The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 163

The Architect's eyes lit up. "You want to get your hands on that and give it to Evelyn through Madeline?"

"No," Julian corrected smoothly. "I want Evelyn to 'find out' through Madeline that such an item exists, and that it just 'happens' to be in my possession. If she truly cares about it, she'll make a move. If she doesn't, it's just an old antique. It won't come off as blatant flattery, nor will it expose our true motives. This shows far more thought than handing over some expensive luxury item, and it's the perfect way to test her actual interests and... her weaknesses."

He paused, adding, "Of course, just mentioning an old antique isn't proper protocol. I need you to find a substantial, contemporary art piece—preferably something by an Asian artist that blends traditional medical symbols with modern elements. We'll use that as the official gift. The antique surgical kit will just be an 'incidental discovery' that I mention in passing, thinking it might be related."

The Architect rubbed his chin, looking at Julian with an amused expression. "Mr. St. Claire, your mind is a labyrinth. Is this some next-level honey trap? Though it seems the target this time isn't Madeline."

Julian's expression remained neutral as he elegantly adjusted his cuffs. "Caution isn't cowardice, and an indirect route isn't necessarily ineffective. Jumping into the water before knowing how deep it goes is the height of stupidity. Go get it ready. Remember, the art piece needs to be understated but tasteful, the surgical kit's origin must be flawlessly clean, and the information needs to be dropped naturally."

"On it." The Architect stood up, walked to the door, and shot a roguish grin over his shoulder. "But seriously, Julian, with how meticulously you plot every single step, sometimes I think you're more of a spy than the actual spies."

Julian didn't answer. His gaze simply fell back to the laptop screen, lingering on Evelyn's serene profile. The depths of his eyes behind the lenses were completely unreadable.

The Architect shrugged, stepped out, and closed the door behind him.

Silence reclaimed the VIP room. Julian sat alone in the dim space, the glow of the screen casting flickering shadows across his face. He knew Evelyn's emergence as an untouchable force had completely derailed some of his original plans. But it was also entirely possible... that she had just opened a door to a much deeper, vastly more lucrative realm. The key was finding a way to unlock that door without alarming anyone—or at the very least, positioning himself where he could see what lay inside.