From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 179

His brows were tightly knitted in annoyance, looking entirely done with the situation. Suddenly, he caught sight of Lydia turning around. He shoved the woman away and marched straight toward her.

Her silver heels pivoted to leave, but a strong grip clamped around her wrist.

Unable to resist the momentum, she crashed back into a hard, warm chest.

His furious breath cascaded over her head. "Take a good look. This is my wife."

The stunning woman broke down into hysterical tears, glaring at Lydia in utter disbelief. "I don't believe you! I asked every single socialite here, and not one of them claimed it!"

"Where the hell did she come from?"

The woman lunged at them like a maniac.

It all happened so fast Lydia didn't even have time to react. The laptop slipped from her hands, hitting the floor with a loud thud. The woman's manicured fingers hooked onto her mask and ripped it downward. As the chill of the air hit her exposed skin...

Frederick's voice echoed from the end of the hall. "Where is my wife?"

"Ma'am is... she's right..." Gable stammered, looking directly at Lydia.

Frederick's gaze bypassed Gable and locked onto them.

The exact second their eyes met, the mask was entirely torn from her face.

She squeezed her eyes shut in sheer terror. Suddenly, her face was buried in a warm chest, surrounded by the faint scent of cedarwood. Through the thin, soft fabric of his shirt, a heat hotter than her own seeped into her skin.

Xavier had tucked her head into his chest, his large, warm hand cupping the side of her face that was exposed, entirely shielding her identity.

"Maya, you're entirely out of line."

The man's cold, ruthless reprimand rumbled through his chest and directly into her ear, vibrating so intensely her head spun.

"Who is she?! I don't believe this!" The woman's shrieks suddenly grew distant. "Let me go! I want to see exactly what kind of woman she is..."

It sounded like someone was dragging Maya away.

Lydia stayed perfectly still in his embrace, her nerves stretched to the absolute limit. She didn't dare open her eyes.

"Ma'am was just in Lounge 1 taking care of some work," Gable's voice echoed nervously as Frederick's heavy, steady footsteps approached. Every single step felt like it was trampling directly on her racing heart.

She was overcome with an inexplicable panic, even though absolutely nothing was going on between her and Xavier.

She had literally just been trying to help him out, yet now she was the one trapped and helpless.

"Mr. Ford?"

Frederick's voice rang out, carrying a note of surprise.

Terrified, Lydia shrank deeper into Xavier's embrace, her slender arms instinctively wrapping tightly around his waist. She tilted her head slightly and opened her eyes, immediately locking onto his impossibly close, dark gaze.

His bottomless eyes were like an abyss, dragging her in. His gaze suddenly dropped to her lips. "Beg me."

In that split second, she felt like everything was spiraling entirely out of control.

But as Frederick's footsteps drew closer, she had no time to think. "Please."

The bridge of his straight nose brushed against hers, and he captured her lips.

"Mmph!"

She felt her entire world collapse.

Her heart, her body, her very soul—everything was trembling.

How could he kiss her right in front of Frederick...