Chapter 293

Hannah's eyes widened with mild shock as she spotted Claude standing in the doorway.

Claude wore just the right amount of surprise on his face, his gaze briefly pausing on Vincent. "Mr. Jones? What a coincidence."

Vincent stood tall, his gaze glacial as he took in Claude's seemingly polite demeanor. "I wouldn't call it a coincidence."

Suddenly, the whole atmosphere felt thick with tension.

Hannah broke the silence by stepping forward and explaining in a calm voice, "Mr. Jones stopped in to check on Alice's condition."

A new look crossed Claude's face, as if everything had just clicked for him, though the smile he gave seemed colder than before.He studied Vincent, tone tinged with something deeper."So that's it. You really are a caring boss, Mr. Jones."

Just as quickly, Claude's tone changed, the words coming out almost too casually. "From what I've heard, Alice was already sent to the hospital. If you're that worried, maybe you should head over there instead." He lowered his voice, making his next statement feel even more pointed. "This is my girlfriend's private lounge. You shouldn't be here."

Hearing the word "girlfriend" made Vincent's features stiffen,and his eyes went cold. A small, cold smile tugged at his mouth."Are you telling me what to do?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes slightly. Apparently, his pressure on the Fontaine Galleria still wasn't getting the results he wanted.

Clanide gritted his teeth, and a muscle jumped in his temple. "L.wauld never presume."

An almost suffocating tension filled the room, and neither man looked willing to step down.

Hannah wasted no time moving forward, subtly positioning herself between them, her body angled protectively toward Claude. "Claude, did you want something from me?"

Immediately, the storm faded from Claude's eyes. He broke into a gentle smile, and his gaze softened as it met hers. "Ah.almost forgot."

A beautifully wrapped crystal box appeared in his hands. Inside,he revealed a bouquet of preserved roses with tiny diamnonds glinting among the petals. "A small present to celebrate your successful show," he said, eyes warm and sincere.

Surprise widened Hannah's eyes, and a smile formed on her lips.

"Thank you, Claude. This is beautiful. I really appreciate it."

Claude came closer and reached up to smooth a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a gentle touch.

Vincent took in the tender gesture, his jaw tightening and his eyes growing colder by the second. What made it even harder to accept was how Hannah offered no resistance. She did not push Claude away. She did not object to his touch. She almost seemed to lean into it, nervous but letting him get close.

Heat flickered in Vincent's gaze, but he dragged his eyes away As he turned to leave, his gaze fell on her feet. Her slender right ankle had a visible scrape-like it had been rubbed raw by the heeL

He let his eyes rest on the injury for a couple of seconds. A shadow crossed his face, making his thoughts unreadable.

Claude took notice right away. With one swift,purposeful step.

Claude took notice right away. With one swift, purposeful step,he moved into Vincent's line of sight and chimed in firmly, "Mr.Jones,isn't it time for you to leave?"

Hannah turned her eyes to Vincent.

That pulled Vincent out of his thoughts, and he jerked hisgaze away. Not sparing another glance at anyone, he spun on his heel and walked off, every step brisk and purposeful.

Reaching the end of the backstage hallway, Vincent paused,raised his hand, and summoned his bodyguard. He spoke in a short, firm tone. "Find the nearest pharmacy. Pick up sterile cotton swabs, an antiseptic spray, and waterproof bandages."

His bodyguard hesitated, surprised by the odd request.Vincent never bothered with small details like this. Still, the answer came swiftly. "Yes." With that, he hurried away.

Vincent remained where he was, his eyebrows pulled together and his fingers rubbing absently at the wedding ring on his finger. He could not shake the image of that scraped and swollen ankle, which only made his restlessness grow worse.

Within minutes, the bodyguard was back, holding out a neatly packed paper bag.

Vincent took it, giving the package a gentle squeeze. He did not let his face show anything and silently turned to head straight for Hannah's lounge. Once he got there, he found the door ajar, not fully closed.

Claude's gentle voice floated from inside, full of genuine worry."Take a look-your skin's broken and bleeding. Did you not realize it?"

Through the slim opening in the door, Vincent had a perfect view of everything that was happening.

There was Claude, kneeling right in front of Hannah.

Hannah sat on a chair, her right foot slightly raised.

Claude was cradling her heel with one hand, while using the other to gently dab a cotton pad-soaked in antiseptic-against the scraped skin of her ankle. Every movement was tender.

Her head dipped slightly as she watched what he was doing.Her face showed no tension, no flicker of protest. There was something quiet and yielding in her eyes. Not quite surrender -more like a tired familiarity with being cared for. She stayed still. No recoil. No hesitation. It was as if she was used to this kind of care-as if she'd grown to accept it.

A shadow flickered across Vincent's gaze-gone before it settled. He said nothing. He just turned and walked off.

A sharp thud echoed behind him as he tossed the paper bag into a nearby trash bin-without looking back.