The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 132

The pulse of the city flowed beneath the tires. Inside the black Aston Martin, the air was suffocating.

Christian steered with one hand while the other frustratedly yanked open the top two buttons of his dress shirt. The cityscape blurred past the window, entirely ignored. His mind was on a relentless loop of Lyra's tear-stained face in the apartment, Penelope's domineering declarations, the blinding flash of the paparazzi cameras, and... Madeline's undisguised disgust and mockery.

And, of course, those photos. The blurry but familiar silhouette in the pictures.

Why?

A faint crackle of static broke through his Bluetooth earpiece, followed by Preston's visibly tense voice. "Mr. Lancaster."

"Speak," Christian's voice was hoarse and frigid.

"We have a situation." Preston spoke rapidly, his tone grave. "The incident this morning... at the entrance of The Pinnacle Apartments with Ms. Langford... it's exploded. It's not just a few tabloids. Starlight Media was the first to release a detailed article with photos and videos. The headline and content are highly explosive. Now, topics across multiple online outlets and social platforms are trending wildly."

Even though he had braced himself, hearing the words 'exploded' and 'Starlight Media' made Christian's grip on the steering wheel tighten until his knuckles turned white. A bone-chilling wave of rage and the stark realization of being played shot straight from the soles of his feet to his head.

Piecing together the events that had locked together like precision gears since last night—his abnormal 'drunkenness' and loss of control, Lyra's convenient appearance to 'care' for him, Penelope's perfectly timed 'surprise visit' and what she walked in on, the anonymously mailed 'drugging' photos, the paparazzi waiting exactly at the door, and now Starlight Media delivering the final, devastating blow...

This was no coincidence. It was a meticulously planned, ruthlessly executed, and highly targeted trap! The mastermind didn't just want to expose his 'relationship' with Lyra in the most humiliating way possible; they wanted to use Lydia Maxwell's unstoppable media blade to permanently nail him to the cross of moral corruption and chaos, dragging both him and the Lancaster Group into an unprecedented crisis!

"Damn it!" The absolute fury and the suffocating realization of being played like a fiddle finally shattered Christian's restraint. He slammed his fist hard against the Nappa leather steering wheel. The heavy thud accidentally triggered the expensive car horn, letting out a sharp, piercing blare that sliced through the relatively peaceful midday street, drawing stares from every direction.