Chapter 134

"So it was you, Hannah Scott!" Brinley all but shouted into her phone as she burst into her own office, her voice sharp with accusation. She kicked the door shut. "What the hell do you think you're playing at?"

On the other end, Hannah let out a slow, mocking laugh. "Come on, Brinley. Isn't it obvious? I'm just settling the score."

Hannah kicked her feet up on the desk, a frosty smirk curling at her lips.

"You're a rotten asshole!" Brinley retorted, barely able to contain the tremor of rage in her voice.

"Asshole?" Hannah's tone dropped, her amusement fading into icy disdain. "I don't even come close to your level. Let's not forget who started all this-the kidnapping, the smear campaigns, and now you've gone as far as to sabotage every one of our suppliers. If you're looking for the real villain, you might want to take a look in the mirror."

Brinley instantly grasped the key points-Nova Tech's suppliers had all gone dark, and Hannah bet she was responsible.

Recovering quickly, Brinley's tone turned deliberate and smooth. "Before you start pointing fingers, maybe get your story straight. Polaris Tech has Jones Group's full support. If someone's coming after Nova Tech,it's not me-it's Vincent. When it comes to protecting me, he can be utterly merciless."

A mocking sneer curled at the edge of Hannah's mouth. Obviously-how could she ever forget? Vincent would always move heaven and earth for Brinley.

Brinley seized the opening, her eyes glinting as she pressed the attack.′′O maybe Nova Tech isn't the real issue here. Look at you, fighting tooth and nail-what's the endgame? Trying to snag the title of Mrs. Wade?You sure bounce back fast."

Hannah let out a cold laugh as she shot back,′′Mylife is none of your concern. But if you're that desperate for gossip, maybe check your phone. You're all over the internet right now. That livestream? Instant classic. People can't stop passing around clips of your tantrum."

Hannah waited just long enough for Brinley to feel the sting and then forwarded her a perfectly mortifying screenshot. "Congratulations, Brinley. You're officially a viral sensation."

"You!" Brinley didn't get a single word out before Hannah cut the line, leaving her alone and seething, fury burning a hole through her chest.

···

Hannah hung up and immediately steered her car toward the Jones Group, rage pulsing in her veins. She had to face Vincent head-on. It was only a divorce-did he really have to go that far, attempting to destroy her company?

Seething, Hannah strode through the lobby like a force of nature, her glare so intimidating that the staff parted wordlessly to let her pass. No one dared challenge her-not after Clive's infamous coffee incident left him nursing burns and a bruised ego for weeks.①

Hannah barreled into Vincent's office without hesitation, striding past his stunned employees mid-reporting.

Vincent sat at the head of the table, not surprised by her presence. He dismissed his subordinates with a flick of his hand. "You can all step out."

His mind immediately jumped to the divorce agreement as her reason for coming. He motioned for her to sit,but Hannah stayed standing, her eyes blazing."Let's not waste time. What will it take for you to stop going after Nova Tech?"

At that, Vincent's eyes grew cold, a shadow settling over his features. So her purpose wasn't to resolve the divorce-she was here to negotiate on Felix's behalf? Both subjects struck a nerve, but watching her fight this hard for another man stung worse. The truth was plain as day: her heart now belonged to someone else.

He leaned back, masking his irritation behind a veneer of calm. "This is about Felix,isn't it?"

"Don't twist my words!" Hannah shot back, her eyes flashing. "Just answer me. Name your terms. How do l get you off Nova Tech's back?" A cold smile flickered at the edge of his mouth. "There's nothing you could give me that would make me 'change my mind." He paused, gaze unwavering. "Unless you're willing to walk away from Felix. For good."

"Absolutely not," she replied instantly, her voice steady and unyielding.

Vincent leaned back in his chair, lips curling into a self-satisfied smirk. "Then Felix's company collapses.End of story."

Hannah pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, the beginnings of a headache pulsing behind her eyes. "What exactly did Felix ever do to you?"

Vincent's tone was glacial. "He got close to you. Our marriage blew up because of him. Did you really think I'd let the guy who wrecked my relationship get off without consequences?"

A dry laugh escaped Hannah. "Don't even try to blame this on anyone else. Our marriage ended because we broke it. That's on us, not Felix."

He shrugged, unbothered. "In that case, why even go through with the divorce? Let's drop the paperwork.Let's just start over and rebuild what we had."

She stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "Are you listening to yourself right now?"

He met her gaze, his expression grave for once. "I'll take a three-month vacation. No work, no meetings.We'll travel-pick any destination you want. You always said we didn't spend enough time together, right?I'l give you that. Just us, no distractions."

He acted like everything could be fixed with a quick vacation, as if their marriage was just a business deal gone slightly awry. The sheer arrogance of it made Hannah's jaw clench. No wonder he kept dragging his feet-he'd never taken the divorce, or her demand, seriously in the first place.