The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 459

"Tomorrow, 3:00 PM at Café de Flore," Lyra said, her voice barely a whisper. "I'll tell you everything I know."

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Fine."

The call disconnected. Lyra sat on the edge of the bed, clutching her phone in the quiet room. A sliver of sunlight pierced the gap in the curtains, drawing a thin, golden line across the hardwood floor. She stared at the light, her eyes burning with exhaustion.

Standing up, she walked to the counter and poured another glass of water. This time, she sniffed it first to make sure it wasn't vodka before taking a sip. It was freezing, chilling her stomach. Holding the glass, she returned to the window and stared down at the streets below. Tomorrow at 3:00 PM. She had to get what she wanted, no matter the cost.

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The next afternoon, Café de Flore.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm, buttery glow over the dark mahogany floors. The air was thick with the rich aroma of roasted espresso beans and freshly baked pastries. A few patrons murmured in hushed conversations while waiters weaved effortlessly between the tables.

Lyra sat in a corner booth by the window, her coffee long gone cold. She had been waiting for twenty minutes, her knuckles white as she gripped her designer purse. Every time the door chimed, her heart leapt into her throat, only to sink again when it wasn't the right person.

Finally, the door pushed open. Evelyn stepped inside, wearing a chic beige trench coat. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and her face was completely makeup-free, yet she looked as luminous as moonlight. Scanning the room, her gaze landed on the window booth. She walked over and slid into the seat across from Lyra. No greetings, no pleasantries. She barely even made eye contact before turning to a waiter. "A hot milk, please."

The waiter nodded and hurried off. Evelyn turned back to Lyra. Her eyes were impossibly calm, looking at Lyra as if she were a total stranger.

Lyra shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, breaking eye contact. "You made it."

"Get to the point," Evelyn replied smoothly.

Lyra took a slow breath. "I set up the Mamba incident."

Evelyn said nothing. She just waited.

"I wanted to plant someone next to Sebastian. Even if it didn't completely ruin things, I wanted it to hurt you." A tear slipped down Lyra's cheek. She wiped it away aggressively, but another followed. "I'm jealous of you. I've always been jealous. You have the pedigree, the talent, a grandfather like Charles de Rothschild, and a man like Sebastian Thorne obsessed with you. I have absolutely nothing."

Evelyn took a sip of her freshly delivered milk and set the cup down. "So you decided to weaponize your jealousy and start stabbing people in the back?"

Lyra bit her lip, remaining silent.