Chapter 314

Hannah stopped at the doorway, turning around with deliberate calm. "Officer Mercer said I'm free to go."

A sharp note rang out in Daphne's voice. "Why? You're a criminal-how can they let you leave?"

"Naturally, it was because I'm innocent." Hannah's words were even and steady, ringing out in the quiet hallway.

Panic swept over Daphne's face in an instant. The truth hit her-Hannah was actually leaving. What was she supposed to do now?

"Then let me out, too!" Daphne cried out, her voice cracking. "I want to leave!"

A faint, cool smile tugged at Hannah's lps as she looked over Daphne's tangled, desperate state. "You? No,you're staying." She shook her head slightly, her tone detached and cold. "You're a key witness. You're not going anywhere."

Anxiety etched itself across Daphne's face; she needed to reach Erica fast.

Hannah, meanwhile, had agreed to surveillance by plainclothes officers and worked out a deal with Gavin,which secured her bail. That was how she'd walked out. Now she planned to make her release as public as possible, drawing attention to her innocence. Whoever was behind all this would soon be feeling the pressure.

Elsewhere,Erica slipped into a smoky blue dress, one of Hannah'sfavorites, after hearing about Hannah's trip to the police station. She waited anxiously for word that Hannah would be found guilty.

With a distant look in her eyes, Erica gazed at Logan and murmured, "Vincent, is this really your taste?"

Logan gave a slow nod, mimicking Vincent's every move.

Erica leaned in, her red lips almost grazing Logan's mouth when- Buzz... Her encrypted phone, carelessly left on the armrest, began to vibrate twice in quick succession. The screen lit up, flashing a codename.

Instantly, Erica stopped, her expression cooling as all flirtation faded away. Irritated, she snatched up the phone and swiped to read the message.

One glance at her subordinate's report sent a chill through her, wiping out any hint of romance. "Boss,Daphne just said Hannah's out! She's asking what to do next. She even threatened-she said if you don't step in, she'Il reveal everything!"

Caution was Erica's specialty; she had always made sure Daphne only had her subordinate's number.Daphne believed she was texting Erica, but it was only a middleman.

Bang! A sudden, piercing crash split the air. Erica had slammed her wine glass down on the coffee table,shattering it to pieces.

"Useless idiot!" Erica spat, shooting to her feet, her face twisted by sudden rage.

"Hannah... Hannah!" Grinding out the name, Erica's fury boiled over. She had planned every move, had all the evidence lined up, yet Hannah still slipped away.How was that possible?

After only a moment's pause, Erica collected herself and called her subordinate's encrypted line, her instructions crisp and urgent. "Listen to me. Do whatever it takes to calm Daphne down." Daphne's reckless mouth could ruin everything.

Erica continued with a sharp urgency, "Go find the person who's collaborated with Daphne on that surveillance footage. Make sure the police discover him naturally, but stay careful. Offer him twice the original payment. Tell him if he dares to leak a word, he knows the consequences. As for the phone Daphne has reached out to, destroy it immediately. Take it apart, break the chip, and soak it in acid. Make sure nothing's left. The police will probably start tracking Daphne soon."

Hiding in the shadows, she could not risk being found out.

"Understood," her subordinate replied without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Hannah had wrapped up a tense, short meeting. The falling lines on the Nova Tech and Polaris Tech stock charts flashed on the monitor, each dip drawing anxious glances.

Vincent's message arrived suddenly."Want to talk?"

A small frown appeared on Hannah's face. Memories of their last conversation were still too sharp, so she typed back plainly. "Everything that needed to be said has already been said. There's nothing more to discuss between us."

She was about to block his number again when his next reply landed."This isn't about us. I have important information on who's setting you up."

She hesitated for a second and then wrote."My office."

Not even ten minutes after Hannah put her phone aside, Vincent's tall figure filled the doorway to her office.

His eyes, cold and searching, darted to the two unfamiliar men behind her, men who pretended to read magazines in the corner, but whose alert posture gave them away.

"Must be nice, Ms. Scott, having all this company in your office," Vincent remarked as he walked closer,his tone even but carrying an edge.

Hannah met his level stare, explaining tersely, "The police assigned them. They're here to keep lines of communication open." She wasted no time. "Let's get to the point. What leads did you want to share, Mr.Jones?"