The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 169

Her blunt, slightly irritated demand pricked Sebastian like a needle. He took a deep breath, fighting down the deeply unfamiliar surge of frustration in his chest, and slammed the heavy manila folder onto the desk between them. It landed with a sharp smack—not violent, but far from gentle.

"I came to give you this," Sebastian's voice returned to its usual low register, though a close listen would reveal a lingering tightness. "The preliminary investigation into your ex-husband, Christian Lancaster, getting 'drugged.' The people working behind the scenes to make you the scapegoat... there's more than one."

Evelyn's gaze dropped to the folder, her eyes instantly sharpening. She reached out and took it, feeling the sheer volume of paper inside. She didn't open it right away. Instead, she looked back up at Sebastian.

"Why did you investigate this?"

Her question was direct, heavy with scrutiny.

Meeting her gaze, Sebastian felt the words he had prepared—Because you're my woman, and I protect what's mine—burn on the tip of his tongue. But looking into her clear, ruthlessly calm eyes that held zero trace of affection or reliance, the words died in his throat. He pivoted, though his tone still dripped with an unconscious sense of entitlement and a childish stubbornness.

"I just couldn't stand watching it play out. You..." He paused. The image of Julian offering gifts and partnerships flashed through his mind, and the nameless fire in his chest flared up again, sharpening his words. "Even if you don't care about people throwing mud at your name, you need to remember that your status has changed. A lot of eyes are on you now. Don't just blindly accept 'gifts' from anyone, and don't entertain every 'partnership' thrown your way."

It sounded like a warning, but paired with his cold glare and possessive phrasing, it reeked of a sour, overbearing attempt to micromanage her life.

Evelyn understood instantly. Looking at Sebastian, she found the whole situation equal parts absurd and hilarious. She tapped the folder against the desk, her tone perfectly flat, projecting the clinical detachment of a doctor stating a diagnosis.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify