importantly, it would permanently sever any chance of her returning to Zener.

Frederick's cold, harsh face flashed in her mind.

She simply couldn't do it right now!

Her silence stretched on, and Xavier's gaze grew progressively more lethal.

The standoff hung heavy in the air.

Suddenly, a loud smack echoed in the room.

Lydia's eyes widened in sheer shock as she watched Eleanor slap Xavier's hand.

The back of his pale, elegant hand instantly turned red.

"Is that how you treat your own wife?"

"Instead of spoiling her and giving her whatever she wants, you're laying down rules?" Eleanor scolded.

Caught looking completely disheveled for the first time, Xavier's face went through a kaleidoscope of colors.

It was incredibly surprising to see a man of his unshakeable power look so momentarily thrown off balance.

"Lydie, whatever you want, you just tell me."

"As long as I'm around, if he doesn't give it to you, I'll make sure he does."

Lydia knew she was pushing her luck, but a tiny flutter of triumph sparked in her chest.

After being bullied and suppressed for so long, it felt intoxicating to finally have someone powerful firmly in her corner.

"Grandma, I just want to work for... for Xavier. I just want him to promise not to replace me."

"Did you hear that?" Eleanor clutched Lydia's hand as if it were a priceless treasure. Seeing the wrinkles deepen around the old lady's eyes as she put on a stern, authoritative face to command Xavier, Lydia felt a profound warmth bloom in her chest.

He gave a curt, reluctant response. "Fine."

Xavier shot her a sideways glance that was so frigid it felt like physical ice against her skin.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly lowered her eyes.

She stayed and chatted with Eleanor for a while until she successfully coaxed the old lady to sleep.

Then, she followed Xavier out of the room.

Wesley shut the door behind them. Xavier took a seat on the sofa, radiating an overwhelmingly oppressive aura.

She knew she had played dirty. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used Grandma Eleanor's sympathy to manipulate you."

The man's somber gaze pinned her down, clearly condemning her calculated move. He showed zero signs of thawing.

"But I genuinely have no intention of jumping ship to Zener."

"If you don't believe me, listen to this."

"Are you lecturing me on how to run my business?" the man asked softly, his tone dripping with dominance.

"No, not at all..." Lydia gripped her phone tightly. "They're affiliated with Kingsleigh University. Kingsleigh and Averton have always been bitter rivals. They've clashed with Harrison at countless symposiums. They probably won't even respect his authority. By the time they actually produce any results, the team will likely have torn itself apart."

"I'm thinking about what's best for you and the institute."

"Of course, my selfish motive is that I don't want to lose my job. I want to use this institute as a stepping stone to build my own legacy."

Lydia looked at Xavier, her gaze earnest and unyielding. But facing his unfathomable, dark eyes, a spike of anxiety pierced her confidence. "If you drop me, you'll be the one who regrets it. I certainly won't."

Hadn't he heard it himself this afternoon?

The offer from The Zener Institute was incredibly lucrative.

For a split second, she had almost been tempted.

But looking at Colton's face just brought back memories of the two grueling years she spent being exploited. She refused to slave away for people like that ever again, no matter how much money they threw at her.

Hearing her final, provocative statement, Wesley looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

She wasn't trying to challenge his authority, but she had laid out every single pro and con, and he hadn't budged an inch. What else was she supposed to do?

As the silence dragged on, she started to worry she had gone too far, and she lowered her head.

"Follow me," his voice finally cut through the tension.

Lydia looked up in surprise as his pristine white cashmere sweater brushed past her arm.