The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 501

Sebastian leaned back, his fingers drumming lightly against the edge of the desk. "These men didn't climb to the top on luck. Someone paved the way for them."

Evelyn nodded. "The wives complete their missions, and the mastermind rewards them. The reward is elevating their husbands to power."

She flipped to the final page. There was a concluding summary penned by Lyra herself.

"This network has existed for at least forty years. The founding members are now in their seventies and eighties, and some of their children have inherited their spots. No one knows who the mastermind is. But what's undeniable is the colossal machine operating behind the scenes—fueled by endless capital, untouchable connections, and absolute power. Molière is merely the executive for the French division; there are levels high above him. Alissa's father is a pawn. She wasn't recruited because of his prestige, but because his desk controls the flow of EU capital."

Finished reading, Evelyn let go of the mouse. She picked up the now-cooled glass of milk, took a sip, and set it back down. Sebastian remained seated beside her, completely silent. A heavy stillness settled over the study.

"Julian spent years investigating, and all he found was the tip of the iceberg," Sebastian finally spoke, his voice grave. "The intel Lyra provided is infinitely more detailed than what Julian uncovered. But why would she just hand it over? Isn't she afraid they'll kill her?"

Evelyn met his gaze. "She is. Which is exactly why she gave us this. She has her own agenda."

Sebastian paused for a moment. "Can we trust her?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Not completely. But we can cross-reference. If we overlay Julian's data with hers, we can look for discrepancies."

Sebastian stood up, walked over to the bookshelf, and pulled down a thick folder. It contained the hard copies of all the intel Julian had forwarded them. He brought it over, dropped it on the desk, and flipped it open. Evelyn leaned in, and they reviewed the documents side by side.

Julian's files also mentioned Alissa, but the details were sparse—merely noting her as a channel member tasked with seducing billionaires. There was zero mention of her father's political ties. Lyra's intel perfectly filled that void. Julian's records also proved there were high-ranking French officials managing the local division, but he hadn't managed to uncover names. Lyra had served up Jean Molière on a silver platter.

Evelyn grabbed a pen and began sketching connections on a notepad. "Whatever overlaps, we consider verified. Whatever doesn't, we treat with extreme caution."

Sebastian watched her work. After a moment of silence, he spoke up again. "There's one more thing."

Evelyn looked up.

"Julian claims Christian isn't Penelope Lancaster's biological son."