From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 4

"Hmm."

His response was a noncommittal hum as he took his pen and signed his name right next to hers.-

Staring at his bold, aggressive signature, her mind wandered for a second.

Wasn't her contract supposed to be directly with the institute?

Then again, considering Xavier was the sole financial backer and lead partner of the project, he undoubtedly had the authority to personally authorize it.

As her thoughts drifted, a tall, imposing shadow fell completely over her.

Xavier stood up and extended his hand toward her. Every movement he made radiated an overwhelming, commanding presence—a deeply ingrained resilience and ruthlessness. His piercing gaze locked onto hers. His voice was a low rumble. "I expect you to report to the institute as soon as possible to familiarize yourself with the environment and the team. Welcome aboard, Ms. Sterling."

She looked up at the towering man.

He was incredibly tall, easily clearing six foot three—even taller than Frederick.

In the split second their eyes met, she caught the absolute predatory dominance lurking in his dark gaze.

Unexpectedly intimidated by his sheer aura, she hastily shook his hand. "I will. It's a privilege, Mr. Ford."

The cool touch of his fingers sent a sudden, electric jolt straight through her chest.

He felt strangely familiar, making her want to ask if they had met before.

But a sudden commotion in the restaurant interrupted her thoughts.

She glanced over at the large television screen mounted in the center of the dining room. It was broadcasting breaking entertainment news.

#Billionaire CEO Caught in Cheating Scandal#

The paparazzi photos were damning. They showed Frederick protectively escorting Sierra out of a car and into her apartment building late last night, followed by a shot of him leaving in his chauffeured car this morning.

Lydia remembered the perfectly made bed in the guest room before she left the house.

They hadn't shared a bed in a very long time.

Lately, he had been leaving early and coming home incredibly late. He claimed he needed to work, which was his excuse for sleeping in the guest room.

She had genuinely thought he was just being considerate, trying not to disturb her sleep. She had even felt touched by his gesture.

In reality, he was just staying faithful to the woman he actually loved.

A bitter smile twisted her lips.

"Lydia, are you alright?" Harrison's concerned voice snapped her back to reality.

Realizing she was still gripping Xavier's hand, she hastily let go, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I apologize, Mr. Ford."

The man shot her a completely unreadable look. He sat back down, picking up a hot towel from the waiter to thoroughly wipe his palm.

Lydia's brow twitched.

He was disgusted by her...

The rumors about him being an icy, untouchable ascetic who despised physical contact with women were clearly true.

She completely zoned out for the rest of the meal, but managed to hold it together enough to not completely ruin her impression in front of her new boss.

After lunch, Lydia drove straight to The Foster Group.

She had to finalize this divorce with Frederick today.

The man scowled. "It's a trivial matter. Why are you making such a scene?"

Making out with his mistress in the office, parading her around his family home, completely obliterating her dignity as his wife, and then blatantly spending the night at the mistress's apartment.

The scandal was currently exploding all over the news.

Yet, The Foster Group hadn't even attempted to do any PR damage control, leaving her as the punchline for the entire city.

And in his eyes, this was all just a trivial matter?

She gripped the files so hard her knuckles ached, a hot, angry sting of tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

Suddenly, a hand gently covered hers.

She looked up in shock, only to see him maintaining his usual apathetic expression. He pulled the documents from her grip, took a pen from his inner jacket pocket, and flipped the file open to sign.

It was the pen she had given him for their first wedding anniversary. She had no idea he still used it.

His voice was utterly flat. "Millions of dollars. I'll cover it."

"From now on, if the foundation needs funding, just go straight to the finance department."

He had always been incredibly generous when it came to money.

But money was never what she wanted.

She watched as Frederick signed the first charity document, before flipping straight to the second and third pages—the divorce agreements she had prepared—and readied his pen to sign.

If he just looked down for a second, he would realize exactly what he was signing.