The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 229

She furiously hung up and slammed the phone onto the bar, her chest heaving heavily.

Julian sat across from her in perfect silence, letting the outburst run its course. Only when she began to calm down did he speak. "Family trouble?"

Lydia glared at him. "None of your business."

"It isn't." Julian shrugged. "But looking at you, I'd say your family is trying to keep you on a tight leash, aren't they?"

Lydia didn't answer, taking a vicious drag from her cigarette.

Julian pressed on. "Sacrificing the less 'important' child to protect the golden child—I've seen it a hundred times in my line of work. Especially... when the golden child is about to marry into a billionaire family."

His words were like precision needles, plunging straight into her deepest insecurities.

She bit her lip, her fingers trembling slightly from sheer tension.

"What do they want you to do?" Julian asked, his voice light, conversational. "Keep your head down? Stay away from your sister? Or... do they want to send you away?"

That last sentence made Lydia's head snap up. "What did you say?"

"Just a guess." Julian picked up his whiskey and took a sip. "Your sister is marrying Christian Lancaster. You are a 'wildcard' they have to deal with. The fastest solution? Ship you overseas. Out of sight, out of mind."

It felt like a physical hand had just wrapped around Lydia's heart and squeezed.

Going abroad.

Her mother hadn't mentioned it on the phone, but Lydia knew it was inevitable. Lyra would never let her stay in the country to ruin the most critical moment of her life.

"They wouldn't dare!" Lydia grit her teeth.

"Why wouldn't they?" Julian countered. "What leverage do you actually have? Money? Your parents can freeze your cards. A job? Do you have one? Friends? Are the people you're drinking with tonight going to fight your family for you?"

Every question landed like a gut punch.

Lydia's face drained of color.

Julian studied her, his tone softening slightly. "Honestly, going abroad isn't the worst thing in the world."

Lydia scoffed. "Easy for you to say."

"I'm completely serious." Julian leaned forward slightly. "Think about it. Your sister marrying Christian benefits the Langford family, which benefits you. At the very least, you'll never have to worry about money. And if they want to send you abroad, let them—but you set the terms."

Julian's advice was hard to swallow, but it made perfect sense. She couldn't beat Lyra or her parents right now. Rather than being dragged onto a plane...

"So... where do you suggest?" she asked suddenly.

A nearly imperceptible gleam flashed in Julian's eyes. He adjusted his glasses, pretending to think. "Well... personally, I'd suggest going where your sister studied abroad."

"The UK?"

"Exactly." Julian nodded. "You go there, experience the life your sister lived. Besides... London is beautiful. It's romantic. You'll definitely run into unexpected encounters there. You'd love it."

He pulled a few crisp bills from his wallet, dropped them on the counter, and stood up. "Drinks are on me. Think it over, Lydia."

He turned and walked away, his black suit quickly swallowed by the thrashing crowd.

Lydia sat perfectly still, staring at the matte black business card on the table for a long time.

The bass kept rattling the floorboards, and the strobe lights kept spinning.

But in her mind, her decision was already made.