Chapter 296

In a quiet corner of a café, Miles gave his coffee a gentle stir. After setting his spoon down with a faint clink,he released a quiet sigh. "I owe you an apology,Ms. Scott."

His eyes settled on Hannah's calm expression. "My sister acted recklessly and caused you a lot of trouble."

Hannah lifted her cup and took a sip. She didn't avoid the subject-her voice remained steady as she met his gaze and nodded. "Yes, your sister did cause me quite a great deal of trouble."

She paused only briefly before adding, "Still, I accept your apology, Mr. Whitaker."

Her directness caught Miles off guard. When their eyes met again, his eyes softened with the budding appreciation for her honesty. "I thought you'd just tell me about you being unfazed or something like that."

Placing her cup on the table, Hannah met his gaze, her lips curving with the hint of a smile. "Working wvith someone like you, I don't think there's any reason to waste time on empty courtesies."

Something in her frankness resonated wih him. Leaning back, he looked out the window at the busy street,lost for a moment in thought. His words came out softer, almost as if confessing to himself. "Daphne was spoiled. That's on me."

A deep breath steadied him before he continued, "My dad died young, so my mother had to raise me and Daphne alone. Daphne was a considerate kid back then, right up until something happened..."

Regret colored his features as he recalled the past. "She changed after that."

Hannah listened quietly, saying nothing.

"Impulsiveness and recklessness took over," Miles remarked, his tone more serious now. A wry smile crossed his lips. "Over,the years, as long as her mistakes weren't too serious or illegal, I kept cleaning up for her. And I ended up spoiling her even more."

He leaned forward, his tone firm. "But I still believe she isn't a bad person."

Hannah said nothing. After a while, she raised her head and locked eyes with him. She posed the most crucial question. "Mr. Whitaker, by explaining all of this, are you trying to tell me that Daphne had nothing to do with what happened to Alice?" She leaned forward slightly, her voice measured.

Miles answered right away, "Yes. It wasn't Daphne's doing. That's not something she's capable of."

Hannah took a moment to study his face. She thought back to Daphne's terrified expression when she was taken,away, to the way she'd reacted when confronted-it hadn't looked like an act.

After sipping her coffee again, Hannah finally broke the silence."To be honest, I don't believe it was her either."

So many strange things had happened all at once-from the abrupt fire to Alice's allergic reaction.Everything seemed tangled together, as if someone wanted to stop her store from ever opening.

A flash of surprise appeared in Miles's eyes when he heard her say that. A soft laugh escaped him."I thought you'd hate Daphne."

After all, Daphne had never tried to hide her dislike for Hannah-she went so far as to wreck Hannah's makeup room and almost ruined the entire show.

Hannah's eyebrow arched ever so slightly. With a playful glint in her eyes and the hint of a smile, she replied,"Do you honestly see me as the kind of person who'd let emotion get the better part of them?"

The gentle teasing eased the tension that had lingered between them.

Miles looked a little taken aback by her response. He studied her clear, steady gaze before giving a slight shake of his head. "I guess I misjudged you."

Sincerity colored every word.

Their eyes met, and a brief, unspoken smile passed between them.

Miles set down his cup; feeling unexpectedly more relaxed.

Thinking of the video he'd watched the night before, he spoke, his voice carrying genuine praise. "I caught the closing walk at Metamorphosis. It was incredible."

Hannah accepted his compliment with grace. "Thank you."

A moment later, she added, "And I appreciated the flowers you sent. They were lovely."

Miles kept his eyes on hers, though another image pushed its way to the front of his mind-Claude by her side at last night's event. His own company's recent troubles meant that most of what he knew about Hannah came from news articles and internet posts.

Miles hesitated for a second before speaking, trying to sound casual, though there was a curiosity he could not quite hide. "Claude Hobbes... People keep talking about you and him online. Is he really your boyfriend?"

Hannah's easy smile slipped just a little. She met his gaze and replied, "How long has it been since we sat down and had a nice conversation, Mr. Whitaker? You're actually here gossiping about my relationships now?"