The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 456

"Ms. Langford?" the doctor's voice pulled her back from the edge.

Lyra looked up, her lips parting as she struggled to speak. "I... I need some time to think about it."

The doctor nodded sympathetically. "There's no immediate rush. You can go home and weigh your options. If you decide to proceed, just call us to schedule it three days in advance."

Lyra stood up, shoved the report into her designer bag, and walked out of the hospital. The afternoon sun was blinding. She stood on the marble steps, watching the endless stream of Parisian traffic and pedestrians. A sudden, terrifying thought flashed through her mind—the pill. The black-market fertility drug she had taken to guarantee this pregnancy. What if this was the side effect? What if the pill had caused the defect?

She pulled out her phone, scrolling to an unsaved number, and quickly typed out a message: [Did that pill have any effect on fetal development?]

The reply came almost instantly: [The side effects primarily impact the mother's body. Out of all our clients, we haven't seen any issues with the babies. You should get examined to see if it's a naturally occurring issue.]

Lyra stared at the screen, her grip tightening until her knuckles ached. Get examined? How could she possibly do that? Was she supposed to tell a world-class doctor she took an illegal street drug to secure a billionaire heir?

Her phone buzzed again. It was Leon.

[Have you pinned down Evelyn Sullivan yet? Don't make me wait.]

Lyra glared at the text. She stood frozen on the steps for a long time. The sunlight washed over her, warm and inviting, but she looked as pale as a ghost.

The screen went dark. She didn't reply. Slipping the phone into her pocket, she walked down the steps and hailed a cab. The heavy door shut, and she sank back into the leather seats, squeezing her eyes shut. All she could see was that blurry shadow on the ultrasound monitor and the doctor's grim face. Her hand instinctively drifted to her flat stomach. It felt like nothing was there, but she knew the truth. That child was her final play.