The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 277

The next morning, early hikers found her and rushed her to the hospital.

She lay in a hospital bed for two days and two nights, burning up with a severe fever, drifting in and out of consciousness.

When she finally woke up, she asked Christian, "Why didn't you come that night?"

Christian frowned. "What night? When did I ever ask you to meet me?"

She showed him the text. He glanced at it and said, "I didn't send that. Piper must have taken my phone. She jokes around like that all the time."

Jokes around.

She had almost died on that mountain, and he called it a joke.

She wanted to scream, to demand answers, to force him to give her some form of justice. But by then, Piper had already flown to France, and Penelope Lancaster made a special call to "check in" on her.

"Lyra, I heard you were sick? Christian said Piper was playing a prank and accidentally caused you to get caught in the rain. She's young and doesn't know any better, so please don't hold it against her. I'll make sure she apologizes to you eventually."

She's young.

Doesn't know any better.

Don't hold it against her.

What could Lyra say?

All she could do was smile and reply, "It's fine, Mrs. Lancaster. I didn't take it to heart."

But how could she not take it to heart?

The pure terror of that night, the suffocating despair of sitting in the pitch-black darkness waiting for a rescue that never came—she would remember it until the day she died.

From that moment on, she knew she would make them pay. It was only a matter of time.

—

The car glided into the garage.

Lyra shifted into park but sat in the driver's seat for a long time.

She knew she had been too obvious today.

Letting Jocelyn throw a tantrum and escalate the situation to such a public degree... Christian was a smart man. When he thought back on it, he would definitely realize something was off.

But she didn't regret it.

The second she saw Piper, all the grievances and suffocating anger she had swallowed for years came rushing out. She had endured it for so long, and today, she finally got a tiny piece of revenge.

Even if Jocelyn had only yelled a few insults, and even if Piper hadn't suffered any real damage, at the very least, Lyra got to watch her cry.

That spoiled girl who had bullied her, monopolized her boyfriend, and nearly gotten her killed had finally broken down in front of her.

It was worth it.

So what if Christian was annoyed? So what if he grew suspicious of her?

She was carrying a Lancaster baby.

That was her ultimate shield.

As long as she had this child, Christian couldn't do anything to her. He would never risk the fallout.

Lyra placed a hand over her flat stomach, the corner of her mouth curling into a sinister, icy smile.

Send.

Putting her phone down, she leaned back against the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Piper Brooks was back.

Why?

Was it just a vacation, or... did she have another motive?

Penelope adored her. Would Piper start whispering poison into Penelope's ear? Would it ruin her marriage? Would she—

Lyra abruptly sat up.

She picked up her phone, scrolled to an unsaved contact, and typed out a message:

[Look into someone for me. Piper Brooks, Christian Lancaster's cousin. She just flew in from France. Find out why she's back, how long she's staying, and track all her movements.]

Send.

The private investigator replied quickly: [Give me three days.]

Lyra stared at the "three days" on the screen, a chilling smile stretching across her face.

Piper Brooks, you always loved playing games, didn't you?

This time, I'll play with you.

Let's see who destroys who.