The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 126

The heavy door gently clicked shut.

The second the latch locked into place, the timid, helpless, tearful expression on Lyra's face vanished like a receding tide. She stood exactly where she was, her back to the door, and her shoulders stopped trembling entirely. Her spine straightened, radiating a rigid, tightly coiled tension that hadn't been there a moment ago.

She didn't move immediately. She simply stood in silence for several long seconds, straining her ears to make absolutely sure the footsteps in the hallway had faded. The living room was submerged in total quiet, leaving only the deafening thud of her own heartbeat drumming in her ears.

Suddenly, she spun around and sprinted back toward the master bedroom, completely ignoring her bare feet against the floor.

*Bang!* She slammed the bedroom door shut behind her and leaned her back against the cool wood, gasping for air. Keeping up the pitiful act in front of Penelope had drained a massive amount of her energy. It was only now that the cold sweat finally registered, soaking the back of her thin dress shirt.

She hurried over to the chaotic, rumpled bed, digging frantically under the tangled sheets and tossed clothes until she found her clutch. Her fingers shook with urgency as she unzipped it and blindly felt around inside.

The first thing her fingertips brushed against was the small black velvet box. She paused, leaving it alone, and dug deeper until she found the black, gold-foiled business card and her phone.

The screen illuminated, displaying an unread text message from an unknown number with no location tag.

The message was just one short line, no greeting, no sign-off:

*Like the morning gift? You're welcome.*

There was a two-second pause on the other end, followed by a very soft, almost mocking chuckle.

"Ms. Langford, calm down." The man spoke at a painfully slow, deliberate pace. "I told you from the very beginning that I would clean up the tracks. The source of the photos, the tip to the reporters, even that security guard downstairs who was 'coincidentally' bribed... Every single link that could possibly point back to you has been severed or redirected to a 'suitable' scapegoat. Even if Christian turns this city upside down, the only 'truth' he'll find is the one I want him to find."

His tone was entirely casual, yet laced with a chilling, ruthless absolute certainty.

"As for why I did it..." The man paused, dragging out his words lazily. "Don't you think this moved things along much faster? Penelope saw the 'evidence' with her own eyes, heard the 'truth' she believes to be real, and personally faced down the media ambush. Do you really think she harbors even a shred of doubt regarding your 'innocence' and 'suffering' now? This just made her absolutely desperate to shove you into the Lancaster family to shut everyone up and prove how 'responsible' they are."