From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 188

But she *was* divorced.

Lydia thought of the divorce papers currently held hostage by Charles. Without that certificate, who would ever believe she had willingly walked away from the heir to the Foster empire?

Still, even if she had the paperwork, that was her private business. There was no need to spill her guts to Xavier.

"How long do I have to play the fiancée?" Lydia's voice sounded muffled.

This couldn't possibly last forever, right?

"Until I decide I want to take a wife," the man replied casually.

That gave Lydia a massive headache. "When is that going to be? You're publicly announcing that you're engaged. What woman is going to want to date you after that?"

Pretending to be his fiancée before had only been to comfort Grandma Eleanor on her deathbed.

He hadn't wanted her to pass away with regrets.

This was entirely different.

He was using her as a human shield against any woman trying to secure the Mrs. Ford title.

But he wasn't exactly single anymore, was he?

Would anyone actually still pursue him?

Besides, she was about to head to Silicon Valley with Harrison. The rest of her time was going to be consumed by the lab. She absolutely couldn't afford to be distracted.

She didn't want to—and frankly couldn't—drop everything to play house with him every other day.

His inscrutable gaze bore into her for a heavy two seconds. "You don't need to worry about my personal life."

She wasn't worried about *his* life; she was worried about hers...

Unable to voice her grievances, she was busy frowning when Xavier suddenly reached out.

She instinctively flinched away, but his large hand locked firmly onto her waist. The burning heat of his palm seeped through her clothes, sending a tingle radiating through her stomach. She shivered. "Wh-what are you doing?"

The grip on her waist tightened relentlessly. In one fluid motion, she was hoisted into the air and deposited firmly onto his thick, muscular thigh.

The stark contrast of soft curves pressing against hard muscle sent a jolt straight up her spine. A sudden, overwhelming discomfort seized her as she noticed the van was parked on the side of the street.

The dome light flicked on.

The sudden brightness made her squint.

"The official announcement," his voice murmured right in her ear.

It should have sounded clinical, but instead, it was a low, magnetic hum that sent a shiver of tension through the air.

Up front, Wesley turned around in the driver's seat, holding up his phone. "Ms. Sterling, smile for the camera."

Lydia desperately buried her face against Xavier's shoulder, her voice weak. "Didn't they already run a story back home? Why do we need more pictures? I don't want to..."

She had signed a contract with Charles. For the next nine days, to the public, she was still Frederick's wife.

"I can't be exposed..."

"The news back home didn't reach here."

"And I don't have a kink for letting the world know I was conned by a married woman." He firmly pressed her head against his shoulder. "Take the picture, Wesley."

It was all totally fake, but he said it with such brazen conviction.

She didn't have the energy to fight him on it.

Plastered against his scorching body, Lydia tried to grit her teeth and bear the rising, suffocating wave of distress. But she couldn't. She squirmed restlessly against him, her flushed face radiating a frantic, breathless heat. "I can't do this right now... take me back to the mansion, please..."

His warm hand cupped her jaw, tilting her face up. His other hand remained branded to her waist, the heat slowly unraveling her nerves. She stared into his predatory gaze, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "Stop squirming. It's almost done."

Horrified and thoroughly humiliated by the sudden, urgent pressure in her bladder from the terror of the holding cell, Lydia buried her face in his chest. "Don't touch me," she mumbled. "I need to..."

She lifted her head, leaning close to his ear. Her trembling lips accidentally brushed against his earlobe. "...go to the bathroom..."

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