From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 83

Daniel simply replied, "Alright."

"It's time for the registry appointment," Frederick said, turning toward the door.

Lydia remembered her mother waiting at the City Registry Office. Biting her lower lip, she forced back the overwhelming urge to break down, gave Daniel a subtle nod, and followed Frederick out, acting as if nothing was wrong.

The moment she stepped close to Frederick, the cloying scent of gardenia hit her senses.

A wave of sheer nausea rolled through her, and she doubled over, her forced composure shattering without a sound.

She realized the deepest cut wasn't his infidelity, but the soul-crushing reality that no matter how hard she fought to escape, she was still chained to him.

Frederick's voice drifted down from above. "Get up."

His large hand grabbed her arm to pull her up.

Feeling like she'd been burned, she violently jerked her arm away, only for him to instantly snatch her wrist in a vice grip.

Lacking the physical strength to fight him, she was hauled upright, meeting his indifferent stare.

Not only was she trapped, but she had to constantly face this familiar yet alien man, playing the role of the docile, understanding wife while slowly rotting away in a marriage with no end in sight... It was pathetic.

She shoved at him, her voice bordering on hysterical. "Let me go!"

He didn't budge an inch.

His hand clamped firmly around her waist. "Arthur punished Sierra. She's grounded and forbidden from leaving the house," he said coldly.

"That's enough throwing a fit."

He assumed she was losing her mind over the assault. "Madeline is waiting for us."

The mention of her mother snapped her fraying nerves completely. Her legs gave out, but he caught her securely in his arms and carried her out of The Orion Center.

The back of the Rolls-Royce was dead silent.

Lydia clutched the USB drive tightly, a glimmer of pure hatred lighting her dull eyes.

They arrived at the City Registry Office.

Harrison saw them approach. "Lydia, you look awful. What's wrong?"

She shook her head, assuring him she was fine.

Seeing her mother looking ethereal in a bridal veil standing next to the elegant Julian Zane, she felt a bittersweet warmth. They looked perfect together.

Lydia looked down to like Julian's new post and suddenly froze at a comment beneath it.

*Picking up someone else's trash and looking so happy about it...*

It was from Arthur Sutton.

A sense of impending dread seized her. She looked up just in time to see the phone slip from her mother's fingers as Madeline collapsed.

"Mom!"

Lydia lunged forward, tripping over her own feet, only to look up and see that Frederick, who was closest, had caught her mother before she hit the floor.

Her heart pounded erratically as she scrambled up and threw her arms around Madeline.

At the hospital, Madeline was rushed into the emergency room. After a series of tests, her vitals stabilized.

"The patient suffered a severe shock, causing a stress-induced drop in blood flow to the heart, which led to the fainting spell."

"As family members, you need to be mindful of what she can handle. Don't overwhelm her with distressing news," the doctor warned. "She's awake now. You can go in."

Remembering what triggered it, Lydia grabbed her mother's phone, found the most recent unknown number in the call log, and dialed it.