From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 156

When the treatment finished, the doctor walked over. “Mr. Foster, Mrs. Foster. The alcohol is entirely flushed from your system. I've also administered medication to stimulate ovulation. You can try tonight.”

Lydia shifted her gaze to glare at Frederick. He hadn't been concerned about her at all earlier; he was just giving the doctor her medical status so she could be prepped for his use.

She balled her hands into tight fists, frantically trying to think of an excuse to reject him.

Suddenly, a composed figure appeared in the doorway.

“Boss, Mrs. Foster. Caleb has matters to attend to tonight, so I will be driving you back to Tidal Crest Manor.”

It was Jordan Drake!

Lydia's heart plummeted.

“I need to use the restroom.”

Forcing her panic down, Lydia walked out of the room, only to be startled by the sight of two maids from the main estate standing in the hallway.

“Mrs. Foster, Charles heard that you dismissed the previous staff, so he sent over two experienced maids to assist you,” Jordan explained smoothly from behind her.

She remained silent for a beat before offering a tight, “Understood.”

She strode into the bathroom, the two maids following close behind to stand guard at the door.

Yanking her phone out, she quickly unblocked Sierra's number and dialed it.

Her heart was racing, though her expression remained icy calm. The phone rang endlessly, but no one answered.

Then it hit her—Sierra was drugged!

Even if Sierra knew Frederick planned to sleep with her tonight, she was in no state to crash the party.

“Mrs. Foster, are you finished?” one of the maids called out.

Her eyes locked onto a small pill bottle tucked inside her purse. Shoving her phone away, she dabbed her fingers with water, smoothed the stray hairs behind her ears, and confidently strode out.

Back at Tidal Crest Manor, Jordan escorted them all the way to the master bedroom.

The second the door clicked shut, Frederick crowded her against it. His large hands cupped her face, and without warning, he dipped his head, his sharp nose brushing against hers. Dark desire burned in his eyes; if he leaned down just an inch more, he would capture her lips.

His intoxicating, purely masculine scent wrapped around her, blending with a faint trace of gardenia.

Her slender hands pressed firmly against his chest, her brow furrowing in disgust. “Go take a shower. I hate the smell of Sierra on you.”

A flicker of surprise crossed the man's dark eyes, as if he hadn't realized another woman's perfume was lingering on his clothes. His hot breath ghosted over her lips as he took a half-step back. “Get my pajamas ready?” he murmured, his voice husky.

Relieved, she kept her expression perfectly neutral and nodded.

Satisfied, he turned and headed into the bathroom.

Lydia immediately spun around and yanked the bedroom door open, coming face-to-face with the two maids.

They were literally standing guard right outside.

“Do you need something, Mrs. Foster?”

“I'm thirsty. I'm going down for some water.”

She took a step forward, but two arms shot out to block her path. She scowled. “You dare stop me?”

“No, Mrs. Foster.”

“I'll go get it for you.” One of the maids hurried downstairs, while the other held her ground. “Jordan instructed us to take excellent care of you and Mr. Foster tonight.”

A moment later, she heard Jordan's voice echoing from downstairs, questioning the maid.

Jordan hadn't left.

Defeated, she stepped back. The maid soon returned with a glass of water; Lydia snatched it and slammed the door.

After fetching Frederick's pajamas, she turned her attention to the glass.

Slipping inside, she locked the door and turned the showerhead on full blast over the bathtub. Sitting on the toilet lid, she pulled up the hidden camera feed on her phone. She watched Frederick sitting on the edge of the bed, flipping through documents, glancing at the bathroom door every so often.

Suddenly, he tossed the blankets aside and started walking toward the bathroom, looking entirely unaffected by the drugs.

Lydia glanced up at the frosted glass door, her pulse spiking.

Right then, a loud thud echoed from the bedroom.

She checked the feed, immediately shut off the water, and opened the door. Seeing Frederick passed out cold beside the bed, a massive sigh of relief escaped her lips.

It took everything she had to haul his dead weight onto the mattress. She spent the next half hour violently shaking the bedframe and letting out a few strategic screams, exhausting herself in the process.

Once she was done, Lydia poured the rest of the drugged water down the drain and washed the glass spotless.

She pulled out his suitcase and packed a few days' worth of clothes.

A bitter laugh bubbled up in her throat.

Back when she used to pack his bags with genuine love, her heart had always been full of warmth.

Now, she was only doing it so he wouldn't suspect a thing.

She sat silently on the couch the entire night, acutely aware of the red light blinking on the security camera mounted above. It quietly tracked her movements until dawn.

When Frederick woke the next morning, he found her fully dressed and standing by the bed.

“You were completely passed out when I got out of the shower last night,” she grumbled, feigning annoyance.

The man glanced down at himself, then back at her. His gaze was as stoic and detached as ever.

It seemed he suspected nothing.

She grabbed his suitcase and headed for the door. “Hurry up and eat breakfast. You need to come to the hospital with me to pick up my mom before your flight, right? I had my mom and Julian move the wedding reception up.”

Frederick sat quietly on the bed, watching Lydia's slender back as she wheeled his luggage out of the room.