The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 127

"Christian might be suspicious and he might fight back, but under the crushing weight of public scrutiny, the board, and especially his mother's very public declaration, how long do you really think he can hold out?" The man's voice carried a distinct edge of dark amusement. "You should be thrilled, Ms. Langford. You are closer to your end goal than you have ever been. You shouldn't be standing there interrogating me about why I hit the gas."

Lyra was completely silenced. He was right. Without the photos and the media circus, Penelope's attitude wouldn't have flipped so drastically, and the promise of a Lancaster engagement wouldn't have been handed to her on a silver platter. And yet... the feeling of being entirely manipulated in the dark, acting as a passive puppet on someone else's strings, left her deeply unsettled.

"I... I was just worried..." her voice trailed off weakly.

"Your worry is completely unnecessary." The man cut her off, a faint sliver of impatience bleeding into his tone. "Just do your job and play your part. Remember, right now, you are the 'ultimate victim' and the 'innocent' bystander hoping for a happy ending. If Penelope tells you to wait, you sit there and wait. If she tells you you're getting engaged, you get ready to be the most radiant bride the city has ever seen. Leave everything else to me."

His words dripped with an undeniable, suffocating dominance.

"But..."

"No buts." The man's voice turned freezing cold. "The foundation of this partnership is mutual benefit, which requires your unconditional trust in my methods. If you're feeling nervous, or if you're thinking about backing out..." He let the silence stretch for a highly suggestive moment. "You know exactly what the consequences will be."

Lyra's stomach plummeted, her fingers turning ice-cold against the phone. She knew the truth. From the exact moment she accepted his business card and made the first call, her bridges were burned. This man held her darkest, most destructive secrets. He could obliterate her life with the snap of his fingers.

"...I understand," she finally whispered, a barely detectable tremor in her voice.

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