Chapter 279

"I've got a faster method," Hannah said, lifting a brow with smooth certainty.

Vincent's stare paused for a moment, his eyes flickering with something unreadable as he stared directly back at her.

A quiet, confident smirk curled faintly at Hannah's mouth's edge.

She dropped her gaze and then promptly retrieved her phone from the polished handbag resting beside her.With a brisk motion, she tapped a contact.The name appeared. Claude.

Vincent's jaw tightened.

Without hesitation, she activated speaker mode right in front of Vincent.

"Hannah." Claude's recognizable voice came through

the line.

"Claude?" Her cadence was steady and formal."Hope I'm not intruding. I've just wrapped the project review and wanted to pitch some thoughts your way."

She purposely avoided glancing at Vincent, ignoring the heated tension swelling beside her.

Claude's resonant voice came through with its usual authority and calm. "Trouble with the project?"

"For the finale, I'm thinking of scrapping the traditional fixed runway poses. What do you think?"Hannah responded crisply. "The snag is, the motion-responsive lighting needs high-end technical backing, and our syncing with the vendor remains rocky. It's been giving me a bit of a headache."

"Then don't push it. I'll swing by after your shift."After a slight pause, he added, his voice laced with a trace of inquiry, "Your parents are out this evening.How about a date between you and me?"

That one word-date-caught Hannah slightly off

guard. A flash of surprise sparked in her gaze. After merely a few exchanges, he'd delivered exactly the cue she wanted. She turned to meet Vincent's gaze,locking onto his reaction.

Date. That word struck Vincent like a blade. He wouldn't allow it.

The frustration inside Vincent's chest exploded in an instant. He moved fast-one long stride brought him right in front of her. No pause. No warning. Hannah didn't get the chance to dodge.

Both his hands cupped her face tightly, fingers pressing into the softness of her cheeks, blocking any chance for her to turn away.

And then, his head dipped down, and his mouth crashed onto hers with razor precision.

"Mmph-" Her startled gasp was smothered beneath the force of his kiss.

Her phone remained clenched tightly in her grasp.The call was still active on speaker.

Claude's voice continued casually, "Feeling any cravings? What sounds good for dinner?"

And in the backdrop of that question, the office filled with obscene, unmistakably intimate noises-tongues tangling, lips squelching, teeth grazing.

Hannah's muffled protests escaped in soft gasps,her breath snagged in her throat.

Vincent's breathing turned hoarse and ragged, every exhale steeped in dominating anger.

Each movement-every moan, every exhalation-was caught by the phone and delivered straight to Claude.

On the other end, silence settled in.

The realization hit Hannah. The call hadn't ended. As her fingers reached out to terminate it, Vincent noticed. He didn't like her wandering focus. The fact that her attention was still partially on Claude sharpened the menace in his features.

In one fluid motion, Vincent cupped her face tighter

and yanked the phone from her grasp with his other hand,tossing it away.

The screen landed face-up. The speaker was still on.The call hadn't ended.

"Let him hear this." Before the last syllable left his lips, Vincent dove in again, mouth crashing harder onto hers with ruthless hunger.

The kiss turned savage. Their mouths collided, teeth scraping, the faint taste of blood joining the mix.Sloppy, wet, ravenous noises echoed throughout the office-each one crystal clear through the microphone.

Claude heard every sound. Hannah was with Vincent.And he was kissing her?

Claude's grip tightened around his device. Without another comment, he stood and immediately headed for the Jones Group.

Back in the office, ragged gasps and slick, vulgar smacks of mouth on mouth still lingered in the

charged air.

"Enough!" Snapping out of the haze, Hannah tried to shove Vincent away with all her strength.

His hold eased just a fraction, allowing their lips to part enough for ragged air to rush in. Their panting collided between them.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Crimson bloomed across her face from oxygen deprivation. She wiped her lips roughly with her thumb. "Vincent, I believe your feelings are clear now."

She jabbed a finger toward him, tone clipped and pointed. "You're jealous. You kissed me. That confirms it-it didn't take thirty days at all."

Vincent stood there, breathing hard, gaze locked on her.

Hannah gathered her breath. Her stare regained that lethal sharpness she brought into every pitch meeting, like nothing had just happened. "So, Mr.Jones," she said coolly, "when exactly will you keep