The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 330

"What are you doing over here?"

"I didn't want to mingle with those old men," Louis de Bourbon-Montpensier stated matter-of-factly. "They're too boring."

He looked at Arnaud Luxembourg and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Arnaud, you're here too?"

Arnaud chuckled and bumped fists with him.

"Louis, this outfit..." He looked Louis up and down, taking in the dark green velvet suit, and clicked his tongue. "Still as flashy as ever."

Louis proudly tossed his blond hair. "It's called taste. You wouldn't understand."

Madeline Thorne stood to the side, entirely dazed as she watched the two men bicker.

Arnaud noticed her and smiled at Evelyn Sullivan. "And who might this be?"

"My best friend, Madeline," Evelyn introduced her. "I brought her to see the world."

Arnaud offered his hand to Madeline, a radiant smile on his face. "Hello, I'm Arnaud."

Madeline reached out to shake his hand, feeling her palms sweating.

"H-hello..." her voice trembled slightly. "I'm Madeline..."

Arnaud smiled and spoke to her effortlessly. "Madeline? That's a beautiful name."

Madeline's eyes widened instantly.

"You... you don't have an accent?!"

"Just a little practice," Arnaud smiled. "My mother is from your home country."

Madeline looked at Evelyn, her eyes screaming, *Why didn't you tell me?!*

Evelyn just smiled and shook her head.

Louis chimed in from the side. "Ms. Thorne, don't let his looks fool you. He's incredibly fluent. My French is worse than his second language."

Arnaud glared at him. "Shut up."

Louis threw his head back and laughed.

Watching the two of them, Madeline suddenly felt that these untouchable figures from the glossy magazine covers weren't so terrifying after all.

Jean-Pierre nodded and shook Christian's hand.

"Young and successful."

Christian nodded politely. "A pleasure to meet you."

The Duchess then introduced them to a few more influential figures—the head of a media conglomerate, the female CEO of a hotel chain, and the heir to a luxury goods empire.

Everyone was exceedingly polite to Lyra and highly respectful of Christian.

But Lyra couldn't help but notice that whenever someone mentioned Evelyn's name, their tone shifted entirely.

"Is Iris here tonight as well?" the media mogul asked.

"She is," the Duchess smiled. "Right over there."

The media mogul's eyes lit up. "I'll have to go pay my respects later."

The female CEO of the hotel chain nodded in agreement. "I need to speak with her too. I absolutely loved the jewelry she designed for me last time."

Listening to their conversation, the smile on Lyra's face grew stiffer by the second.