The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 445

Lydia looked down at the hand on her wrist and didn't pull away. She remembered that her sister was pregnant. If she yanked her arm free, if her sister lost her balance, if anything happened to the baby—every ounce of the blame would be pinned on her. Her sister had always operated like that.

"Let go, and I'll walk with you," her voice was completely even.

Lyra slowly released her grip, her fingernails leaving faint white crescent marks on her skin. Lydia glanced down at them and rubbed her wrist. "Where to?"

"There's a cafe down the street. It's a five-minute walk."

Lydia pulled out her phone, quickly typed out a text to Victoria, and hit send: *Something came up. I'll be thirty minutes late.* She slipped the phone away. "Let's go."

———

The cafe sat on a corner, boasting a modest storefront. Lyra chose a booth by the window. Lydia slid into the opposite seat, placing her bag next to her, and remained completely silent.

A waiter approached. Lyra ordered hot tea, while Lydia asked for a glass of water. The waiter left, and a heavy silence settled over the table.

Lyra studied her sister across the table. Sunlight filtered through the glass, illuminating Lydia's practically translucent skin. She had lost a lot of weight over the past few months; her jawline was sharper, her collarbones more pronounced. But her clothes and jewelry screamed wealth. That delicate gold bracelet—she had seen it in a magazine. It was a limited edition worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Her chest tightened. It wasn't sympathy; it was dread. She was terrified that her sister was already too deeply entrenched, terrified the past would surface, terrified the Astors would uncover her own history with Leon.

"You've lost weight," she finally said.

Lydia didn't take the bait.

Lyra waited a few seconds before lowering her voice. "Do you even know who you're dealing with? The Astor family—do you honestly think they're good people? They are using you as a pawn, don't you see that?"

Lydia took a sip of her water, set the glass down, and met her gaze. "And?"

"And it's not too late to walk away." Lyra leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white. "I will transfer one million dollars to you right now. Leave France. Go to another country. Go anywhere and start over. Just cut ties with these people."

She pulled her phone from her purse, her fingers flying across the screen as she opened her banking app. She moved frantically, as if hesitating for even a second might make her change her mind.

Lydia watched her. She didn't try to stop her, nor did she speak. She just watched those manicured fingers swiping across the glass, taking in the sheer desperation on her sister's face. She knew exactly what Lyra was thinking. This wasn't concern for her well-being; it was damage control. She was terrified that Lydia's mere existence would threaten the high-society life she had clawed her way into. If the Astors found out about her past with Leon, if the truth about the baby came out, Lyra's entire world would burn to the ground.