The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 317

Christian remained silent.

He just stood there, staring off into the distance, lost in thought.

Piper ranted for another solid minute before realizing he wasn't listening. She waved a hand in front of his face. "Christian? What are you thinking about?"

Christian snapped out of it, looking down at her.

Piper tilted her head, suddenly remembering something, and laughed. "By the way, Christian... back there on stage, didn't you think Iris looked exactly like someone we know?"

Christian's pupils constricted sharply.

"Like who?"

Piper blinked, her tone entirely joking. "Like your ex-wife! Evelyn. Did you see that side profile? The way she sat? It was uncanny! I swear, for a second, I thought it was her!"

She burst out laughing at her own joke. "But obviously, that's impossible. Evelyn is just a doctor. How the hell could she be Iris?"

"It's her."

Christian's voice was low, but it crashed through the air like a boulder hitting a glass lake.

Piper's smile froze completely.

"Christian... what did you just say?"

Christian stared right at her, enunciating every single word. "Iris is Evelyn."

Piper was paralyzed, as if she had just been struck by lightning.

It took several seconds for her brain to catch up. She violently grabbed Christian's arm.

"Christian, have you lost your mind?! How could Evelyn be Iris?! Isn't she a doctor? Doesn't she spend every day in a white coat saving lives? How could she possibly be the biggest legend in global jewelry design?!"

Christian said nothing.

He just looked at her, his dead gaze confirming everything.

Piper slowly let go, stumbling a step back.

She stared at Christian, the shock in her eyes rapidly morphing into absolute fury.

"Christian," she started, her voice shaking violently. "Your ex-wife is Iris? The Iris that makes that Lyra girl you drag home every day look like absolute trash?"

Christian snapped his head around.

Madeline stood right next to him, arms crossed, wearing an incredibly smug smirk.

"I actually think Lyra is a perfect fit for your family."

Christian scowled.

Madeline didn't miss a beat. "Your mother loves to act. You love someone who acts. Your whole family is obsessed with putting on a show. A fake paired with fakes—it's honestly a match made in heaven."

She flashed him a brilliant, venomous smile, turned on her heel, and strutted confidently toward the exit, her stilettos echoing sharply on the floor.

After a few steps, she tossed one last comment over her shoulder.

"Oh, and by the way, thanks for letting Evelyn go. She has an absolute army of men chasing her, and every single one of them is vastly superior to you—clean, loyal, and without any illegitimate children."

She gave a mocking wave and swaggered off without looking back.

Christian stood completely paralyzed, watching her vanish into the sea of people.

His fists clenched tighter and tighter.