Chapter 275

Hannah dismissed the implication, interpreting Vincent's remark as a casual nod to how seamlessly she'd navigated the fallout. Holding his stare without a trace of faltering, she flashed a polished,boardroom-perfect smile. "Appreciate it. The drama slashed my advertising costs."

To Vincent, the way she said it said everything. So,it was true-she was indeed seeing Claude now... His eyes dimmed ever so slightly.

Hannah was just about to brush past him when Vincent's voice cut in, steady and low. "Regarding your question that evening..."

A brief flutter shot through Hannah's chest. That night, overwhelmed by a tangle of realizations and emotional weight, she had said something wild -"You've fallen in love with me." Now, that careless

remark hung around her like a chain-something she wished she could erase.

Despite her inward fluster, she didn't recoil. Instead,she raised her chin and stared back at Vincent, eyes steady. Her voice held steady, not rising or dipping."At that time, it was too late. I wasn't in the right headspace.Whatever I babbled-it means nothing."

She paused, studying the unreadable depths of his gaze, and then curved her lips into a faint,professional smirk. "Just a meaningless blurt. Let's forget it ever happened."

Without waiting for his response-or even glancing to see how he reacted-she nodded slightly, the way one might acknowledge a polite stranger before leaving. "I won't take up any more of your time. I have another engagement.Excuse me."

Vincent stood in place, watching her retreating figure, his eyes unreadable. The more she tried to brush it off, the sharper her words from that night echoed-so sharp that they lacerated. And seared.And now, she was seeing someone else...

Irritated, he yanked at his collar, loosening the first button.

After the chaos died down, Hannah wasted no time harnessing the tidal wave of buzz triggered by the report's release. At the company's meeting, she delivered a shocker.

"We're ditching the expected route." Her tone climbed with energy, lined with daring boldness."We're launching an all-out lingerie extravaganza-one designed to alter how women's undergarments are seen. I'm naming it... Metamorphosis."

She remained standing at the front of the room, gaze unwavering as she addressed the team, "The report has stabilized things for now, but audiences forget,and buzz dies fast. We just got a blast of unmatched visibility-under terrible timing. That, ironically,makes it golden."

Heads bobbed in cautious agreement, but Douglas Blake, the man in charge of risk and compliance,

raised his voice. "Ms. Scott, this is reckless. You're wagering everything we've got! A lingerie show? We only just scraped off the 'hazardous product' label,and now you're leading us into something this incendiary? Folks will see nothing but a stunt-cheap and desperate."

Hannah's gaze sharpened as it cut to Douglas. Her words were sharp and unshaken. "Mr. Blake, risk management isn't about talk. Right now, you don't even have a report backing your claim. Your objections carry no weight."

She stood tall, palms anchored to the table, her presence commanding. "Caution at this point doesn't eliminate risk and still reeks of guilt. What I want is to ride this wave and rise. And as for the controversy over a lingerie show..."

Her lips twitched into a razor-thin smirk, radiating absolute control. "Let them talk. I'm here to upend this field."

Douglas flushed with indignation and slammed his hand on the table. "If Mr. Wade were still around,

he'd never sign off on something this reckless. You pushed him to that remote international assignment -do you honestly believe he wanted to go?"

Hannah slammed a folder onto the table.

The sharp thud silenced the room.

She stared Douglas down without flinching, her voice rising. "Felix's redeployment was an executive decision-and completely within my jurisdiction.You're in charge of risk and compliance, and act like one. Ten minutes. I want a first draft of an emergency mitigation plan on my desk. Bring answers. Not whining. Not speculation."

Her voice sank into ice. "And if you can't deliver, then step down. I don't keep dead weight on my team."

The tension in the room turned crushing.

Without casting anyone a look, Hannah declared her decision, "Seven days from now, the Metamorphosis lingerie showcase will premiere at the Verris Contemporary Arts Hall. Alice Dubois will beour

closing model. I'll secure her myself. That's final."

As Hannah left the room with measured steps, a voice murmured, "Isn't Alice almost impossible to sign? Think Ms. Scott can actually land her?"