The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 197

Christian took a deep breath and briefly outlined the PR strategy he and Blake had devised at the bar.

The study fell silent.

Lawrence leaned back in his chair, his fingers gently tapping the armrest. His gaze was dark and unreadable. Penelope looked utterly bewildered, opening her mouth to speak several times, only to be silenced by Lawrence's warning glares.

"So," Lawrence slowly began, "your angle is to package this scandal into a beautiful story of a romantic reunion. You and Lyra were deeply in love, separated by a tragic misunderstanding, and now you've finally found your way back to each other. Evelyn... was just an arranged marriage mandated by the elders, devoid of any real affection."

"Yes," Christian nodded. "It's the most viable strategy we have right now. Denying it is pointless and will only make things messier."

"And how do you explain those photos of Lyra abroad?" Lawrence asked.

"We spin it as desperation," Christian replied. "The Langford family nearly went bankrupt three years ago. She was entirely alone abroad, trying to provide for herself and the baby. She was forced to attend those events just to survive. We push the narrative that she was innocent, merely doing what she had to do to stay afloat."

Lawrence sat in silence for a few seconds, then nodded. "It sounds... plausible. At the very least, it's better than the current nightmare we're facing."

"Lawrence!" Penelope couldn't hold it in any longer. "How can you agree to this?! A filthy woman like Lyra probably slept with countless men overseas, and now she comes crawling back with some mystery child, expecting Christian to take the fall—and you want to rebrand her as an inspiring heroine?! I absolutely refuse!"

"You refuse?" Lawrence turned to look at her, his eyes glacial. "Then tell me your brilliant plan. Do we let Christian remain the laughingstock of the city? Do we let Lancaster stocks plummet every single day? Do we let the board of directors rip us to shreds?"

Penelope choked on her words, completely silenced, though her face twisted in bitter indignation.

Lawrence turned his attention back to Christian. "The boy... Leo. Are you absolutely certain he's yours?"

"I ran a paternity test," Christian confirmed. "He is."

"Good." Lawrence nodded. "As long as the blood is yours, that's what matters. Even if he wasn't, we'd say he is. Besides... having a grandson isn't a bad thing for the Lancaster family."

His tone was utterly flat, but Christian could hear the cold calculation beneath it. The Lancaster empire needed an heir, and Leo's sudden existence perfectly filled that void.

"But Lyra..." Penelope tried to argue again.

"We can deal with Lyra later," Lawrence cut her off sharply. "The priority right now is salvaging the Lancaster name and stabilizing the stock prices. Christian's strategy is our best option."

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