The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 328

The Duchess pushed open the massive, intricately carved double doors.

For a split second, Madeline genuinely thought she had accidentally stumbled onto a movie set.

Before them lay a staggering, cavernous grand hall. The impossibly high domed ceiling was adorned with breathtaking Renaissance frescoes—angels, parting storm clouds, and shafts of golden light that seemed to practically come alive under the glow of dozens of cascading crystal chandeliers.

The perimeter of the room was lined with towering, floor-to-ceiling windows offering an unobstructed, panoramic view of Paris at night. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower glowed with a warm, iconic brilliance. The windows were framed by impossibly heavy crimson velvet curtains, tied back with thick, solid gold tassels.

The floor beneath their feet was a sprawling expanse of black and white marble, polished to such a mirror-like finish it was practically blinding. Dominating the absolute center of the room was a colossal, gold-rimmed oval conference table, surrounded by dozens of high-backed mahogany chairs, each hand-carved with aggressive, terrifyingly complex aristocratic crests.

But right now, the grand table sat entirely empty.

The ultra-elite guests were scattered effortlessly throughout the massive hall. Some stood by the sprawling windows, engaged in hushed, multi-billion-dollar conversations. Others lounged deeply into the plush corner sofas, casually sipping vintage champagne, while a few clustered tightly together, pouring over highly classified portfolios.

It was an absolute tidal wave of blinding haute couture and terrifying generational wealth.

Madeline's eyes practically doubled in size.

Who was she currently staring at?

Standing nonchalantly by a window, swirling a glass of champagne with a devastatingly charming grin, was Arnaud Luxembourg. He was the youngest son of The Luxembourg Family, and indisputably one of the most violently sought-after bachelor billionaires in Europe. His mother was a legendary, Oscar-winning Hollywood icon, and his father was directly tied to the royal bloodline. The man had thirty million followers on Instagram, spending his days casually dropping photos of mega-yachts, private jets, and supermodel girlfriends. He was basically living a modern-day fairy tale.

And right next to him, deeply engaged in conversation, was Isabelle Rothschild. She was one of the current reigning architects of her dynasty, easily the most terrifyingly powerful woman in the European financial sector. It was an open secret that a single, casually dropped sentence from her could aggressively tank the stock markets of three different countries by lunch.

Over in another corner stood a silver-haired gentleman—Henry Montebello, the ruthless patriarch of The Montebello Dynasty. His family held an absolute, unbreakable monopoly over a third of the world's luxury supply chain. Standing beside him was his granddaughter, France's most fiercely guarded fashion icon, boasting a follower count that dwarfed actual A-list celebrities.

Madeline followed the gesture.

A striking young man was leaning effortlessly against the window frame, a glass of dark red wine dangling loosely from his fingers. The soft chandelier light caught his razor-sharp jawline flawlessly. Dressed in a masterfully tailored navy blue suit, his slightly curled golden hair gave off an intoxicating aura of purely unbothered, lethal aristocratic charm.

"Is that..." Madeline's eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

"Arnaud Luxembourg," Evelyn confirmed with a bright smile. "Your absolute favorite Hollywood-heir, and the undisputed Global Heartthrob of the internet."

Madeline opened her mouth, but her brain completely flatlined.

She religiously stalked Arnaud's Instagram. She had absolutely spent countless late nights practically drooling over the aesthetic perfection of his yacht photos. She had genuinely told her friends that if she ever managed to breathe the same air as Arnaud Luxembourg, she could die entirely at peace.