Chapter 302

In the end, Hannah couldn't bring herseIf to turn Claude down. She finished the discharge paperwork in a rush and drove Claude back to his place.

She'd.never been to Claude's house before.

When the car rolled to a stop, Hannah stepped out and carefully helped Claude to his feet.

Waiting outside the mansion, a butler immediately approached, ready to lend a hand. "Are you alright,Mr.Hobbes? Do you need any-"

Claude shook his head, brushing off the offer with a gentle smile and leaning in closer to Hannah. "No need.Anna's got me covered."

Assuming Claude just felt more comfortable with her, Hannah supported him inside, guiding him through the front doors.

She helped Claude settle onto the big leather sofa in the living room.

The butler silently brought over a glass of water and set down some medicine on the table.

Worry flickered across Hannah's face as she crouched down by the sofa. "Claude, is your stomach hurting again?"

"No, I'm quite happy," Claude replied, reclining into the sofa, seemingly more relaxed.

His eyes drifted to the living room clock. It was already past midnight.

He withdrew his gaze and, as if naturally, reached out to gently hold Hannah's hand as she was about to pull it back. "It's late, Anna," he murmured, voice low. "Why don't you just stay the night?"

For a moment, Hannah hesitated, uncertainty flickering across her face."I really shouldn't... I have my car and can drive myself home. It's okay, really," she replied softly."But I'm the one who's recovering, remember?" Claude countered, his voice laced with that particular blend of playful insistence and entitled charm. "Patients get special privileges. My call."

"But really, it's not convenient at all. Besides, I..." Hannah started to protest, about to say she hadn't brought a change of clothes or how staying over might look. But the way Claude looked at her, so hopeful, made her second-guess voicing her concerns.

"There's nothing inconvenient about it!" Claude seized the moment of her hesitation to make the decision for her. "Listen to me, it's settled! Butler!"

The butler, who'd been quietly waiting in the background, stepped forward with practiced grace. "Yes, Mr.Hobbes?"

"Prepare the nicest guest room now! Treat it like the master bedroom! Actually, go clean up the one at the end of the hall, with the big balcony. Put fresh velvet bedding on the bed, the set from the last auction that hasn't been used yet. Get the humidifier going." His instructions came out rapid-fire, each order crisp and precise, sounding nothing like a patient recovering from illness.

"At once, Mr. Hobbes." The butler gave a short bow and hurried off to carry out the preparations.

With everything handled, Claude shot Hannah a smug, satisfied look, leaving her no room to argue. She could only sigh and accept the situation. It was just one night, she reassured herself. No big deal.

Finding a moment of quiet, Hannah sat beside Claude and pulled out her phone to text her parents about her change of plans.

Unlocking her screen, she was immediately greeted by a news flash-"Jones Group Shuts Down Hotels Across the Country!"

Confused, she tapped to read more. What was Vincent doing now? He'd always been decisive, but this was the first time she'd seen him take such a risky approach in business.

Then, her eyes widened, her phone displayed "33 missed calls," all from Vincent. Only then did she remember: she was supposed to meet Vincent for dinner tonight.

She glanced at the time. Seven-thirty! Now, the clock had crept well past midnight. Nearly four hours had slipped away!

On instinct, Hannah hit redial, holding her phone tightly to her ear. One ring. Two. Straight to voicemail.

Hannah hesitated and then decided not to call again. Vincent disliked being kept waiting. She remembered a time a client had arrived just ten minutes late, and Vincent had canceled a billion-dollar deal without hesitation. There was no way he'd still be waiting around for her.

She decided to find an opportunity to apologize. One missed call wasn't worth agonizing over. After all the stress she'd endured over little things, she owed herself some peace. She had suffered enough from overthinking in the past.

A surprising calm settled over Hannah as she set her phone down. She slowly lowered the hand holding the phone.

Claude, watching her closely, picked up on her mood. He asked, as if he didn't know about the missed dinner arrangement between her and Vincent, "Is something bothering you? Did something happen?"

Hannah mustered a small smile. "It's nothing serious."

Just then, the butler returned to announce that the guest room was ready.

Feeling drained, Hannah let Claude know she was turning in for the night.

The butler stepped aside with quiet respect as Claude rose from the sofa, loosening the top buttons of his shirt. "Is everything in order?" he asked.

With a polite bow, the butler replied,"A∥is prepared exactly as you requested."