From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 166

Her lips parted. "Mr. Ford, on the night of Grandma Meredith's birthday..."

The door was suddenly yanked open.

"Lydia?" Harrison's voice cut through the heavy tension.

Xavier instantly released her hand.

She stared at his indifferent expression.

No, it couldn't have been him.

The man that night was gentle. It was Frederick.

Swallowing her question, she forced a nod. "Don't worry, Mr. Ford. I'll be back on time."

He gave her a singular, unreadable glance before looking away.

She climbed out and faced a panting Harrison.

Harrison's eyes darted to the bridal gown and mask left on the back seat. Isn't that the dress Xavier Ford's new wife wore in the news today?

There was no other woman in the car. Only Lydia.

And in all the leaked media footage, the mysterious bride's silhouette was a dead ringer for hers.

Without seeing the face, they were practically the same person.

A sickening realization settled in Harrison's gut. His face darkened as he offered a stiff condolence. "Mr. Ford. My deepest sympathies regarding your grandmother."

Xavier gave a curt, dismissive nod.

Watching the Lincoln speed off, the two walked toward the private airstrip.

Harrison frowned. "Lydia, I saw the news. You bolted from the press conference?"

"Why was Xavier Ford dropping you off?"

She hated lying to him. Outside of her mother and Joanna, Harrison was the only person she truly trusted. But with Eleanor gone, her fake engagement with Xavier was essentially over.

There was no point dragging it out and causing unnecessary drama.

"It was just a coincidence," she lied smoothly. "Harrison, did you bring my passport?"

He handed it over, though his suspicions still gnawed at him. But another issue took priority. "Lydia, what's going on with your divorce from Frederick?"

Recalling Jordan's ruthless threat, she forced a tight smile. "Once this mess blows over, it should be finalized."

Relaxing slightly, Harrison nodded. "Good. Treat this as repaying your debt to him."

After bidding him goodbye, Lydia braced herself and walked across the tarmac under the flashing cameras, boarding the private jet with Charles.

She nodded.

Twelve hours later, the jet touched down.

Thanks to the time difference, it was dead of night.

They went straight to the holding facility.

Stripped of his tailored suits, Frederick was dressed in a standard jumpsuit, yet it did nothing to diminish his devastatingly handsome features.

Seemingly unfazed by the criminal charges, he sat across from her with perfect composure. His gaze, however, was unusually soft.

Once everyone settled, the legal and PR teams briefed them on the battle plan.

"Bail has been approved," Saul Solomon, their elite defense attorney, announced. "Tomorrow at 8 AM, we need you and Mr. Foster to walk out of the precinct and take a brief press interview. We've vetted the reporters and prepped standard questions."

"Just stick to this script." Saul handed Lydia a manila folder.

Lydia flipped through the pages, frowning. "Shouldn't I know the details of the case?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Foster, they won't ask about the trial."

"Since we're dealing with a jury system here, our goal is purely optical. We need potential jurors to see a deeply devoted husband and a perfectly happy marriage. That's all," Saul explained.