From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 140

Lydia snapped out of her daze. She tried to shove him away, but Xavier's hand smoothly fell from her waist, letting her go.

Frederick violently yanked her into his chest.

His arm clamped like an iron vise over the exact spot on her lower back where she had just been shot.

Frederick locked her against him, his freezing glare scanning her face before locking onto Xavier's ruthless, imposing figure.

She wanted nothing more than to rip herself out of his grip, but there was too much of an audience. Until the divorce papers were officially signed, she refused to cause a public scene that might make its way back to Charles Foster.

Sierra came sprinting onto the field. "That doesn't count! How did they have an extra player?!"

Lydia was just as confused. She looked up at Xavier.

The man's face was completely devoid of emotion. He handed his helmet and gun to Wesley, oozing a terrifying, arrogant superiority that proved he didn't owe a single soul on that field an explanation.

The rest of the players and the base staff flooded the arena.

"Midway through the match, Mr. Zane had an urgent matter to attend to. Mr. Ford had just arrived, so he tagged in as a substitute," the referee quickly explained. "Mr. Ford inherited Mr. Zane's remaining ammo and health bar. There was no foul play."

"How is that fair?! Mr. Ford just got here, he had way more stamina than Harrison!" Sierra whined, refusing to accept the loss.

Frederick held up a hand, shutting her down. His dark eyes never left Xavier. "A loss is a loss."

He tightened his bruising grip around Lydia's waist, grinding against the tender welt left by the paintball. She winced in pain, meeting Xavier's glacial backward glance.

He barely looked at her. His eyes passed over her like she was nothing, fixing a look of sheer, freezing contempt on Frederick before he walked away without a word.

At that moment, Harrison rushed onto the field looking stressed. "Mr. Ford, the data finished rendering. Could you take a look and see if anything is corrupted?"

"Mm."

Xavier was instantly swarmed by Harrison and the other top-tier researchers, walking off like royalty.

"What's he so arrogant about?! He's just a trust fund brat who inherited his daddy's company!" Sierra muttered bitterly. "Frederick is going to crush him one day!"

Xavier is not a trust fund brat!

Lydia wanted to bite her head off, but Frederick's icy warning hit her ear. "Watch your mouth."

"Your stupidity will get us into trouble."

"Fine," Sierra grumbled, shrinking back. Her gaze dropped to Frederick's arm clamped around Lydia's waist, and a look of pure, venomous hatred flashed in her eyes.

Frederick finally let go.

As he walked away, the throbbing pain eased slightly, but Lydia still felt a sharp ache. She reached back and gingerly rubbed the bruise.

A staff member jogged over and handed her the winner's medal.

"Frederick..." Sierra practically salivated, her eyes glued to the shiny metal. "Lydia doesn't even like tactical games anyway, and that's the only medal I need to complete my entire Averton Tactical series collection."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify