The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 365

She paused, shaking her head slowly.

"What a joke."

Victoria remained silent, simply observing her.

"Is there anything else?" Lydia asked.

Victoria placed her coffee cup back on its saucer.

"Christian sent a formal request to the de Rothschild estate. He plans to visit tomorrow."

Lydia frowned slightly.

"What does he think he's doing?"

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think? His ex-wife suddenly transforms into global royalty. You think he isn't tempted?"

Lydia let out a cold laugh.

"He's not doing it for that."

Victoria stared at her.

Lydia's gaze grew distant, but her tone was absolute.

"Christian might not show it on the surface, but his ego is massive. A reconciliation is the absolute last thing on his mind right now."

Victoria arched a brow. "Then what is he after?"

A mocking sneer tugged at the corner of Lydia's mouth.

"He feels betrayed. Three years of marriage, and he never really knew who she was. Now that she's suddenly revealed this alternate life, he feels like a complete idiot."

She paused before continuing,

"As for getting back together... sure, the thought might have crossed his mind. But what he really wants is to prove a point. To prove that she still cares about him."

Victoria looked at her, a hint of genuine surprise in her eyes.

"You read him incredibly well."

Lydia said nothing.

After a moment, Victoria asked, "And what do you think Evelyn thinks of all this?"

Lydia was silent for a second.

Then, she smiled.

It was a faint, hollow smile, but it made Victoria's chest tighten.

"What does it matter to me what she thinks?" Lydia replied coldly. "Right now, my only focus is figuring out how to properly repay my dear sister."

Victoria watched her, her expression unreadable.

"You've changed."

Lydia picked up her milk and took another sip.

"If you lived through what I have," she said, her voice soft and detached, "you'd change too."

Victoria was quiet for a moment.

Then, she simply nodded.

"Eat," she said.

—

Out in the gardens, a group of groundskeepers crouched by the hedges, trimming the foliage.

The morning sun cast a warm, lazy glow over their shoulders.

One of the younger ones leaned in, lowering his voice. "Did you hear it last night?"

But the echoes of the previous night still lingered in their minds.

The cries.

The heavy breathing.

The kind of wild night that made their imaginations run rampant.

Swallowing hard, they forced themselves to focus on the dirt in front of them.

—

Back in the dining room, Lydia set down her fork.

She stood up and walked over to the window.

Outside lay the perfectly manicured French gardens, bathed in a blanket of golden sunlight.

A few groundskeepers were huddled by the hedges, working while whispering among themselves.

She couldn't hear their words.

But she knew exactly what they were talking about.

A freezing smirk crossed her lips.

Then, she turned her back to the window and returned to the table.

"I'm finished," she announced.

Victoria nodded.

Lydia turned and headed for the stairs.

Her posture was perfectly straight, her footsteps impeccably steady.

Only she knew that every single step felt like walking barefoot on broken glass.