The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 250

The Lancaster Group CEO's office, six o'clock in the evening.

The fading light of the sunset spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting the room in a dark gold hue. Christian Lancaster stood by the window, a half-lit cigarette pinched between his fingers. Smoke drifted lazily upward through the light, highlighting his isolated, cold silhouette.

A soft knock sounded at the office door.

"Come in."

Miles pushed the door open, a folder in hand. He stopped three paces behind Christian, his tone perfectly respectful. "Mr. Lancaster, Lydia Langford has been sent out of the country by Lyra."

Christian didn't look back. He just gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.

"Lyra gave her five million dollars. She took a flight to Paris this morning," Miles continued. "She's using a new identity, Anna Williams. She has a contact over there. Her residence is in the 16th District, and she is enrolled at HEC Paris."

Ash fell gracefully from Christian's fingers. He turned around, fixing Miles with an unfathomable gaze. "Five million... Given the current state of the Langford family, could they really produce five million in cash?"

"I found it strange too." Miles opened the folder. "I reviewed Langford Building Materials' financial reports from last year. Their net profit was barely eight million dollars. Lydia spent a year in prison, and the moment she gets out, Lyra rushes to send her abroad with a five-million-dollar lump sum... It's highly irregular."

Christian walked over to his desk and crushed the cigarette out in the ashtray. His movements were slow, deliberate, as if he were deep in thought.

"Mr. Lancaster," Miles hesitated for a second before asking, "are you... really going to marry Lyra?"

The question bordered on insubordination, but Miles had been with Christian for eight years. He had climbed from a minor project manager at the Lancaster Group all the way to executive assistant. Their dynamic had long surpassed a simple boss-and-subordinate relationship. There were certain things only he dared to ask.

Christian sank into his chair, closing his eyes to massage his temples. When he opened them again, his exhaustion was impossible to hide.

"But it didn't end there." Christian stood up and walked back to the window, turning his back to his assistant. "I keep feeling like there's an invisible hand dragging me into one trap after another. They don't just want to destroy me; they want to bring down the entire Lancaster Group."

The air in the office grew heavy.

After a long silence, Miles finally spoke. "Mr. Lancaster, do you suspect... someone is manipulating things behind the scenes?"

Christian turned around, his gaze sharp and predatory. "What else? Do you really think this is all just a coincidence?"

He strode over to the desk, leaning forward with his palms planted firmly on the surface as he locked eyes with Miles. "Investigate it. Start from the moment Lyra went to France. Dig up every single day she spent there and every person she came into contact with."

Miles was taken aback. "Mr. Lancaster, haven't we looked into this before? Lyra studied in France for three years, did ballet, and then got into the Paris Opera..."