Chapter 273

Hannah couldn'tignore the cost Claude was paying for this "relationship announcement." For a man in his position-his every move dissected by the public -even pretending came with a heavy price. The rumors alone would hound him for weeks, if not months.

A sharp twist of unease ran through her. She softened her tone. "You didn't have to go this far for me. It's really not fairto you." After all, it had pulled him right into the center of a public firestorm-staking his reputation to shield hers.

On the other end, Claude clicked his tongue,his voice teasing. "Come on, think of it as doing me a solid-now l've got an excuse to shake off those unwanted admirers."

He stretched out the words with mock frustration."You have no idea how many women keep trying

their luck. It's really annoying. Now they'll finally back off." After all, not just anyone could compare to Hannah.

Hearing Claude joke like this again, Hannah was swept back to their childhood days, nostalgia curling around her like a warm breeze. A soft, unguarded laugh escaped her lips-unexpected, lifting the weight of the past days in one breath.

Claude caught the sound instantly, his tone turning brighter, almost relieved. "You've really been through the wringer lately."

The glowing headline on her screen still blared her name. Determination flickered in her eyes. "If things turn out right, that's all I care about."

She fixed her gaze on the screen, voice measured and fierce. "Claude, I've got a new strategy."

Energy crackled in her voice as she reveled in the surge of momentum, eyes glued to the analytics screen where the numbers soared higher with each passing second.

Across town, sunlight spilled over the opulent apartment.

Erica had just hurled a crystal ornament against the wall, exploding into glittering shards.

Reflected in the cold bolue glow of her screen, a tidal wave of praise for Hannah's livestream swept across the internet. The very smear campaign she'd engineered-meant to derail Hannah's new brand-had been completely overpowered by a forceful counterwave.

A bitter sneer twisted Erica's lips. "What a bunch of incompetents!" she snapped, voice chillingly even."Can't even pull off a basic job."

The so-called professionals she'd paid to sabotage Hannah hadn't just failed-they'd handed that bitch an opportunity to ride the chaos straight to ev/en greater popularity.

Sure, Erica had caught the trending headline of the

relationship announcement linking Claude and Hannah. She'd scrolled through that post over and over,picking apart every carefully chosen word in the caption that had now gone viral.

A sly scoff escaped her as she dragged a fingertip across Claude's image, eyes narrowing. "So that slut really clawed her way up and snagged the Hobbes family's golden boy,huh?"

Still, a nagging question gnawed at her-why hadn't Vincent made a move? Did he not care about Hannah anymore? It made sense. They were already divorced. They had no right to meddle in each other's affairs anymore.

"Great. If she's with Claude now, maybe she'll finally leave Vincent alone." A faint, calculating smile curved Erica's lips.

Despite the years she'd spent away, she'd never stopped bracing herself as Vincent's future wife.Years of her life had vanished into endless etiquette lessons, business textbooks, and a meticulous catalog of Vincent's every like and quirk.

More than that, she'd quietly funneled money through a string of shadowy factories-places that never saw a profit because their real purpose was to launder cash and provide safe havens for covert meetings with "friends" best left unnamed. Basked in Sharon's generous funding, she'd kept her sprawling spy network humming and indulged in opulent comforts.

All of it fueled a singular obsession-she dreamed that one day, she could step into the spotlight beside Vincent, not as a shadow, but as his rightful wife.

Now,Hannah-her most persistent rival-had been neatly sidelined, cut out of the running in a way even she hadn't anticipated. As Claude's girlfriend,Hannah would finally keepo to her place.

Days of bitter envy and buried resentment at last found a crack to seep through, and Erica let it surface, icy and triumphant.

Claude's relationship with Hannah had erased any hope of Hannah ever crawling back to Vincent-exactly the outcome Erica needed.

With her biggest rival out of the way, Erica figured she finally stood on the threshold of everything she'd schemed for-the title of Mrs. Jones. And she couldn't afford to leave a single loose end. Those three useless pawns? She couldn't risk them running their mouths.

A new chill crept into her gaze, one that glittered with icy, lethal intent. She plucked a burner phone from her desk drawer, her fingers moving with unhurried precision, and dialed a number unlisted in any contacts.

The line connected almost instantly-one of her so-called "friends" at the factory.

The call was picked up almost instantly.

"They've been caught. Take care of them-no loose ends," Erica murmured, her voice silk-smooth and terrifyingly serene.

On the other end, there was a pause before a cold,professional reply came. "Understood. In a place like prison, it's easy enough to make accidents happen."

She ended the call and set the phone aside with a flick of her wrist. The sharp clap of her hands sliced through the quiet. From the shadows of the bedroom, a man in a blindfold emerged, obedient and silent.

Without hesitation, Erica settled into his lap, her movements unhurried and intimate. Leaning close,she traced his jaw with her fingertip and whispered,"Vincent, kiss me."