Chapter 243

Derek gaped at the woman who had materialized at his bedside.Clutching his bathrobe sash in a white-knuckled grip, he scrambled backward until his shoulders pressed against the headboard. "M-Ms. Stanton?" His voice wavered. "How on earth did you even make it in here?"

A charged silence crackled in the air.

Just moments before, Erica's wails had filled the room-and now, her sobs cut off as suddenly as they'd begun.

Erica's face was frozen in confusion, her eyes wide. How did things end up like this? Was Vincent not the one who had been in the study?

Sharon's brows drew together as she recognized Derek,her voice pitched with incredulity. "Derek-how did you end up in Vincent's study, and where's Vincent?”

Still dazed, Derek struggled to piece together a response. "I-I brought some documents to Mr. Jones last night. I had a fever and felt pretty out of it, so l ended up giving him the wrong ones. Mr. Jones went in person, and afterwards I was allowed to rest quietly in the study..." His voice trailed off into a whisper.

Erica's face burned, and she squeezed the blanket closer, her knuckles white with mortification.

Sharon struck her cane sharply against the floor, her tone brooking no argument. "No one is to mention what happened here today."

The servants bowed their heads. "Understood."

"Out. All of you."

Flustered, Derek and the servants scurried out of the study.

Once the room emptied, Sharon turned her piercing gaze on Erica."Erica,come into my room."

Erica nodded faintly. "Alright."

As Sharon reached the door, a series of wild, desperate screams echoed from inside, punctuated by heavy thuds against the wall. She stopped and let out a long, weary sigh.

At dawn, Vincent did something out of character-he invited Miles over for coffee.

Before the coffee maker had even finished sputtering, Vincent cut straight to the point. "Tell me-what's Claude Hobbes's connection to Hannah?"

Miles raised an eyebrow. Vincent's behavior was unmistakably off. Vincent hadn't spoken a word to him in more than two months,barely acknowledging him at the recent ball. But now,out of nowhere, Vincent summoned him for coffee at the crack of dawn, only to interrogate him about another man.

Miles sipped his coffee slowly, his voice flat. "All I know is Nova Tech's new product just made it into Fontaine Galleria. That's it.I've got nothing else."

That lined up perfectly with what Vincent had managed to dig up-just that single thread.

Vincent pressed his lips together in a thin, unreadable line.

Miles continued, "Polaris Tech's shareholders' meeting is this afternoon. Are you showing up?"

"I'll be there." Vincent held a modest three percent of Polaris

"I'll be there." Vincent held a modest three percent of Polaris Tech's stock-a stake he'd acquired directly from Miles.

This meeting was the first for shareholders since Polaris Tech restructured its organization.

The afternoon soon arrived. The building hummed with activity as shareholders trickled in, mingling in hushed, cautious clusters.

Hannah swept through the lobby in a tailored off-white suit,every inch the picture of cold composure as she ushered a board member toward the meeting room.

Mid-stride, she suddenly froze. Her gaze darted across the crowd, locking onto a familiar face-Vincent.

Vincent lingered just a few steps from the doors, alone-no assistant trailing after him, no entourage in sight.

Hannah arched a brow, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.What on earth was Vincent doing here? Polaris Tech and Jones Group's core business weren't even remotely related!

She quickly smoothed away her reaction, drawing in a steadying breath and arranging a calm, professional smile as she strode toward him. "Mr. Jones, are you here to see Mr. Whitaker?"

Vincent shook his head, his expression unreadable. "No. I came for the shareholders' meeting." His tone was calm and flat without a hint of emotion.

Yet, in that instant, Hannah keenly picked up on the information -he was a Polaris Tech shareholder. When had that even happened? But it was irrelevant now-he was standing right in front of her.

She held onto her pleasant smile, letting a touch of gentle curiosity slip into her voice. "Really/? So you're betting big on Polaris Tech, Mr. Jones?"

"The people here seem pretty decent." His answer was

"The people here seem pretty decent." His answer was intentionally vague, giving nothing away as he strolled into the meeting room.

Hannah's brows drew together. What on earth was that supposed to mean? Still, she kept her composure, locking away the rush of doubts spinning through her mind. For now,all that mattered was pulling off today's shareholders' meeting without a hitch.

Nearly every seat around the expansive circular table had been claimed.

Hannah acknowledged Miles with a subtle nod, her attention quickly catching on Vincent-already settled in a seat that managed to be both discreet and impossible to ignore.

Vincent's gaze stayed trained on the summary of Polaris Tech's latest financial report, his features sharp with icy concentration.

On the towering projection screen, vivid concept art for Polaris Tech's next flagship game, "Celestial Voyage," glowed above the room.

Hannah stepped forward, her voice unwavering as she laid out the company's strategic roadmap for the year ahead, every word crisp and assured.

A scatter of polite applause drifted from one end of the table."Impressive pitch, Ms. Scott. Ambitious, to say the least. But..."

The recent speaker, Keenan Castillo, who controlled five percent of Polaris Tech, let his words hang in the air,savoring the sudden hush and the way every eye swung toward Hannah.

"If I may speak frankly, gaming is a relentless, cutthroat arena,"Keenan said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Women might have a knack for the small stuff, but let's face it-when it

have a knack for the small stuff, but let's face it-when it comes to making tough calls and handling pressure, they're just not up to the task."

The meeting room was consumed by tension.

Hannah's team bristled, and Miles's expression darkened.

Hannah's easy smile evaporated, replaced by a steely glint.Her tone stayed calm, even edged with dry amusement. "Mr.Castillo, are you implying that my gender somehow makes me unfit to lead this company? Even though I spearheaded the development of 'Threshold: Echoes'-the blockbuster game that raked in billions for us?"

Keenan drew breath to retort, but Hannah hed up a hand,slicing across his words. "Don't bother, Mr. Castillo. I already know I won't care for your answer."