Chapter 316

Vincent turned to look at Hannah, uncertainty flickering in his eyes-he didn't seem sure which incident she was pointing to. They had faced so much together that it was hard to keep track. He kept his voice calm and even. "Which time do you mean?"

Hannah held his gaze. "Your grandmother's birthday. The day I was kidnapped."

She remembered how she had been dragged off by·a group of men. In a panic, she'd hit the emergency button on her wristband. That alert had gone straight to Vincent. What she hadn't known, up until now, was whether he had indeed come for her.

A shadow passed through Vincent's eyes as the memory surfaced. He gave a quiet nod. "I did." She had disappeared from the hotel room he'd arranged for her soon after, but at least she hadn't been harmed.

The truth brought Hannah to a standstill. So when she managed to get away, it was Vincent who had found her-the one who had brought her to the hotel where she eventually woke up. All this time, she'd figured her captors had just moved her somewhere else. Now she realized that, beneath all the chaos and confusion, he had been the one to keep her safe.

A rush of mixed feelings stirred inside her-complicated, hard to name, and not something she was ready to unpack. She stayed quiet for a long moment.

Vincent noticed her change immediately, his words laced with curiosity.′′What's going on? Why bring it up now?"

Her thoughts snapped back. She forced down whatever she was feeling and answered, "It's nothing."

At that moment, Jason McCrae, one of the plainclothes officers, spoke up, his tone serious, pulling the focus back to the mission. "Ms. Scott, Mr. Jones, we still have zero intel on what's happening inside that plant. It's dangerous to go in without more information."

Graham Kent, the other officer, chimed in right away, "We've already flagged your intel to the task force.A tactical team is gearing up now. The safest move is to hold our position and let you provide support from the edge of the scene. That's the best way to keep everyone safe."

Hannah inhaled deeply, pushing back against their caution. "We've come this far for a reason. Someone needs to step in and see what's really going on. We won't be careless-we know what we're doing."

There was finality in her voice. Turning to Vincent, she added, "We're not taking any wild chances. If anything feels wrong, we're out of there immediately."

Vincent kept his eyes locked on the dim outline of the factory, silent, his whole body tense with focus.

The officers exchanged a look, recognizing it was pointless to argue further. They simply repeated their instructions, voices firm with concern.

Both Hannah and Vincent handed their phones to Jason for safekeeping.

From his bag, V/incent pulled out a spare phone and handed it to Hannah.

Just as they were ready to move toward the building, Hannah's phone lit up unexpectedly.

Jason remarked, "You've got a call, Ms. Scott. Claude's name is on the screen."

Instantly, Vincent's face darkened.

A faint crease appeared between Hannah's brows. After a quick moment of indecision, she answered,keeping her voice steady. "Claude?"

His reply came across warm, gentle, and familiar. "Hannah, where are you? I just dropped by Nova Tech but the front desk said you stepped out."

She glanced toward the factory as she replied, "I'm handling some things offsite."

Claude's tone stayed easy but hinted at something more. "If you're able, let me know your location. I've got new developments to share. I'd like to talk face-to-face. It's about the one who set you up."

Hannah and Vincent exchanged a sharp glance. Could there really be another lead?

"You've found something as well?" Her tone sharpened, all business. Claude let a heavy pause hang in the air before finally answering, "Yes. I think I've identified the person behind Miss Dubois' allergic reaction."

Those words hit Hannah with the force of a sudden storm. If Alice's allergy and the fire at VelaCore weren't orchestrated by the same people, then they were chasing two different threats.

A new sense of dread settled over Hannah. Claude's discovery was too important to dismiss. But she was already standing outside the factory, and if there was proof to be found here, this wasn't the time to walk away.

She took a steadying breath and replied with crisp urgency, "Claude, that's a critical lead. Thank you."

Keeping her tone light,'she continued, "Please take everything straight to the police. They need to move on it right away. Things here are tense-I'll reach out again as soon as possible."

Claude tried to push for more, sensing something was off. "What could possibly be more urgent-"

At that moment, Vincent stepped right beside Hannah, standing so close that their arms nearly brushed. His voice dropped to a commanding tone. "WVe're going."

The words carried through the line. A second later, Hannah ended the call.

Claude stood frozen, stunned by the realization that Vincent was with her. His hand clenched tight around his phone, veins standing out sharply across his skin.