The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 226

When Lydia stepped out of the restaurant's revolving doors in her four-inch stilettos, the chill of the autumn night hit her face, scattering the heavy perfume clinging to her skin.

She took a deep breath, that mocking smirk still plastered across her face.

A bright yellow Lamborghini idled by the curb. The window rolled down to reveal a young man with silver-dyed hair sitting in the driver's seat, chewing gum behind a pair of sunglasses. In the passenger seat sat a girl in a crop top, touching up her lipstick in a compact mirror.

"Lydia! Over here!" the girl waved.

Lydia walked over, pulled open the rear door, and slid inside. The car stereo was blasting EDM, the bass heavy enough to rattle her eardrums.

"So?" The silver-haired driver caught her eye in the rearview mirror. "Did you see your future brother-in-law?"

Lydia pulled a cigarette from her clutch, lit it, and took a deep drag before slowly exhaling. "I saw him. Still wearing that same dead-inside expression, looking like the whole world owes him millions."

"Hahaha!" the girl in the front seat, Lindsay, laughed. "Christian Lancaster is notoriously cold. But he is seriously gorgeous. If he wasn't marrying your sister, I'd honestly want a turn."

"A turn?" Lydia sneered. "Lindsay, I'd give up on that right now. A man like Christian only cares about himself. You think Lyra actually has a hold on him? Keep dreaming."

The driver revved the engine, the Lamborghini roaring like a wild beast. "Where to? The usual?"

"The usual." Lydia leaned back against the leather seat and closed her eyes. "Tonight felt so damn good. You should have seen my parents and Lyra's faces—they looked like they'd seen a ghost."

The car merged into traffic, tearing through the city night.

Lydia opened her eyes, watching the neon lights blur past the window. The shifting shadows danced across her face, making her expression look almost unnatural.

She remembered the way Christian looked at her—cold, disgusted, like she was something vile scraped off the bottom of his shoe.

And honestly, it made sense.

In his eyes, wasn't that exactly what she was? A woman who would do anything for money. A lunatic who framed someone out of sheer jealousy over her sister.

But why?

Why did Lyra get to carry Christian's child and marry into the Lancaster family? Why was Lydia left thrashing in the mud, forced to watch her sister bask in all the glory?

The car took a sharp turn into a narrow alleyway, stopping in front of an unmarked dive. The sign was tiny, displaying only the words 'The Undercurrent' in a font that looked like dripping blood.

Lydia put out her cigarette, touched up her lipstick, and pushed the door open.

Her heels clicked sharply against the cobblestone.

She looked up at the heavy black wooden door and let out a smile.

This was her world.

Reckless, chaotic, with no thought for tomorrow.

"Stop crying!"

Lyra slammed her hand against the table, her shriek so sharp it even startled herself.

Mrs. Langford choked on her sobs, staring at her daughter in terror.

Mr. Langford looked up, thoroughly stunned.

Lyra stood up and began pacing the room. The cream hem of her dress whipped around her legs, her heels sinking into the heavy carpet with dull thuds.

"Mom, what are you crying for?" She spun around, her eyes bloodshot. "I'm the one who should be crying! I clawed my way here, I was right at the finish line, and what happened? My own sister stabbed me in the back!"

Her voice spiraled higher, turning into a scream. "I told you not to spoil Lydia! This is exactly what happens when you coddle her! Since we were kids, you gave her whatever she wanted, you cleaned up all her messes! Look at her now! She's made a mess so huge you can't wipe it clean!"

Mrs. Langford's lips trembled. "Lyra, she's your sister..."

"Sister?" Lyra sneered. "Does she treat me like a sister? If she cared about me at all, would she ruin the most important night of my life? Would she say those things? She practically wants my wedding to fall apart!"

She stormed over to her mother, leaning down to meet her eyes. "Mom, tell me the truth. How did Lydia get out? Did you two go behind my back and bribe someone to pull her out?"

Mr. Langford frantically intervened. "No! Lyra, absolutely not! Your mother and I know how delicate things are right now. Why would we risk that? We wanted to ask you..."

"Ask me?" Lyra straightened up, her voice dropping to a freezing whisper. "How would I know? If she hadn't walked through that door tonight, I wouldn't have even known she was out."