From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 66

She spun around, leaning her weight against the door. "I'm fine."

It wasn't like she was doing anything shameful.

But she remembered how Frederick had treated Harrison.

He was a massive hypocrite. He could parade around town with Sierra, fully enjoying his affair, yet he constantly used the rules of being the 'Mrs. Foster' as a collar to lock her down.

If he saw her alone in a room with Xavier, he would inevitably direct his hostility at him.

With the divorce so close, she didn't want any conflict. She just wanted peace.

"Open the door," Frederick's voice dropped to a freezing register, laced with blatant impatience.

As she scrambled for an excuse to turn him away, the hand Xavier had planted against the door suddenly dropped to the handle.

Matching her frantic strength, he forcefully pulled the door inward.

She shot him a furious glare. He merely threw her a cold, indifferent look, entirely dismissing her silent pleas.

Just as the standoff hit its breaking point.

"Frederick," Sierra's voice drifted down the hall, "come help me pick out a dress."

The iron grip on the handle was casually released, the metal clattering softly against the wood.

Frederick turned on his heel and walked away.

Xavier immediately pulled the door wide open.

Her heart raced with panic, but she saw Frederick walking away with Sierra, not even bothering to glance back.

The lingering wound on the back of his head was still visible. The events of last night replayed in her mind, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Her face paled.

"Birds of a feather."

The man's icy voice suddenly dropped right next to her ear.

She looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

The man's flawlessly handsome face leaned in close, his eyes completely devoid of warmth. "I'd appreciate it if you stepped out, Ms. Sterling."

Before she could even process the words, his large, freezing hand clamped around her wrist.

She was effortlessly dragged out into the hallway.

The door slammed shut with a definitive bang.

Excuse me?

Did he honestly think that because Frederick was a cheating bastard, she was messing around too?

Did he think she was a married woman trying to seduce him?

She absolutely was not!

Just because she had accidentally fallen into his arms twice, he had firmly decided she was a scheming predator?

Prejudice truly was an immovable mountain!

Lydia pulled back her hand, giving up on knocking.

"Lydia, let me introduce you. This is Phoebe Hunt. She'll be your assistant researcher from now on."

"Phoebe, you'll be working under Lydia. Work hard, and maybe she'll take you on as an apprentice."

In the lab, an assistant researcher was almost always a personal apprentice.

Phoebe evaluated Lydia critically.

She looked even younger than Phoebe herself. What could she possibly teach her?

Lydia sensed Phoebe's blatant skepticism but didn't take it to heart. She offered a polite smile and a nod.

Discovered by Silas at sixteen and taken on as his final protégé.

Sent abroad at eighteen. By twenty, she was a core researcher at a top-tier international lab, working on cutting-edge microchips. But in the cutthroat, capital-driven environment overseas, she had never been allowed to put her own name on her research.

Returning at twenty-two, she had thrown it all away for...

Since she had no reputation in the country, it was only natural for Phoebe to doubt her.

But at twenty-four, starting over wasn't too late.

Phoebe offered a stiff, polite greeting, though her eyes remained decidedly icy.

That afternoon, after familiarizing herself with the project files, Lydia went to the hospital with Harrison to pick up her mother.

To her shock, Caleb was waiting in the lobby. That meant Frederick...

"Madam, Mr. Foster is tied up with work, so he asked me to come help with your mother's discharge. I've already taken care of all the paperwork." Caleb walked over, offering a massive bouquet of tulips.