The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 334

The Paris night was awash in dazzling lights.

A sleek black Maybach cruised smoothly down a secluded, tree-lined avenue on the outskirts of the city. Shadows of sycamore trees flashed past the windows, momentarily breaking the distant, glittering lights of sprawling estates.

Sebastian Thorne leaned back against his seat, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside.

Lance Sterling sat in the passenger seat. He shot his boss a nervous glance through the rearview mirror before speaking hesitantly. "Mr. Thorne, about that... I couldn't secure an invitation."

Sebastian's frown deepened.

"What do you mean?"

Lance lowered his voice even further. "The gala is an ultra-exclusive gathering for France's top-tier families. It's called The Fontainebleau Gala, held only once every three years. Without a formal invitation, we can't even get past the main gates. I've pulled every string and called in every favor, but we hit a brick wall everywhere..."

Sebastian remained silent.

Lance braced himself and continued. "But I did find out something else—the Duchess of Bourbon brought a lot of young talent with her tonight. Rumor has it she loves mentoring the next generation. Evelyn is definitely there. Think about it, Mr. Thorne. Evelyn might not care about these events for herself, but this is a massive opportunity for Madeline. Evelyn brought her all the way to France; she's definitely going to use this chance to help Madeline build her network..."

Sebastian's frown slowly smoothed out.

It made perfect sense.

Evelyn had seen it all, but she would never pass up an opportunity to help her best friend climb the ladder.

She had to be there.

"Understood."

Sebastian nodded and pulled out his phone, scrolling to a contact saved as 'Henry.'

Henry de Luxembourg.

A classmate from his days studying in France and the youngest son of The Luxembourg Family. They had always maintained a good relationship. Although they rarely saw each other these days, they always exchanged holiday greetings and prioritized each other for business deals.

The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

Thinking he hadn't heard him, Henry dropped his voice and repeated himself. "I said Lyra's fiancé is here. Plus, word on the street—and this is strictly off the record—is that she's intimately involved with Leon Astor, the Astor family's bastard son. That woman's social life in France is... well, it's a mess."

Sebastian's frown deepened further.

Leon Astor.

A wave of sheer disgust washed over him.

"I have zero interest in a woman like that," he replied, his voice dropping to a freezing temperature.

Henry was taken aback. "Not her? Then who are you looking for?"

Sebastian let a heavy second of silence pass.

"Evelyn Sullivan," he stated. "Iris."