Chapter 258

Vincent's breath was warm against Hannah's palm, catching her off guard with its intimacy.

Hannah snapped her hand back, heart thudding. She turned away abruptly, avoiding his piercing, unreadable stare. Her tone softened, edged with embarrassment. "That wasn't intentional."

She rattled on, hoping to cut the tension, but her gaze darted to the blood welling on his hand. "We've kissed before.Why are you so rattled now?" she demanded, her voice tight."Shouldn't you be worrying about your injury instead?"

A flicker of surprise and frustration darted across Vincent's features, but before he could find his words, Hannah's fingers were already flying across her phone. She fired off a brisk message to Derek and then glanced up, catching the ashen look on Vincent's face. Without missing a beat, she said, "Listen.Right now. Take care of your hand. Don't let blood drip all over the place."

She jerked her chin toward the first-aid kit tucked in the corner, her voice leaving no room for argument.

"In a few minutes, I'll pull my parents and Claude into the study,"she continued, calm and precise. "Once they're in, I'll unlock the front door. The second you see your chance, get to the elevator and don't look back. Move swiftly-no hesitation."

She angled her phone, letting him glimpse the screen. "I've already texted Derek-he's downstairs in the parking garage,waiting for you."

Her voice was crisp, steady. Not a trace of the earlier panic lingered; she radiated calm control. Every detail of her plan

lingered; she radiated calm control. Every detail of her plan revolved around a single goal: removing this human catastrophe from her life as soon as possible.

Vincent studied her profile, struck by its icy resolve-as if the earlier kiss hadn't touched her at all.

The moment she stepped out of the room, he snatched up a roll of gauze and slapped it against his bleeding hand, the motion sharp with irritation.

From the living room drifted the sound of cheerful conversation-Margaret, Raymond, and Claude laughing together.

When Hannah walked back in, Claude sat up a little straighter,his face shifting to something earnest as he turned to Margaret and Raymond. "Actually, I've wanted to bring this up for a while ... Do you think I could cal you Mom and Dad again, like I did before? Calling you Mr. and Mrs. Scott just feels... wrong."

The last words tumbled out, tinged with embarrassment.

Raymond and Margaret exchanged a look, something thoughtful flickering between them. Raymond kept his tone steady. "It means a lot that you'd say that, but you don't have to. You have your own father."

Margaret, however, jumped in with a gentle laugh."Oh,what harm is there if it's just between us? Claude's always been such a considerate boy, bringing gifts like this-we shouldn't overlook that."

Claude brightened and jumped at the chance, grinning as he called out, "Mom."

Margaret's smile deepened, her eyes softening with affection.

Raymond didn't say another word.

Claude glanced over at Hannah and queried, "What about you,

Claude glanced over at Hannah and queried, "What about you,Hannah? Are you fine with it?"

She only half-registered the question, flashing a cordial smile."Sure,why not? We're family. It's nice to feel close like this."Without missing a beat, she shifted the focus. "By the way,Dad,Mom, Claude-didn't we have some old photos of the four of us in the study? Why don't we go check them out?"

Margaret and Raymond perked up, clearly delighted, while Claude's gentle smile remained steadfast.

They all voiced their agreement, and together they strolled down the hallway toward the study's closed door.

Trailing just a step behind Hannah's parents, Claude suddenly stopped in his tracks. He gazed intently at their backs and then raised his voice, calling out in a clear, confident tone,"Mom!Dad! Careful where you step, okay?"

His words landed with the casual warmth of someone long at home in this family, filling the still corridor with the comfortable timbre of belonging.

From the bedroom, Vincent caught every syllable,the sound slicing through the quiet like a crack of thunder. A chill swept through him, leaving him momentarily stunned and struggling for air. Claude, addressing Hannah's parents like family-was he courting her?

Vincent's mind raced. Claude had wedged himself right into the heart of the Scott family, assuming the effortless air of a future son-in-law. Worse, Hannah's parents seemed to have already opened their arms to Claude, as if welcoming a replacement into their circle. Were Claude and Hannah about to get engaged? And Hannah-she was allowing this, making no move to push Claude away? She'd allowed Claude to enter her home to make their relationship official?

In that instant, it all fell into place for Vincent. No wonder

In that instant, it all fell into place for Vincent. No wonder Hannah had hidden him from her parents and Claude. No wonder she'd dodged his questions. Silence, after all, was as good as admission.

A fierce surge of rage crackled through Vincent, threatening to blow his composure apart. The familiar sensation of unraveling from the inside out clawed at his chest-sharp, raw, like something splitting open beneath his ribs.

He couldn't bear to linger another second. He needed out.

His hand was just curling around the doorknob when Hannah opened the door. "Great timing. Just go."

Vincent ignored her completely, spine rigid as he moved past.

"Wait-your watch." She thrust the watch toward him as he hit the threshold.

Before he could respond, the door slammed behind him-clean,final, no hint of hesitation.

His footsteps echoed down the hallway, leaden and unsteady,until he emerged into the dim parking garage.

Derek had barely made it out of the car when a voice rang out from the elevator lobby, halting Vincent in his tracks.