Chapter 229

The kiss crashed down on Hannah, fierce and unrelenting.

Vincent's mnouth burned against hers, his desperate lips parting hers with a hungry insistence, as though he meant to drink in every last breath she had.

Hannah's mind went utterly blank. The world, already plunged into darkness by her blindness, seemed to lose every trace of sound and air, every sense but the shattering urgency of his kiss-so consuming that it threatened to obliterate her.

"Mm..." A muffled whimper escaped her, but even that small sound was lost between them, swallowed whole by his intensity.

At last-after what felt like forever-Vincent tore himself away. He drew back, breath harsh, hands unclenching from her wrist and the nape of her neck. Then, he let his forehead drop, heavy and unsteady,until it pressed against hers.

"Promise me you'll live your best life," he murmured,his voice raw and ragged, as if the man who'd just kissed her so fiercely was someone else entirely.

After speaking, he hurriedly slipped out of the room,pulling the door shut with careful restraint.

Hannah sat alone in thequiet, her lips still tingling from the heat of his kiss, the ghost of his grip lingering on her wrist. What drove Vincent to kiss her?

The question spun through her mind until, unable to bear it, she slammed her fist into the pillow, cheeks flushed in frustration. She'd actually let herself melt for that split second. Ridiculous. It must be the medication that had clouded her thoughts.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Vincent leaned against the wall, his pulse racing so hard that he could feel it in his throat. Only after regaining his composure did he leave. With surgery scheduled for tomorrow, Hannah barely slept that night, tossing and turning as worry gnawed at her.

By morning, a caregiver carefully guided Hannah into the car. The gentle hum of the engine and the plush seats soon coaxed her into a restless doze.

Vincent had arrived at the hospital before her. He'd double-checked the treatment plan with Marie, his nerves stretched taut as a bowstring. Now, all that remained was for Hannah to arrive.

But half an hour crawled by with no sign of Hannah.

He dialed the driver's number-no answer. His pulse spiked as he quickly rang the butler, who confirmed Hannah had gotten into the car as planned. Still,the driver's silence gnawed at him.

An hour later, the driver finally picked up, his voice trembling with panic. "Mr. Jones, I'm sorry. Someone drugged me and the bodyguards. They took the car."

A cold chill shot through Vincent. Someone had taken Hannah? The words detonated in his mind. Not even bothering to end the call, he charged out of the hospital, barking rapid-fire orders to his bodyguards and the butler-everyone was to fan out and start searching for Hannah immediately.

A sense of dread twisted in Vincent's gut. Had Hoffman's remaining followers finally made a move against Hannah? And at such a critical time,no less!

Hannah drifted awake, her mind foggy, as fragments of conversation floated above her. Men's voices tangled in the gloom. She kept her eyes closed,feigning unconsciousness.

"Just toss her here, all right?" growled one man, his voice rough like gravel.

"What else? You want to drag her down the main road instead?" another snapped, impatience crackling in his tone.

The first speaker pressed on. "Now that we've got the cash, let's get out of here already. This blind woman is already worthless to us."

A brutal kick struck Hannah's side, her forehead slamming against cold stone.

"She looks rich. Maybe she has something valuable on her?"

"Then get moving and start searching."

The two men rifled through her things, snatching her necklace and earrings without a second thought.After that, they yanked a rough sack over her head.

"Let's get out of here before her man comes looking," one muttered, anxiety sharpening his tone."I've heard he's the last person you want after you."

Their footsteps echoed down the path, growing fainter until Hannah was alone.

Fighting a wave of nausea, Hannah forced herself upright and struggled free of the sack.

On reflex, her fingers searched the ground for her cane. And then she froze. For a split second, her own hand came into focus, pale against the dirt.

Her breath caught. She blinked, hard. The blurry world sharpened, shadows and colors slowly snapping into view. She could see... She could really see again!

A dizzy, wild joy swelled inside her chest. Scanning her surroundings, she realized she'd been dumped in a forgotten,overgrown park.

After walking for a long time, Hannah drifted onto a bleak, empty street, the silence pressing in from every side.

With no idea how much time had slipped by, she finally managed to wave down a passing car. The driver eyed her suspiciously, hesitating until she coldly named a reward: ten thousand dollars, cash.Greed won out over caution. With a grunt, the driver agreed to take her.

She rattled off the address of Sterling Heights first,but the navigation app blinked back a dauntingthree-hour drive. So she opted for the villa at Mapleridge instead-just a twenty-minute drive away.Without hesitation, Hannah settled on the closer destination, her mind already racing ahead.

By the time she reached the villa's entrance, her nerves had finally settled. The facial recognition panel blinked green, confirming her identity and unlocking the gates with a quiet mechanical click.

Inside, an unsettling silence hung in the air. The place felt almost deserted-far fewer caregivers bustled about than she remembered. As she wandered down the echoing hallway toward her room, the absence of familiar voices pressed in around her.

When she searched her bank card for the driver,her fingers brushed against a folded sheet of paper. She drew it out, puzzled, and recognized the surgery consent form she'd signed not long ago.

A glance at the document made her heart jolt-Vincent's name leapt out at her, inked with unwavering certainty.

Only after rereading the line twice did the truth hit her: it was Vincent, not a stranger, who had agreed to donate his retina to her.