The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 257

"This is today's main course—clear truffle broth with quail eggs, steamed abalone, and the delicate asparagus dish you specifically requested." The manager opened the compartments one by one as he introduced them. "For dessert, poached pear dessert. It's incredibly nourishing and perfect for doctors who frequently pull all-nighters."

Sebastian looked over the pristine, elegant dishes and nodded in satisfaction. "Load it in the car."

"Right away, sir." The manager quickly signaled for the waiters to carefully place the rosewood container into an insulated carrier.

Standing nearby, Lance felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He glanced at the caller ID, and the color instantly drained from his face. He hurried to Sebastian's side, dropping his voice. "Mr. Thorne, there's a situation... at the sanatorium."

Sebastian's eyes instantly turned to ice. "Speak."

"Your aunt... Victoria went to the sanatorium, claiming she wanted to visit Isabella." Lance's voice was tight with anxiety. "But she got into an altercation outside the ward... with Dr. Sullivan."

Sebastian's fists instantly clenched.

"I don't have the full details yet. Dr. Warren only managed to get two sentences out before he had to hang up." Lance spoke rapidly. "Should we head over immediately?"

Sebastian didn't answer. He just spun on his heel and strode out the door. His pace was relentless, his leather shoes snapping sharply against the slate floor. He looked like an unsheathed blade radiating sheer, lethal intent.

Lance scrambled to keep up, throwing a quick order at the manager. "Load the food into our car, quick!"

"Right away! Yes, sir!" the manager scrambled.

The black Bentley was already idling at the entrance. Sebastian yanked the door open and slid into the back seat, with Lance jumping in right after. The car roared to life, seamlessly merging into the twilight traffic.

The tension inside the cabin was so thick it was suffocating.

Sitting in the back, Sebastian's face was terrifyingly dark. His fingers tapped rhythmically against his knee—his signature tell when he was pushed into a state of extreme, volatile rage.

"Victoria..." he muttered the name, his voice dropping below freezing. "The sheer audacity."

Lance sneaked a look at his boss through the rearview mirror and cautiously relayed the update he had just received. "Dr. Warren just sent the full report. Victoria arrived unannounced at three o'clock, demanding to see Isabella. Dr. Sullivan was right in the middle of her rounds. Since protocol strictly bans non-immediate family from the ICU, Dr. Sullivan stopped her..."

Call the cops?

Have Victoria thrown behind bars?

The corners of his mouth suddenly hitched up into a chilling, wicked smirk.

The car veered onto the tree-lined avenue leading to the sanatorium. Night had completely taken over, the streetlights casting dim, yellow halos along the road. In the dark, the white architecture of the sanatorium stood silent and imposing, like a fortress.

But beneath that quiet surface, violent undercurrents were churning.

Sebastian stared at the approaching building, his eyes as deep and dark as the night itself.

Some people were incredibly overdue for a reckoning.

The car glided to a halt, and Sebastian pushed the door open, striding purposefully toward the sanatorium entrance.