Chapter 199

With his lips drawn in a tight line, Vincent walked into the room, his face icy. "Is there something you needed?"

Erica placed a collection of medical supplies on the desk. "Take your shirt off. I picked up some medication from the hospital."

Vincent remained still, making no move to comply.

She softened her tone. "Come on. Don't be shy. Let me treat those wounds."

He simply reached for the ointments and bandages. "I'll handle it myself."

Her brow furrowed as she tried again. "You can't even see your own back. How are you going to manage?"

He didn't respond, keeping his focus on the supplies.

Knowing how stubborn he was, Erica decided to let it go. If she pushed any further, it would only make things more awkward. She offered a few quick instructions on how to use the ointment and then turned to leave the room.

Just before stepping into the elevator, she paused, pretending to scan around. That was when she overheard Vincent quietly telling someone to investigate the black car involved in the attempt on Hannah's life in the parking lot.

She tucked away that bit of information and then slipped into the elevator. It was clear to her that the car needed to disappear-and quick<ly.

···

On the other side of town, Hannah's life was slowly getting back on track. She had finally put together the version 4.0 prototype of her wristband and was one of the first to give it a try

At Polaris Tech, a brand new gaming division had been launched, and development was aready in the early stages.

That evening, Hannah was on her usual drive home from work when she spotted something suspicious in her rearview mirror-a car was tailing her.

Her expression hardened. Without a second thought, she removed Vincent's number from her blocklist and gave him a call. Her tone was anything but friendly.′′Ae you having me followed again? If you are, the least you could do is give me a heads-up."

Vincent's voice took on a serious note. "I didn't send anyone to follow you."

The answer caught her off guard."What?" Her heart skipped a beat. So, who was trailing her now?

Vincent interjected, "Try not to panic. I'l get someone to look into it-"

But before he could finish, the line suddenly went dead.

Vincent acted on instinct, sending a team out right away to protect Hannah.

But Hannah hadn't been the one to hang up. Her call had been hijacked. Someone had jammed the signal and forcefully cut the connection.

When she tried to slow the car, she realized the brakes weren't working. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, and a jolt of fear shot through her. A figure was emerging from the trunk-a man dressed all in black,his twisted grin enough to freeze her blood. He moved toward her with eerie calm, like something out of a nightmare.

Without giving herself away, Hannah pressed the button on her wristband. The new model did more than just send her live location to her emergency contacts-'it alerted the police directly.

Her voice came out even, steady despite the terror pulsing through her veins. "Who sent you?"

The man leaned closer, pressing a blade to her throat. "Fifty million bought your head," he replied, eyes cold.

Not a muscle in her face moved. "I'll pay you a hundred million.Just walk away." He sneered, "Nice try. But people in my business don't break contracts.",

She felt the knife nick her skin, leaving a thin line of blood behind. He added, "Still, for the right price, I could leave your body in one piece."

"So much for bargaining," she said, mind racing for any way out. The steering wheel beneath her hands was her last shot.

She acted before he could react. With a sharp stomp, she floored the gas pedal. The man yelled in panic,"What are you doing?"

Her jaw clenched. "Saving myself. Isn't it obvious?"

Eyes flashing, Hannah yanked the wheel hard to the side, aiming for the guardrail.

"You're out of your mind!" His terrified scream was swallowed up by the sound of metal smashing and glass shattering.

The car rolled violently.

The man in black crashed into the seat, knocked out by the force of the impact.

Airbags burst around Hannah. Her head spun, but she clawed for consciousness, fighting to unbuckle herself and crawl out of the car through the jagged opening.

Glass ripped at her skin, but she barely noticed. It felt like freedom was finally within reach. But then, as she staggered upright, reality crashed in-her ordeal wasn't over yet.

A row of men dressed in black suits stood silently outside the smoldering wreck.

Darkness crept into Hannah's vision, and her body collapsed to the ground.

Without hesitation, those men advanced, dragged a woman's lifeless body over, and dumped it inside the crushed remains of the car.

One of them instructed coldly, "Burn it all."

The others answered at once, "Understood." Each man flicked open a lighter and tossed it onto the wreck. In seconds, a heavy whoosh filled the air as fire swallowed up the vehicle.

Someone tore the wristband from Hannah's arm and threw it down by the burning metal.

In an instant, they all climbed into a waiting black van and sped off into the darkness.

When the police finally arrived, the flames had mostly died down. All that was left was the blackened shell of the car.

Meanwhile, back at the office, Vincent found himself unable to focus. Every paper on his desk became a blur as he stared at his phone, checking the,screen over and over.

Suddenly, a bright flash caught his eye."DANGER ALERT" appeared across the display.

He shot out of his chair. Right then, his bodyguard called. He grabbed the phone in an instant. "Did you find anything? Who did this?"

A grim voice came through. "Not yet. Those people knew exactly what they were doing. This was no amateur attack. It'll take some time to find out who's behind it."

Vincent's voice was tight. "What about Hannah? Did she make it home safely?"

There was a pause on the line. The guard's tone grew cautious. "Mr. Jones... Ms.Scott...She-"

Vincent had a sinking feeling. "Tell me. What happened?"

"She's dead."

The words slammed into Vincent."What are you saying?" he barked, breath coming in short bursts.

"I'm on-site," the guard replied. "The police have confirmed that nobody inside made it out alive. The license plate-it was hers."