Chapter 122

Vincent clenched his fists. No wonder Hannah had pushed so hard to get the divorce finalized today-she'd been planning to marry Felix afterwards all along. Without that official divorce decree, how could she possibly marry someone else?

Vincent's jaw tightened, his whole demeanor turning icy as anger flickered in his eyes. "Hannah sent you?"His voice dropped to a frigid, cutting whisper.

"Of course not," Rena retorted, her tone quick and dismissive. "If you actually understood Hannah at all,you'd know she'd never send me to deal with you."

She watched his expression darken, a smirk dancing on her lips as she soaked in his displeasure. "I'm just here to celebrate your split and her upcoming freedom," she went on, tone light and irreverent. "Figured I'd bring you something sweet to mark the occasion."

Vincent's brow furrowed, disbelief coloring his voice. "You seriously thought a divorce is worth celebrating?"

Rena gave a casual shrug, completely unbothered. "Why not? Leaving you is too much of a good news to pass around sweets."

Vincent frowned, wondering whether Hannah wasn't intent on marrying Felix. He kept his expression locked in place, though his thoughts raced in a frenzy. His voice dropped, cold and sharp."Get out."

Rena flashed a triumphant smile as she shot back, "Gladly." She pivoted toward the door, clearly savoring the effect she'd had on him.

But just as her hand touched the handle, he called out, stopping her in her tracks.

She spun back, irritation in her voice. "What is it now?"

"Last night, did she stay with you?" His words came out clipped, brittle with tension. Rena squared her shoulders, her reply ringing with satisfaction. "Of course, she did. She looked a whole lot happier with me than she ever did with you."

He gave a curt nod. "Fine.You can leave."

Rena tossed out a muttered curse as she strode away, her heels tapping a quick rhythm down the hall.

The moment the door closed behind her, Vincent felt the tension in his muscles start to unravel. It seemed Hannah wasn't about to marry Felix, or Rena would've dropped the news aIready.

His gaze drifted back to the velvet box containing the pair of wedding rings on his desk. If Hannah would just admit she'd made a mistake, he was open to the option of continuing their marriage. After all, they had once lived happily together, and his grandmother adored her. Forgiveness wasn't impossible. He wouldn't mind making up for ever ignoring her feelings if it meant she would drop the idea of a divorce.

···

Down at the police station, Brinley had spent three full days locked in a holding cell, watching the hours crawl by. Vincent hadn't visited. He hadn't even bothered to answer her calls.

She couldn't risk faking an illness-jail was terrifying, but getting caught in a lie would be even worse.All she could do was sit tight, counting on Vincent to bail her out. She knew him well enough over the years. He might be furious now, but he always forgave her eventually. He wouldn't actually abandon her in a place like this.

But when the fourth day arrived, the person who came wasn't Vincent.

After parting ways with Vincent at the entrance of the courthouse, Hannah headed straight to the police station. The authorities had finally apprehended the four men responsible for her abduction, and she had come to formally identify them.

Once Hannah finished giving her statement, she noticed Brinley lingering nearby and caught sight of Derek emerging from the back office, clutching a thick stack of paperwork. A furrow appeared between her brows as she strode over to Derek. "Did Vincent send you here to get Brinley?"

Brinley provoked Hannah with a smug look. Derek replied honestly, "Yes, Mrs. Jones."

Brinley interjected instantly, her tone sharp, "Derek, she's not 'Mrs. Jones' anymore. You should get used to that."

Derek froze, looking utterly awkward, the words catching in his throat.

Hannah kept her voice steady. "She's right. I'm not his wife anymnore. Just call me by my name."

Derek replied with a nod, correcting himself with stiff formality, "Understood,Ms. Scott."

Brinley's smug grin grew even wider.

Without sparing Brinley a glance, Hannah addressed the officer handling the release, "Isn't there enough evidence against Brinley? Why is she walking free?"

The officer,who hadn't forgotten the details of the case, answered immediately, "Miss Gilbert's role couldn't be established. The four suspects alI gave the same story-they said they'd never met her and insisted the kidnapping was a spur-of-the-moment decision."

A chill crept into Hannah's eyes. "That's not possible. I have a recording-proof that she was behind everything."

The officer shook his head. "You mean the audio you submitted? None of the suspects, including Miss Gilbert, admitted it was real. Without their confirmation, we can't use it as evidence."

Hannah's gut twisted as she pressed. "What about the fake video she made?"

"We checked her phone. There's no such file-nothing we can use in court," the officer swiftly explained.

Brinley folded her arms, her lips curving in a wintry smirk. "I'm innocent. You heard the officer. Quit pestering them."

Hannah shot Brinley a glare as sharp as ice. Those words from the officer were enough for her to figure out the situation. Vincent had orchestrated the four suspects' statements, all to shield Brinley from blame.Brinley had only been in holding for three days, yet Vincent was already scrambling to get her released. "You two deserve each other." Hannah scoffed, her voice unexpectedly sharp.

Brinley blinked in confusion. "What did you say?"

Hannah met her gaze, eyes like cold glass. "I said, you and Vincent make the perfect pair. You really should stay together-for life." Her tone turned icy as she added, "That way, you won't get the chance to ruin anyone else's happiness."

Without waiting for a reply, Hannah pivoted and strode away, refusing to give Brinley another glance.It was a strange comfort, knowing she would soon secure a divorce decree and cut all ties with Vincent.