The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 134

The top-floor CEO office of the Lancaster Group.

The heavy walnut doors closed silently, shutting out the rest of the world. Christian didn't walk toward his massive, imposing desk; instead, he headed straight for the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the harsh afternoon sun illuminated the steel jungle skyline, but to his eyes, it was nothing but a blur of cold light and shadow. He loosened his tie, but the suffocating tightness in his chest didn't fade. If anything, the silence made it sharper.

Two measured knocks sounded before Preston pushed the door open. He walked in holding a tablet, his face even graver than before.

"Mr. Lancaster," Preston's voice broke the silence of the sprawling office.

"What did you find?" Christian didn't turn around. His voice carried a faint trace of exhaustion and high-strung tension.

Preston stepped slightly behind him, swiping open the files on his screen. His pace was steady but heavy. "Regarding The Zenith restaurant, we had a few leads... but they all hit a dead end."

Christian finally turned around, his brow furrowing. "Dead ends?"

"Yes." Preston nodded, his finger sliding across the screen. "First, the internal security footage from the crucial window—eight to eleven last night. All the data for the relevant zones was overwritten and wiped by a highly sophisticated worm virus. The tech team's initial assessment is a remote breach. The execution was entirely professional. The data is virtually unrecoverable."

"The footage is gone?" Christian's eyes turned glacial.

"Second," Preston continued, his tone laced with frustration. "We verified the guest registry and staff logs for that night. Evelyn Sullivan... was indeed at the restaurant. She booked The Jade Pavilion on the second floor. She arrived at seven-thirty and left around ten past nine. Madeline Thorne was with her. The timing... overlaps perfectly with your dinner with Mr. Klaus Hilti."

Christian's heart plummeted. She really was there.

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