The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 444

The morning classes hadn't started yet at the Paris Business School. Students sat in scattered groups across the lecture hall. Lydia sat by the window, a notebook open in front of her. Sunlight streamed in, landing on her crisp white shirt. She kept her head down, the tip of her pen resting against the paper, not writing a single word.

The two girls in the row ahead were talking. Their voices were low, but the room was quiet enough that every word carried clearly.

"Did you hear? Camille and those two other girls were expelled yesterday."

"Are you serious? Doesn't her family have serious connections?"

"Connections couldn't save her this time. I heard the dean personally signed off on it. They were told to pack up and leave on the spot."

"That's intense. What exactly did they do?"

"No one knows. The official reason was 'failure to meet the university's standards.' But who actually believes that? They've been bullying people for ages, and no one ever cared before."

"True. Camille always acted like she owned the place just because of her background. Didn't she reduce that exchange student to tears last month? The poor girl complained to the administration, and they just swept it under the rug."

"This time was different. Someone saw them causing a scene in the library yesterday afternoon, and apparently, a major VIP walked in on it."

"A VIP? Who?"

"I have no idea. But it was handled that same day. Do you think they crossed someone they shouldn't have?"

"Serves them right. Someone needed to put them in their place."

The two girls chuckled, lowering their voices as they moved on to another topic.

Lydia sat by the window, her pen tapping once, twice, against the paper. She didn't look up or interject, just listened. Her fingers curled slightly, her knuckles going pale.

The girl with the ponytail in the front row suddenly turned around and glanced at her. "Lydia, weren't you dormmates with Camille and her crew? Do you know what happened?"

Lydia raised her head and shook it. "I haven't been back to the dorms in a while. I have no idea."

The girl nodded and turned back around. Lydia lowered her gaze, staring at the tiny black dot her pen had drilled into the notebook. She picked up her phone, opened her messages with Pierre, and typed a quick line.

*Did you have those three girls expelled?*

Sent. He replied almost instantly. *Not me. The Duke. He handled it before I even had the chance.*

Lydia stared at the text, her thumb hovering over the screen. Pierre sent another message.