Chapter 193

Miles hadn't anticipated crossing paths with Hannah here, of all places. He'd only heard bits and pieces about her recent ordeals.

Irene warmly called Miles over and said to Hannah with a bright smile, "This is my son-he's just tagging along while I shop."

Hannah met her gaze, offering a composed, cordial smile. "We're already familiar with each other."

Irene glanced at Miles, her eyes brimming with silent questions.

Miles nodded slightly, his tone neutral. "Our companies have worked together before."

A subtle glint sparked in Irene's eyes, as if a plan had just occurred to her."Well, then, you two must have plenty to catch up on. I'll give you some space."

With that, she gently steered Rena away.

Rena caught the hint immediately. She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Mrs. Whitaker, are you matchmaking my best friend with your son?"

Irene let out a soft laugh, a faint blush rising in her cheeks. "Was I really that obvious? I can't help it-l just have a soft spot for her. She has the kind of energy I really admire."

Rena kept her thoughts to herself. Miles had a reputation for being icy and detached, his demeanor uncannily reminiscent of Hannah's ex-husband. In her eyes, Miles was hardly an ideal match for her friend.

But since Irene was determined to play cupid, Rena wasn't about to get involved. Whatever happened next would be up to Hannah and Miles.

As it turned out, Hannah actually had business to discuss with Miles, and this unexpected run-in saved her the trouble of seeking him out.

Spotting a cozy café just across the way, the two slipped inside and found a quiet tabe by the window. Miles broke the silence first. "I heard about the mess with Daphne at your company. Rest assured-she won't be causing any more trouble again."

"Glad to know," Hannah replied, pausing to take a careful sip of her coffee. She set her cup down and met his gaze, her tone shifting. "But that isn't what I wanted to discuss. Have you seen the latest news about Polaris Tech?"

Miles gave a slight nod. "I caught some headlines, but I haven't really kept up with the details."

Hannah slid her phone across the table. "See for yourself."

Miles scrolled through the files she'd pulled up, his brows lifting as the pieces fell into place. "You've got a whole dossier on Polaris Tech. Are you trying to buy them out?"

A faint smile tugged at Hannah's lips. "That's the plan. I did a bit of digging-turns out Brinley's been busy poaching game developers. I want to acquire Polaris Tech and use it as Nova Tech's entry into gaming."

He handed her phone back, his gaze steady. "Nova Tech will handle the acquisition. Why loop me in?"

Hannah's tone was frank, her posture relaxed but resolute. "Polaris Tech is supported by the Jones Group.Given my history with Vincent, neither Felix nor l is the right person to make contact."

She had no intention of letting Vincent know her plan.

"So this really comes back to Mr. Jones." He hesitated and then asked, "Why tap me?"

Hannah met his eyes without flinching. "We've worked well together twice now. That's reason enough for me." She straightened, giving him space to consider. "You don't have to answer now, Mr. Whitaker. Just think about it."

Miles responded without a moment's pause, "No need."

Hannah had braced herself for rejection, and she wasn't too deflated by his response. "Understood, Mr.Whitaker." Her polite smile stayed firmly in place.

Noting she had gotten the wrong idea, Miles, corrected her, his tone dry."1meant there's no need to consider it. I'm in."

The corners of Hannah's mouth lifted, her eyes warming as she raised her coffee cup to clink his. "I'm certain we'll work well together."

Miles held her gaze, impassive as ever. "I'm not doing this for you. I just see promise in the gaming market."

Hannah gave a quick nod. "Absolutely. I know you care about profit."

They hashed out the basic split of shares and ironed out the initial logistics-enough to get the ball rolling.All that remained was to put it all into writing.

Hannah had braced herself for pushback but found none. Surprisingly, the negotiations went off without a hitch. She couldn't resist commenting, "You know, you're a lot easier to work with than you used to be, Mr.Whitaker."

Miles paused, sipping his coffee, his expression unreadable. "Was I really that difficult before?"

She grinned, not holding back. "Difficult? You were impossible. Getting you to agree to anything was like chasing the wind."

He gave her a sidelong look, all business again."Our legal teams can sort out the paperwork. If that's all, I'll get going."

She raised her hand in a friendly wave, her smile bright. "Have a nice day, Mr. Whitaker."

Rena had wandered off,bored of waiting.

Irene, meanwhile, had been watching the scene unfold from across the way. As soon as Miles stepped out of the café, she swooped in, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "You two looked pretty deep in conversation. Are you and Ms. Scott close?"

"Mom, Ms. Scott and I are not close," Miles answered, his tone clipped as he kept walking.

Irene kept pace with him, a smile brightening her face.′′Come on, don't try to fool me. I saw you smile at her."

"I didn't," he shot back, brushing off her question without missing a step. "Done shopping? Let's go home." Irene simply smiled to herself, unbothered by his evasiveness-if anything, her son's reaction only made her

more intrigued.

Across the room, Erica sat by the window, sipping her coffee and catching every nuance of the exchange between Hannah and Miles. Her gaze narrowed as a plan took root. Without hesitation, she picked up her phone and quickly typed out a message to Vincent."Vincent, how do Hannah and Miles know each other?From where I'm sitting, it honestly looks like they're on a date."