From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 172

The Rolls-Royce's window was rolled down.

But the tinted windows of the black van she sat in were tightly shut.

Separated by that sheet of dark glass, Frederick couldn't see her, but she could see him perfectly.

"Your husband is here. Get out."

The icy hand left her cheek, and Xavier's emotionless voice fell from above.

In that moment, the photos she had just seen flashed through her mind.

Along with them came the police investigation report: conclusive evidence.

The only reason the case was rushing to trial so quickly was because the evidence was undeniable.

She remembered the agonizing look on the woman's face, her body covered in blood...

She had flown across the ocean with Charles Foster, partly for the sake of getting her divorce certificate, but mostly because she had firmly believed Frederick was innocent.

She had wanted to help him.

But now, that conviction had been completely shattered by the brutal truth.

She had no idea how she was supposed to face him.

The man spoke again, his voice edged with displeasure. "Ms. Sterling?"

It was a stark reminder that she needed to leave, that she was wasting his time.

Lydia dragged her thoughts back, ruthlessly suppressing the agony and conflict tearing at her heart.

Not knowing how to face Frederick was her problem. She couldn't impose on someone else.

Lydia raised her slender fingers and pressed the door release button.

Whether she wanted to face it or not, she had to. There was no running away.

The moment she hit the button, the black Rolls-Royce sped off into the distance.

The tightly coiled string in her heart snapped loose. Like a drowning victim finally breaking the surface for air, her hand dropped limply to her side.

The car door suddenly slid open.

A chilling wind swept in.

Startled, she looked up and met Xavier's bottomless dark eyes. A turbulent storm seemed to be brewing in their depths, masking a simmering anger. "Get out," he said, his tone entirely aloof.

Lydia's heart skipped a beat. Faced with his blatant displeasure, she froze in a moment of utter helplessness.

"Boss, this is still District E. The crowd here is unpredictable," Wesley West spoke up from the front. "If Ms. Sterling is left alone here, she'll likely get mugged."

"Did you want to meet my family? Did you want them to know you exist?"

"No, you've misunderstood..." Lydia had no idea his mind would jump to such wild conclusions and scrambled to explain.

But the man wasn't listening.

"Are you bored of being Mrs. Foster? Do you want to be my wife now?"

As his accusations grew more absurd, she shook her head frantically. "No..."

"No?" Xavier's voice paused.

Just as she thought he finally understood, his large, icy hand suddenly clamped down over hers.

"Then what is this?"

She was sitting on his lap, her hands clutching his suit collar in an incredibly intimate posture.

If she weren't the one living it, even she would suspect she had ulterior motives.

But that wasn't it at all.

Lydia opened her mouth to explain, but he cut her off, his entire body radiating a freezing aura. "Stringing me along? Using me to make your husband jealous?"