The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 460

The sun was shining brightly outside Café de Flore.

Evelyn pushed the door open, the bell chiming behind her. She stood on the steps, squinting slightly as she raised a hand to block the glare. Across the street, a sleek black sedan sat idling by the curb, its tinted windows obscuring the interior. She walked down the steps and pulled open the rear door.

Sebastian had already adjusted the seat to her exact preference, complete with the perfect lumbar pillow she liked. She slid in, leaning back with a sigh of relief. Sebastian shut the door, walked around the back of the car, and slid in beside her. Up front, Lance put the car in gear and smoothly merged into the Parisian traffic.

"How did it go?" Sebastian asked, his voice low.

Evelyn rested a hand gently over her stomach. "They found anomalies with the baby. She wants my medical expertise."

Sebastian frowned. "And you agreed?"

Evelyn didn't answer directly. "I demanded every piece of intel she has on the syndicate in exchange. She agreed immediately."

Sebastian studied her, his eyes assessing. Her face was completely unreadable, perfectly calm. But after being by her side for so long, he knew the gears in her head were turning rapidly.

Lance glanced at them through the rearview mirror, unable to help himself. "I can't believe she caved that easily. We spent weeks throwing resources at this with zero results."

Sebastian ignored him, grabbing a thermos from the side console. He unscrewed the cap and handed it over. Warm water, poured right before they left—not too hot, not too cold. Evelyn took a long sip and handed it back.

"You're pregnant. Taking on extra stress is exhausting," Sebastian murmured, tucking the thermos away. "You don't need to do this for her. I can dig up the syndicate's dirt myself. It'll just take a little more time. They can't hide forever."

Lance checked the mirror again. He vividly remembered the ruthless corporate predator Sebastian used to be—a man who would happily burn a bridge with anyone to get what he wanted. Now, this same man was sitting in the back of a sedan, pouring warm water for a woman and cooing over her stress levels. Lance suppressed a heavy sigh and shook his head.

"It's not like Dr. Sullivan actually has to do the heavy lifting," Lance chimed in. "She'll just look over a few charts and offer a second opinion. Meanwhile, we'll strip Lyra of all her intel—"

"Shut up," Sebastian snapped, his tone dangerously low. Lance instantly swallowed the rest of his sentence.

The car fell into a heavy silence. Evelyn stared out the window, watching the shadows of the sycamore trees flash across the glass. Suddenly, she broke the silence. "Don't you think it's weird?"

Sebastian turned to her. "What is?"

"She agreed way too fast," Evelyn said evenly. "Someone like her, pregnant with a golden ticket... even if the baby has issues, there are hundreds of elite obstetricians in the world. Why beg me? What if I ran straight to Christian Lancaster with the news?"

Sebastian's brow furrowed in thought.

Evelyn continued, "That baby is just leverage to secure her status. Even with defects, she knows exactly how to manipulate the situation to her advantage. Would she really risk her life selling out a deadly, highly secretive syndicate just for a medical consult? Does she have a death wish?"