The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 236

Sebastian stood frozen before the floor-to-ceiling windows, the fading sunset reflecting in the glass. His expression darkened inch by inch as he read the message from Mrs. Cunningham, the caretaker stationed at The Bayview Retreat.

[Mr. Thorne, Isabella is in a terrible state. Marcus brought a young woman to the facility this afternoon. She... she claimed she's pregnant. Isabella hyperventilated and couldn't breathe. The doctors had to administer emergency sedatives just to stabilize her.]

Right beneath it was a second message, sent five minutes ago:

[The woman said she's already three months along. Marcus looked thrilled...]

Sebastian stared at the screen, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles turned white. Three months ago, his father had been confined to their estate in San Francisco, supposedly recovering from a heart condition under strict medical supervision. Apparently, his "bed rest" had been exceptionally productive.

"Lance." He pressed the intercom, his voice entirely devoid of emotion.

Seconds later, the door swung open and Lance practically sprinted in. "Boss."

Sebastian turned around and shoved the phone screen toward him. Lance scanned the messages, the color instantly draining from his face.

"San Francisco," Sebastian said, his voice level but dripping with venom. "Get Seth on the line."

Lance understood immediately. His twin brother, Seth, was Sebastian's head of security, specifically stationed in California to manage the family estate and the medical retreat.

"I'll call him right now." Lance whipped out his phone.

"Wait." Sebastian walked over to his desk, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the wood. "First, freeze every single account under Marcus's name. Including all his untraceable secondary credit cards."

Lance jotted it down furiously. "Done."

"Second, suspend his dividend payouts from the Thorne family trust, effective this quarter." Sebastian paused. "Tell him the money will remain frozen until he cleans up this pathetic mess."

Lance's pen stopped. "Boss, Marcus is going to..."

"Going to what?" Sebastian's eyes snapped to his, sharp and ruthless. "Throw a tantrum? Come looking for me?"

Lance lowered his gaze. "Yes."

"Let him." The temperature in the room plummeted. "The new high-security retirement community in Northern California is finally finished. It's incredibly isolated. Perfect for his 'recovery.' Have Seth handle the logistics. Pack him up and lock him in there indefinitely."

Lance's head jerked up, a flash of genuine shock in his eyes. The facility in the suburbs was Thorne Enterprises' most exclusive asset, built like a fortress. Once you checked in, leaving was nearly impossible without Sebastian's explicit clearance.

"Third," Sebastian continued, his tone turning glacial. "Since that woman claims she's pregnant, drag her to a hospital for an amniocentesis. I want scientific proof whether that bastard actually belongs to Marcus."

The office plunged into a suffocating silence.

Lance swallowed hard. "Boss, if... if it's not his?"

Sebastian sneered, a terrifying, bloodless smile curling his lips. "Does it matter? Do I really need to spell out how to handle a gold-digger?"

"Sebastian! What is that supposed to mean?" Melanie's voice shrilled. "I'm family! I'm not an outsider!"

"We both know exactly what you are." His tone didn't shift a fraction. "I heard Geoffrey has been completely mesmerized by a young starlet lately. Dropping millions to launch her career, practically abandoning his own company. If you have so much free time to play matchmaker, you should be policing your own backyard."

"You!" Melanie stammered, her voice trembling with rage. "Sebastian Thorne! You dared to investigate Geoffrey?"

"I didn't investigate anything." Sebastian replied smoothly. "Some details just happen to cross my desk. For example, that D-list actress bought a luxury apartment in Paris last month, entirely funded by Geoffrey's private offshore account. Or how about the fact that Geoffrey's company just hired a new CFO... someone you personally recommended?"

Hurried, panicked breathing echoed through the receiver.

"Don't you cross the line, Sebastian!" she hissed, desperately trying to mask her fear. "The Thorne empire doesn't belong solely to you! Marcus is still alive!"

"I'm well aware my father is still breathing." The ice in Sebastian's voice thickened. "Which is why I'm so deeply confused as to why someone would introduce a twenty-five-year-old girl to a sixty-year-old man with a failing heart. Care to explain that to me, Melanie?"

"I... I have no idea what you're talking about!" Panic bled fully into her voice now.

"No idea?" Sebastian let out a dark, hollow laugh. "Do I need to send you Tessa Taylor's entire dossier? Twenty-five, art school dropout, previously employed at a boutique gallery... oh wait, doesn't your best friend own that exact gallery?"

Dead silence on the other end.

After a long, agonizing pause, Melanie whispered, "Sebastian, I was only thinking of the family. Your father is getting old. He needs someone to take care of him..."