The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 474

She rolled over, burying her face into the soft, lavender-scented pillow.

At five in the afternoon, a knock sounded at the door. Lydia Langford opened it to find the assistant standing there in the same immaculate dark gray suit. "Ms. Anna, the car is downstairs. The Duke is waiting for you."

Lydia nodded. She was already dressed. She wore a simple white dress that fell just below her knees, her hair cascading loosely over her shoulders. She wore no makeup, save for a sheer coat of lip balm. The small mole at the corner of her eye was faintly visible under the hall lights. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she followed the assistant downstairs.

The vehicle waiting at the hotel entrance was a sleek, elongated black sedan that gleamed with understated luxury under the streetlamps. The assistant opened the rear door, and she slid inside. The interior was dim, smelling of rich leather and a hint of fine cologne. The Duke sat on the opposite side, wearing a crisp dark gray suit, his hair flawlessly styled. He had been looking out the window when she got in, but the sound of her entry made him turn.

In that fleeting second, Lydia saw a profound shift in his eyes. It wasn't that his gaze turned cold or warm; rather, it became distant. It was as if he were looking right through her to see something else, someone who didn't exist in this space. The look lasted only a heartbeat before he reeled it in.

"The dress suits you," he murmured, his voice low.

Lydia lowered her head. "Thank you for arranging the apartment for me, and the car—"

"Don't thank me," the Duke interrupted smoothly. "It's a trivial matter."

The car eased forward. Lydia sat rigidly in her seat, keeping her back straight and refusing to lean against the plush leather. The Duke didn't say another word. He simply watched her, his gaze drifting from her face to her loose hair, and finally to her hands resting on her lap.

"What are you looking at?" Lydia couldn't help but ask.

The Duke didn't look away. "That mole at the corner of your eye."

Lydia's fingers twitched. "I was born with it."