Chapter 108

Disoriented and drifting in and out of consciousness, Hannah realized she was being carried somewhere, her surroundings shifting beneath her.

A sharp, floral perfume clung to the air as a woman leaned in,yanking at Hannah's clothes. The click of a camera shutter sliced through the haze, followed by the sticky sound of Hannah's palm pressed onto a sheet of paper, leaving a smeared handprint as someone forced her limp fingers down.

Though Hannah's eyelids refused to lift, every word around her reached her with chilling clarity. About four men loomed close by, and a woman's voice-smooth, calculated, sickeningly familiar-cut through the confusion.

"Do whatever you want with her. Send me the video and I'll double your fee-an extra million," the woman promised, her tone icy and precise.

"Don't worry," one of the men replied, his laugh low and menacing. "You'll get exactly what you paid for."

Even half-conscious,Hannah knew that voice. It was none other than Brinley! A cold understanding settled in her gut.

As Brinley's footsteps faded, the last mask of civility dropped from the men in the room.

Hannah could hear them moving, the rustle of clothing hitting the floor. She forced herself back to full consciousness. No one was coming-if she wanted to survive, she'd have to fight her own way out.

She blinked hard, her vision swimming before the shapes She blinked hard, her vision swimming before the shapes around her finally sharpened into four looming figures.

The leader of the four men flashed a crooked grin. "So, you're finally up? Good. It's more fun when you're awake."

He leaned in, his rough hand reaching for her arm.

Hannah jerked away, her voice shaky but defiant. "Don't touch me! Do you even know who you're dealing with?" Her right hand fumbled at her left wrist, searching for the emergency button on her waistband and pressing down.

The leader just scoffed, clearly unfazed. "You think that matters? Tonight, we own every inch of you."

The others burst into grating laughter, the sound echoing around the dim, stifling room.

They stripped down right in front of her, not bothering to hide their intentions. The leader shoved his phone at one of his companions. "You-get this on video."

Without warning, three men surged forward at Hannah.

She drew a desperate breath and yelled, "I'm Vincent's wife!Lay a hand on me, and he'll destroy you all!"

One of them barked out a laugh, flashing a cruel smile."Vincent? That guy's not even married. Nice try,sweetheart."

Rough hands reached for her jeans, fingers clawing at the waistband.

Panic clawed up her throat. In a burst of adrenaline, her gaze landed on a heavy glass ashtray on the nightstand. She scrambled backward, snatching it up, and swung it with all her strength.

"Ow!" The ashtray cracked against a man's skull. He howled,blood pouring down his face as he staggered back, clutching blood pouring down his face as he staggered back, clutching his head.

For a heartbeat, the other two froze in shock, dumbfounded by her sudden ferocity.

"You little bitch-how dare you fight back?" The man filming tossed his phone aside in a rage and lunged straight at Hannah.

She kicked out, aiming for his knees, but he dodged with practiced speed.

Snarling, he seized Hannah by the throat, squeezing until her breath caught in her chest.

"What are you idiots waiting for? Get her clothes off and start filming already!"

Hannah's limbs were pinned, panic and nausea rising in her throat as she fought in vain to break free.

Meanwhile, the birthday banquet unfolded without a hitch.Sharon kept scanning the crowd, peppering Vincent with questions about Hannah's whereabouts.

Vincent hadn't breathed a word to his grandmother about Hannah's "car accident"-he wanted Hannah to rest for a few more days in the hospital. Instead, he soothed Sharon with a gentle lie: Hannah was with her parents and would arrive soon.The truth was, Hannah had denied his visit. Thus, he'd sent Derek to check up on her.

Suddenly, Vincent's phone buzzed with an unexpected location ping-one word stood out. "Danger."

Vincent ignored it.

Ten minutes later, Derek strode over with unexpected news-Hannah had been discharged from the hospital. Vincent's gaze swept the room, scanning the sea of party guests. Hannah was nowhere to be found. She must've left the hospital early to attend his grandmother's birthday, but her absence gnawed at him. A sudden, cold premonition flashed through his mind. Was Hannah in trouble?

Vincent didn't hesitate. Barking orders to his bodyguards, he pushed through the crowd and vanished out the door.

From across the hall, Brinley watched Vincent's abrupt departure, frowning. Was he getting close to the truth about Hannah's disappearance? Perhaps. But it hardly mattered now.

She took a slow sip of wine, savoring her private triumph. Even if-Vincent found Hannah's location, he'd arrive too late-almost an hour had passed. By now, those men would have stripped away every ounce of Hannah's dignity. Vincent would only find the aftermath.

Brinley had already erased any trace of her involvement,having paid handsomely to wipe the surveillance footage clean. No one would ever link her to what had happened.

Content, Brinley glided across the ballroom to Danica, her expression bright with satisfaction. She pressed the property transfer document into Danica's hand, as if bestowing a gift upon her.

A violent crash shattered the silence as the hotel room door flew open, the sound ricocheting off the walls.

All four men jerked around, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion.

A squad of bodyguards burst inside, moving with razor-sharp precision as they tackled and pinned the four naked men to the floor Relief washed through Hannah. Her trembling hand finally slackened as she realized her bracelet's signal had worked.With a shaky exhale, she let consciousness slip away.

Vincent strode in after the chaos, his expression carved from stone as he took in the wreckage and Hannah's battered state.He didn't waste a word. Crossing to the bed in long strides,he draped his tailored suit jacket over her and scooped her gently into his arms.

He held her close, glaring at the four trembling men with a look that could freeze blood. All pretense of restraint had vanished. White-hot rage crackled beneath his composed surface as he surveyed the cowering group. "Snap their damn arms." His voice was low and absolute, carrying a threat so chilling that it cut straight to the bone.

"Understood." The bodyguards sprang into action, ignoring the four men's desperate howls as they carried out Vincent's orders with ruthless precision.

Vincent's gaze raked over Hannah, every fresh bruise fueling the fury simmering in his veins. Without warning, he drove his foot into the ribs of the closest man, his control shattered by rage. He shot his men a glacial look. "Find out who's behind this. If you can't, consider yourselves fired." The command left no room for argument.

"Understood."

Vincent jerked his chin as he added, "And get a doctor here.Now." His tone was tight with urgency.

At once, the team scattered to handle his demands.

Vincent carried Hannah into a luxury suite, handling her with care. Before the doctor arrived, he gently dressed her in fresh clothes.

After the examination, the doctor calmly explained, "She After the examination, the doctor calmly explained, "She inhaled an anesthetic and went into shock-that's why she fainted. She should be all right after some rest. But once she wakes, it's best to take her to the hospital for a full evaluation,just in case she's suffered any internal injuries."

Relief washed over Vincent, his shoulders finally relaxing.

Meanwhile, Danica and Brinley wouldn't stop calling, urging Vincent to come back to the party. Not wanting his grandmother to catch wind of what had happened to Hannah,he quickly hired a caregiver to look after Hannah and made his way back to the party.

About fifteen minutes later, Hannah's eyes fluttered open.Disoriented, she pushed herself upright and then bolted from the suite on instinct, desperate for a way out. She sprinted blindly down the long, unfamiliar hallway, panic clouding her sense of direction.

All at once, she crashed into a solid wall of muscle. She staggered back, breathless, and looked up-only to see Miles standing in front of her.