The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 438

The car pulled out of the hospital gates and merged into the bustling Parisian traffic.

As Lance drove, he cast a glance at the backseat through the rearview mirror. Sebastian Thorne had his head down, focused on his phone.

"Boss," Lance began carefully, "that woman, Alissa... don't you think it was a bit too coincidental?"

Sebastian didn't look up. "What was coincidental?"

Lance tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "She suddenly dashes out from the sidewalk and practically throws herself at our car. The street is wide, there's pavement on both sides—why did she run straight into traffic?"

He paused, then added, "And she's almost too stunning. She had this seductive vibe about her. She didn't seem like a simple bystander."

Sebastian's fingers hovered over his screen. He looked up, his gaze meeting Lance's in the rearview mirror.

Lance felt a chill crawl down his spine under that stare, but he forced himself to finish his thought. "I just think... the timing was entirely too perfect. Should I look into her?"

Sebastian didn't answer. He lowered his head and looked back at his phone.

On the screen was his chat with Evelyn Sullivan. He typed out a line, stared at it, and deleted it. He typed another, then deleted it again.

Finally, he sent: [Someone bumped into my car on the road earlier. Took her to the hospital. Just a scratch, nothing serious.]

Message sent. He waited a few seconds, but there was no reply. He typed another line: [It was a woman. She was pretty.]

The moment he sent it, he regretted it. Why add that detail? He stared at the screen, contemplating un-sending it, but realized that would look even more suspicious.

Finally, she replied. Two words: [And then?]

Sebastian stared at those words, feeling an inexplicable rush of nerves. He typed: [I wrote her a check for her medical bills. Then I left.]

Evelyn replied instantly: [Okay.] Just one word.

Sebastian stared at that 'Okay,' convinced there was a hidden meaning behind it. He typed again: [Lance thinks her appearance was too coincidental and suspects she's a setup. What do you think?]

This time, it took her a while to reply. [If you want to investigate her, investigate her. Why are you asking me?]

Sebastian looked at the text, the corners of his lips curving upward. He typed: [You're the one who's going to be running our household, so of course, I have to ask you. Besides, she's a woman. I need to keep my distance. If you say investigate, I'll investigate. If you say drop it, I'll drop it.]

After sending it, he realized how sappy it sounded, but he had already hit send. Retract it? He hesitated but didn't touch the screen.

The silence on her end stretched longer. He stared at his phone, his heart beating a little faster. Then the message popped up: [Then check her out. Just to be safe.]

Sebastian looked at the words, unable to suppress his smile. He noticed she hadn't rejected the line about 'running our household.'

Seeing his boss's expression in the rearview mirror, Lance couldn't hold back anymore. "Boss, about that woman—"

"Investigate her," Sebastian cut in, his voice returning to its usual icy detachment. "Do a full background check on Alissa."

Lance blinked in surprise, then nodded sharply. "Understood."

He pulled out his phone to make the arrangements while steering with one hand. Sebastian leaned back against the seat, gazing out the window, his fingers lightly drumming against the edge of his phone.