From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 23

The ache in Frederick's eyes vanished in a flash, making her wonder if she had imagined it.

He helped her stand up.

She gripped the bedrail, forcing herself to stay on her feet.

The atmosphere in the room turned freezing cold.

He took the medical chart Caleb Grant handed him. Frowning at the name 'Alistair Vaughn'—a globally renowned cardiothoracic expert—he demanded, “When did you get to know Alistair?”

“Mrs. Foster, Mr. Foster has been trying to get Dr. Lane to invite Alistair to treat Madeline for a long time,” Caleb added.

The woman, looking pale and battered, seemed completely unfazed by Caleb's words. Her brows knit tightly together, her bloodless lips parting slightly as she spoke in a frigid tone. “It's none of your business.”

At those words, Frederick tossed the medical chart onto the coffee table.

She had only married him to exact revenge on the Suttons; he had never truly held a place in her heart.

Of course it was none of his business.

Frederick furrowed his brow, recalling the sight of Julian and Harrison at the door. Julian was a university professor, and Alistair happened to be an academic fellow there. It made sense they crossed paths. Harrison had also made a name for himself in the commercial semiconductor field recently and held some solid capital.

He shot Caleb a look. Taking the hint, Caleb left the room and closed the door behind him.

“Family matters shouldn't be aired in public,” the man said coolly, his tone laced with reprimand. “If you couldn't find Dr. Lane, you should have called me.”

She was blaming him for seeking outside help?

She stared at him. In his eyes, was the family's reputation more important than her mother's life?

“Call you? Did I not try? You were too busy keeping Sierra and Cecilia company. You even reassigned my mother's attending physician.”

Hearing this, a slight crease formed between Frederick's brows, as if he were just recalling the details. “That was an accident. It won't happen again.”

She would never believe a word he said again.

Lydia glared at him with glacial eyes. His expression grew complicated. Suddenly, he reached out, his thumb gently brushing the corner of her eye.

Only then did she realize she was actually crying. She slapped his hand away forcefully, the anger in her eyes blazing like a wildfire. “Get out! I don't want to see you.”

Get out of her world!

But before her hand could drop, he caught it. His grip was punishingly tight, making her wince. Displeasure flashed in his eyes as he spoke with a condescending tone. “Your mother had a medical emergency, so I won't hold this against you.”

“But don't let it happen again.”

Right. He was the supreme ruler of a top-tier billionaire family, standing high above the rest, looking down on the world. When had anyone ever dared to yell at him?

She never used to treat him like this, either.

“Frederick, let me go.” She tried to break free from his iron grip.

But the man restrained her effortlessly, giving her absolutely no chance to escape. He pinned her against the door, his dark eyes frosting over, looking as if he would never let go unless she yielded.

Her mother had nearly died from a heart attack, almost missing the critical treatment window because he took Dr. Lane away. Ultimately, he was the cause of it all!

The man pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, his tone entirely aloof. “You misunderstood.”

“If it's a misunderstanding, then as her husband, you should handle this scandal properly, so my daughter doesn't suffer.” Madeline paused to catch her breath, her tone sharpening.

The man's gaze swept over Lydia, his eyes as deep and cold as a frozen lake.

He didn't even respect Charles Foster; why would he listen to her mother?

Yet, he simply replied, “Don't worry.”

After the man left, Lydia said, “Mom, I've already decided to divorce Frederick. You don't need to worry about us anymore.”

“Divorce?” Madeline became furious at the word. “Just because Sierra ran her mouth a few times, you're going to divorce Frederick? You're going to hand over your position as Mrs. Foster on a silver platter?”

“You're being foolish, Lydia!”

Lydia stared in shock at her mother, who was panting slightly from the effort of speaking. “You didn't even want me to marry him in the first place. Now that I want a divorce, you... disagree?”

“Yes, I disagree.”

“But when Dad betrayed you, you chose to divorce him.”

“Back then, I left the marriage with nothing but you, practically handing everything the Suttons owned to those two women. All these years, they've been living the high life, while we struggled. After leaving with nothing, I thought I could give you a good life using my own skills. But that vicious woman never planned on letting me go. She framed me for academic fraud, ruining my reputation. Your grandmother was bedridden with severe illness at the time, and that scandal was the final nail in her coffin.”

“If you take a step back, she won't just take a step forward—she'll bleed you dry and chew you to the bone. You saw Frederick's attitude just now. If he won't agree to a divorce, you won't be able to leave even if you try. Since that's the case, you need to fight Sierra to the bitter end.”