Chapter 160

Vincent abandoned his phone and headed straight for the Lakeshore Villa, making his way to the room Hannah once lived in.

Inside, the walk-in closet was barren-her clothes had vanished, leaving only a row of his untouched suits. Her vanity was stripped of all traces of her daily rituals. The room, once warm with her presence, felt hollow and cold.

But one drawer remained. It was locked.

With no key in sight, Vincent forced it open.

A heap of pill bottles spilled out, rattling across the floor. The label "Fluoxetine" glared up at him-impossible to ignore.

He grabbed a bottle and turned it over in his hand,reading the single word: antidepressant. His breath hitched. The thought of Hannah clinging to these pills, enduring those two years in silence,made his lungs constrict. He sucked in a shaky breath and then dialed for the housekeeper.

Helen Turner, the housekeeper, rushed in,her breath catching as she spotted the scattered bottles. "Mrs.Jones told me to throw those away. She even explained where the key was, but I completely forgot."

Vincent sat motionless at the vanity, shoulders tense,his eyes locked on the tabletop. "Did you ever know she was ill?"

Helen's brows drew together in confusion. "Mrs.Jones always seemed perfectly healthy. She never even caught a cold. I just assumed those pills were for her immune system."

A cold heaviness settled over Vincent's features. No one had realized Hannah once suffered from depression. Not a single person had seen the truth,not even him-he'd bought her story about nightly supplements without question. "Take your leave. The bottles stay," Vincent muttered, his voice low and distant.

Helen replied with a nod, "Got it."

Vincent's gaze lingered on the heap of pill bottles,his chest tightening with a guilt so sharp that it nearly choked him. All this time, Hannah had fought her battles alone, drowning in shadows he'd never even noticed. The realization hollowed him out. He needed to move. Do something-anything-before the grief swallowed him whole.

Instinctively, Vincent reopened Felix's latest Instagram post. Felix and Hannah were now in Elaria.

After a heavy pause, Vincent hit Clive's number.

"The Elaria deal we've been working on-I'm going to handle it in person," Vincent rasped, his throat raw with emotion.

Clive sounded uncertain as he replied, "But Mr.Jones, the team's already on the groundd..."

"Is that a problem?" Vincent's tone went flat, icy enough to shut down any argument.

"N-no. No problem at all."

"Get the project files to me in ten," Vincent ordered curtly.

"Understood." Clive ended the call, still baffled, but didn't hesitate-he relayed the update to Brinley at once.

When Brinley first heard Vincent was flying out to Elaria, she barely reacted. To her,it sounded like just another work trip, nothing urgent.

Right then, Brinley was wandering through a trendy boutique with Daphne, making small talk about the upcoming pitch event. Brinley secretly hoped Daphne might pull some strings and give Polaris Tech another chance.

But Daphne just shook her head, her tone gentle but firm. "Honestly, I'm not happy about it either. Of all the startups my brother could've picked, why did he have to choose Hannah's? Yet, I was so annoyed by Hannah's presence that I skipped the presentation altogether. Was Hannah's presentation really that impressive?"

"Absolutely not!" Brinley shot back, her words a little too sharp. "Not even close." No way was she about to admit that Hannah could ever beat her.

"That's odd. My brother only ever makes decisions based on merit," Daphne replied, her tone light, not suspecting anything.

"I just froze during the pitch and messed up," Brinley remarked, adding a touch of self-deprecation."Otherwise, maybe Polaris Tech would've sealed the deal."

Her gaze sharpened as she added, "Daphne, would you mind talking to your brother for me? Maybe see if he'd reconsider and give us another shot?"

Daphne paused, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "I can't guarantee anything, but I'l ask. He mentioned the Nova Tech crew is off on vacation, so maybe there's an opening." Brinley scoffed under her breath. "They're taking a break now, of all times? If it were me, I'd be grinding on that project."

Still, the idea sparked a sliver of hope. Maybe this was her chance.

Daphne tossed it out like it was nothing. "Yeah, I think they went to... Elaria or something?"

"Elaria?" Brinley stiffened, her eyes narrowing in a flash. She yanked out her phone, scrolling quickly to Clive's message-Vincent was on his way to Elaria,too. A jolt of suspicion prickled through her. Was Vincent really flying out for business, or was he chasing after Hannah?

Brinley had jumped through hoops for the VitraMind deal, all to win Vincent's appreciation and finally erase those shadows of judgment.

But now, Vincent and Hannah had landed in the same country? The thought made Brinley's chest tighten.

For a moment, Brinley said nothing, her thoughts tumbling one over another. She knew Vincent still hàrbored old grudges. If she tailed him now, he'd only resent her more. But if she just happened to turn up-like it was a spur-of-the-moment girls'trip-that was something else entirely. She snapped out of it and turned to Daphne with a sudden smile. "What do you think about a getaway? My treat. Why not Elaria?"

Daphne's eyes fluttered in surprise. "Weren't we just talking about my brother and that business deal?"

Brinley's lips curved in a sly grin. "We'll get to that.But you've helped me out so much lately-this is my treat."

Daphne shrugged, flashing a breezy smile. "Sounds good.I'm free anyway."

"In that case, let's head out tonight." Brinley slipped her arm through Daphne's, her gaze sharpening with hidden intent. Meanwhile,Hannah had wanted her parents to join the getaway, but after they heard she'd be traveling with Felix,they politely bowed out.

Once Hannah and Felix touched down in Elaria, they dove straight into the city's charm, checking into a charming little guesthouse tucked away from the bustle,eager to soak up every bit of local culture.

The two of them lingered in thecourtyard, the night sky stretching wide overhead, their voices threading quietly through the warm air.

Felix glanced over, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes."Thanks," he murmured. "I honestly didn't think you'd remember."

Hannah shot him a questioning glance, her brow slightly furrowed.

He let out a soft laugh and looked skyward, the starlight flickering in his eyes. "I didn't think you'd remember I love Elaria."

Years ago, he'd blurted it out in public-"I love Elaria. I want to come here someday-with someone l love"-but Hannah had missed the second half,whisked away by a phone call.

Now, seated beside her in the hush of night,he realized this was it-his dream was fulfilled.