The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 468

Evelyn pushed the car door open and stepped out. Madeline hopped out from the other side, gripping her bag tightly, her hair pulled back into a strict ponytail, looking like a soldier marching into battle. As they walked toward the grand entrance of the building, Evelyn suddenly paused and glanced back over her shoulder.

Sebastian was still sitting in the driver's seat, watching her through the windshield like a stoic statue. She didn't say anything, just turned back around and kept walking. Trailing behind her, Madeline sneakily glanced back as well—Sebastian hadn't moved an inch, his eyes tracking their every step.

The lobby was cavernous, its dark marble floors polished to a mirror shine. Two receptionists in sharp black suits instantly shot to their feet the moment they spotted Evelyn.

"Ms. Charles, good morning."

Evelyn offered a curt nod and led Madeline deeper into the building. The elevators were situated at the end of the corridor, requiring them to pass a massive, illuminated photo wall. Madeline slowed her pace, her eyes darting across the display. Dozens of framed portraits lined the wall. Some subjects wore pristine white lab coats, others sharp business suits. Some were photographed in cutting-edge laboratories, others in grand boardrooms. Beneath every photo was a small plaque detailing their name and title. She spotted a black-and-white portrait of a white-haired man standing before a microscope; the plaque read: *Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine.* Further down was a full-color shot of a surgical team gathered around an operating table, titled: *The World's First Successful Gene Therapy Case.*

Madeline's jaw went slack. "These are..."

"The core team of The Charles Group's medical division," Evelyn explained smoothly. "Along with some of our milestone projects."

Madeline swallowed hard. She knew The Charles Group was a corporate titan, but this wall transformed an abstract concept into undeniable reality. Those legendary figures, those world-changing breakthroughs—they were all proudly displayed right here, acting as a silent monument to absolute power and brilliance.

The elevator arrived. Evelyn stepped in, and Madeline quickly followed. The doors slid shut, sealing them in quiet luxury. Madeline scanned the floor buttons, running from 1 to 28, each marked with a specific department: Legal, Finance, R&D, Clinical Trials, Regulatory Affairs, Strategy... The list went on. Evelyn pressed 28. The elevator shot upward without a single stop. When the doors finally opened on the 28th floor, they were met with an hushed atmosphere, the thick carpets absorbing every sound.

The door to the grand conference room was wide open. Over a dozen people were already seated inside—a mix of scientists in white coats and executives in tailored suits. On the suited side, Madeline recognized a few faces: the lawyers she had met yesterday, core members of Philippe Beaumont's elite legal team.

The moment Evelyn stepped into the room, every single person stood up.