The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 455

It was vodka. The realization hit her like a physical blow. She had poured it yesterday. When Leon said he was coming over, she had planned to spike his drink. Hard liquor had a strong enough bite to mask the taste of the drugs. But before she had the chance, Leon had canceled. In her frustration, she had left the glass sitting on the counter, completely forgetting about it.

Lyra's hands began to tremble violently. She looked down at her stomach, still perfectly flat, hiding its secret. The doctor's warning echoed in her head: absolutely no alcohol during the pregnancy. Not even a drop. How much had she just swallowed? A massive gulp. All the color drained from her face, her lips quivering as a bone-deep chill washed over her.

She had to get to a doctor.

Snatching her purse, she practically sprinted out of the apartment, the door slamming heavily behind her.

---

Paris, Sacred Heart Women's Hospital.

The corridors were impeccably quiet, broken only by the soft glide of nurses pushing medical carts. Lyra sat on a sleek chair outside the ultrasound room, her knuckles white as she crushed the appointment slip in her grip. She looked pale and sickly, staring blankly at the indicator light above the door while her heart hammered against her ribs.

"Ms. Langford," a nurse called out, holding the door open.

Lyra stood up and walked in. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by the glow of the ultrasound monitor. She lay back on the examination table as the doctor applied the cold gel to her lower abdomen, the sudden temperature making her flinch.