The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 349

Sebastian's face grew darker by the second.

Lance finally caught the lethal glare practically burning a hole through the rearview mirror.

His hysterical rambling cut off instantly.

The cold sweat on his back soaked straight through his shirt.

"Um..." He swallowed hard, plastering on a smile that looked more like a grimace of pain. "Boss, I didn't mean it like that... I mean, obviously, for a woman of her caliber, only someone like you is worthy!"

Sebastian didn't say a word, just kept boring holes into him with that icy stare.

Lance launched into a frantic damage control mission: "Think about it! Dr. Sullivan is brilliant, so her standards are insanely high. If she's interested in you, that proves you're the absolute best! Back in the hall, she even turned around to look at you, didn't she? That look was, wow, just full of affection..."

Sebastian's expression softened a fraction of an inch.

Taking the opening, Lance doubled down: "And that speech you gave? Pure sincerity! Giving her all your assets, the kids taking her last name, walking away with nothing if you ever messed up—who else would dare make a promise like that? Only you! Because you genuinely love her, you aren't after her status!"

The corners of Sebastian's mouth twitched upward ever so slightly.

Seeing his strategy working, Lance laid it on thick. "Besides, you're incredible in your own right! Thorne Enterprises, billions of dollars in assets, a brilliant rising star in the corporate world! You're not even thirty yet and you've built an empire! Give it a few more years, and who knows how far you'll climb?"

Sebastian's expression finally returned to normal.

He leaned back against the leather seat, the slight upward curve of his lips cementing into a real smile.

Lance let out a massive breath, mentally giving himself a standing ovation.

That was some top-tier ass-kissing. Full marks.

***

The Maybach pressed on.

The vintage car ahead turned onto an even wider, more majestic avenue.

Sebastian stared out the window.

Slowly, his eyes widened.

Looming ahead of them was a massive estate.

No, calling it an 'estate' was a gross understatement.

It was a sprawling domain that stretched endlessly into the horizon.

The wrought-iron gates stood over thirty feet tall, painted pitch black and bearing intricate, imposing family crests that gleamed coldly in the moonlight. Standing on either side of the gates were two rows of guards dressed in stark black, all of them well over six feet tall, with obvious bulges at their hips—firearms.

And not just standard-issue handguns.

Sebastian immediately recognized the profiles—German-engineered HK416 assault rifles, the standard issue for elite special forces.

These weren't just private security.

They were mercenaries.

Lance's hands shook on the steering wheel.

"Boss..." his voice trembled like a dying leaf. "Are those guards... special forces?"

Sebastian didn't answer, but his fingers curled tighter against his knees.

The car rolled through the massive gates.

Before them lay a sweeping, cavernous driveway lined with flawlessly manicured French gardens. Classic streetlamps stood exactly a hundred and fifty feet apart, illuminating the road as brightly as midday.

But the lights weren't the main attraction.

It was the patrols.

One squad, two squads, three...

An elderly man dressed in a flawless tailcoat descended the steps and walked to their car, bowing respectfully.

"Mr. Thorne. Right this way."

The car door opened.

Sebastian stepped out, standing on the flawlessly paved courtyard that was lit up like a stadium.

He looked up, taking in the sheer, terrifying scale of the structure before him.

A private domain spanning hundreds of acres.

Mercenary guards.

An equestrian center.

A championship golf course.

And a castle that dwarfed royal palaces.

He suddenly remembered Charles's words back at the gala—'His little bit of money is nothing compared to what you'll inherit from me.'

At the time, he had felt slightly insulted.

Now, the absolute reality crushed him.

It truly was just a 'little bit of money.'

Lance stood behind him, trembling from head to toe.

"Boss..." his voice was barely a whisper. "This place... it's bigger than the White House, isn't it?"

Sebastian didn't say a word.

He simply took a deep breath, braced himself, and began walking toward the castle.