The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 216

At six in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Sebastian was already awake—or rather, he had barely slept all night.

He stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling mirror in his walk-in closet, frowning deeply. He held two ties: one dark blue with a subtle pattern, the other dark gray with diagonal stripes. He compared them, completely undecided.

"Lance," he called out toward the door.

Lance, who was dozing off in the living room, jolted awake and practically bounded into the closet. "Yes, Boss?"

"Which one is better?" Sebastian held the ties against his chest.

Lance rubbed his eyes, looking at his boss's face, which was serious enough to be preparing for an international merger. He then looked at the two nearly identical ties and asked cautiously, "Mr. Thorne... are you going to see Ms. Sullivan, or are you going to a meeting?"

Sebastian turned his head, his gaze cold. "Is there a difference?"

"Yes... definitely," Lance braved the icy stare. "If it's a meeting, the dark blue is more professional. If you're seeing Ms. Sullivan... you might want to try lighter colors to look more approachable."

"Approachable?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow, finding the word utterly foreign.

"Like... less intimidating," Lance chose his words carefully. "Ms. Sullivan dresses very elegantly and simply. If you dress too formally, it might create a bit of... distance."

Sebastian paused for two seconds before walking to the tie rack. His fingers trailed over a row of dark ties before stopping on a light gray one with fine silver threads.

"This one?"

Lance's eyes lit up. "That one is great! It's mature without being overly stern."

Sebastian nodded and began tying it. His long fingers moved deftly, quickly forming a perfect Windsor knot.

Then he pulled open a drawer for a tie clip—there were three options. One was a simple platinum clip, another was a square clip embedded with black diamonds, and the third was a Thorne family heirloom made of emerald and gold, reportedly over a hundred years old.

"This one," Sebastian picked up the heirloom.

Lance hesitated. "Boss, isn't that a bit... much?"

"Is it bad to be grand?" Sebastian countered.

"Not bad, just..." Lance racked his brain for the right words. "Ms. Sullivan is a doctor. She works in a hospital. She might find it a bit exaggerated."

Sebastian's hand paused. He set down the antique clip and picked up the platinum one. "This one?"

"Yeah, that one's subtle and understated," Lance nodded enthusiastically.

Sebastian slid the tie clip into place and stepped back to inspect himself in the mirror.

The custom dark gray suit was tailored perfectly to his broad shoulders and narrow waist. A light gray tie, platinum clip, and simple obsidian cufflinks. He looked... very much like himself.

But something felt missing.

"Flowers for Mr. Sebastian Thorne, flown in from Ecuador," the courier announced.

After signing for the package, Lance carried the box into the living room. "Boss, your flowers are here."

Sebastian walked over and opened the insulated box. Inside rested over a dozen deep purple roses. The petals had a velvety texture, their edges gleaming with an almost black sheen, and faint golden veins traced near the center. The blooms were carefully wrapped in moisturizing cotton, and a card lay beside them:

[Sebastian, you asked for 'Queen of the Night.' The greenhouse only produced thirty stems this year, and I've given them all to you. You're really going all out for this girl! —Aris]

"Are these..." Lance's eyes widened.

"'Queen of the Night,' a top-tier rose variety from Ecuador," Sebastian gently lifted one stem. "My college buddy Aris owns an estate there. They specialize in cultivating rare flowers."

Staring at the deep purple, nearly black petals, Lance finally couldn't hold back. "Boss... aren't you going to the hospital to have Ms. Sullivan examine you? Why bring flowers?"

Sebastian's hands froze mid-motion over the ribbon.

He slowly turned around, his eyes locking onto Lance with an eerie calmness.

But beneath that calm, Lance saw a dangerous warning signal—like the surface of the ocean before a hurricane, deceptively still but surging with lethal undercurrents.

"What?" Sebastian began, his voice low, sending an instant chill down Lance's spine. "Do you think I shouldn't bring flowers to see a doctor? Or do you actually think I'm sick and going in for a real consultation?"

"No, no, no!" Lance swallowed hard. "You're definitely not sick! I just thought it was a bit..." Instantly, Lance felt a death glare piercing through him.