Chapter 254

As Hannah walked closer, confusion showed on her face "Vincent? Are you trying to find Miles's apartment? He lives upstairs, not on this floor."

That was when Hannah spotted an odd redness coloring Vincent's face. Before she could ask what was wrong,his next move caught her completely off guard.

Gradually, his blurry eyes found focus. Without warning, he rested his head against her shoulder, moving as if in slow motion.A faint,heat-soaked groan slipped from his mouth.

His forehead,blazing with fever, pressed into the soft spot at her neck, and the sudden warmth caught her off guard. Each breath he took sounded rough and uneven, every exhale scorching against her skin.

Then, a raw, almnost sleepy whisper slipped out. "I've... been waiting for you... for so long."

The words were slurred but unmistakably clear. Hannah's eyes went wide in surprise. Did he really come here for her?

Their closeness felt overwhelming. Part of her wanted to put space between them right away. Still, his burning skin made her hesitate.

She steadied him and dragged his heavy frame toward the couch inside her apartment.

With her heart pounding and sweat beginning to bead on her forehead, she grabbed her phone to call Derek.

Her fingers had barely started to punch in the number before

Her fingers had barely started to punch in the number before a scorching hand wrapped weakly around her wrist. His grip had no strength, only the desperation of a man burning with fever.

Turning toward him, she caught his half-closed eyes staring at her.

"Stay here..." he remarked, his voice thin and almost lost.

Something strange and sharp cut through her chest. The heat from his hand seemed to rush straight into her blood. She tried to pull away, keeping her voice soft. "I need to call Derek. You need to be taken to a hospital-you're burning with fever."

"Don't... go." Right now, he was nothing like the powerful,distant CEO she remembered. Instead, he looked unguarded and vulnerable. distant CEO she remembered. Instead, he looked unguarded and vulnerable.

Drawing in a steady breath, she glanced at the deep flush spreading across his cheeks and the disoriented glaze in his eyes.

Eventually, she let out a soft sigh. Gently freeing her wrist from his hold, she went to get some fever medicine and filled a glass with water.

Taking a seat at the very edge of the couch, she leaned closer.One hand cradled the back of his neck, while her other hand pressed the pill carefully to his mouth. "You need to take this.Open your mouth," she instructed.

Obedience came unexpectedly from him. He swallowed the medicine quietly, almost as if he were in a trance.

Her gaze dropped to his right hand. When dragging him inside earlier, she thought she'd brushed against his wound. Fever and hand injury? What had he been through?

Gently, she touched the edge of the gauze wrapped around his hand and asked in a hushed voice, "How did you get hurt?"

She hadn't expected a response. But then-hoarse,slurred-came a barely audible murmur. No real words, just a raw,unfocused mumble.

A puzzled look crossed her face, uncertain of his meaning.

Even so, she quietly redressed his hand, making sure the bandage was neat and secure.

Maybe the medicine had begun to work, because Vincent's body slowly relaxed and his breathing settled into a calm,steady rhythm as he drifted off to sleep.

Not until then did Hannah stand up, moving toward the nearby window. She pulled out her phone and dialed Derek. "Vincent is at my place right now. You need to come pick him up," she said,getting straight to the point as soon as the call connected.

A pause hung between them before Derek's sigh came through,heavy with relief. "That's a relief. I'm glad to hear it. How is Mr.Jones doing now?"

"I gave him medicine for the fever. He's sleeping now," she replied, her eyes wandering back to Vincent as he lay quietly on the couch.

"That's unusual. He hasn't had proper sleep in days. The thing is..." Derek's voice changed a bit, a trace of hesitation slipping in. "Something urgent just came up here. I can't get away tonight. I'll come over first thing in the morning. Would you be alright with letting him stay overnight?"

He picked up on her hesitation, so he spoke again, a little more quickly. "It's probably safer not to move him much right now.He needs a real rest."

Derek's thoughts spun in every direction. He knew full well that if he went to get Vincent right now, Vincent would just hole up in his office, running himself into the ground with work even while sick.

"Fine," Hannah replied. She figured it wasn't a big deal. Claude had taken her parents out of town for a couple of days-there wouldn't be anyone else coming home tonight. Spending one night alone with Vincent seemed manageable.

By the time morning light crept in, Vincent slowly stirred awake.

Sitting upright, he let the blanket slip from his shoulders, and right away, he noticed his right hand had been wrapped.in a fresh bandage. The wrapping was different from the medical staff's usual way. A bit clumsy, maybe, but it showed a gentle touch.

"Not a fan of the wrapping?" Hannah's voice floated in from the kitchen, having caught his uncertain expression. "If it bothers you, I can take it off. Want to redo it yourself?"

His reply came almost at once. "No." The answer slipped out before he could think, her voice pulling something inside him to the surface. He gave a small shake of his head.

A crease formed between his brows as bits and pieces of last night came back to him. He remembered yanking out the IVin the hospital and making his way to the car. The plan was to return to the office. But then-

His chain of thought broke as footsteps approached.

Hannah walked over, carrying two bowls of porridge, her hair pinned up loosely, dressed in a plain set of loungewear.

Their eyes locked for a moment.

Dragging himself toward the table, Vincent asked, "How did get here?" His voice was rough from sleep. Faint memories flickered-he remembered clinging to her last night and begging her not to leave.