Chapter 360

Claude understood perfectly-there was no way he could take Hannah away this time. That was why he'd stepped forward deliberately,challenging Vincent head-on-he wanted Hannah to see it with her own eyes,to remember forever how much he was willing to bleed for her. Even as Vincent's men's blows rained down,he had kept fighting back, every strike carrying raw defiance and devotion. That was love-unyielding,reckless, and absolute, all there for her to see.

Vincent, on the other hand, had only pushed her further with his cruelty. The harsher he treated her now, the less chance she'd ever forgive him once she broke free.

Thus, in a way, Vincent was helping Claude, driving her heart further from Vincent.

So what if the wedding was interrupted? Claude never cared about pomp or ceremony. What he craved was Hannah's heart, wholly and irrevocably his. A Hannah Scott who would never look at Vincent Jones with anything but fear and loathing.

···

Meanwhile, Hannah was taken back into the confines of her suite

The massive steel door creaked open with a menacing weight.

Vincent shoved her inside, the force of it knocking her forward until her knees buckled and she.crashed onto the thick carpet.

He lingered at the threshold, rainwater dripping from his soaked shirt, the fabric clinging to every line of muscle. The tension radiating from him filled the room, heavy and suffocating.

With slow, deliberate movements, he undid the buttons of his shirt and advanced on her, each step landing like a warning.

Hannah scrambled upright, spine rigid as she locked eyes with him."What now? Going to force yourself on me again? Just like before?" Her voice trembled but carried defiance.

No reply came. His silence was sharper than any retort. Instead, his hand clamped around her arm, dragging her toward the shower adjoining the bedroom.

The sudden pull sent her stumbling into the frosted glass door. She barely caught herself, palms flat against the slick surface, breath shuddering.

Before she could gather her thoughts, the hiss of running water filled the space. A torrent of spray hit her,soaking her hair, her clothes, her skin.

Then, his shadow fell over her. He leaned in, lips crushing hers with raw, punishing force. It wasn't a kiss-it was an act of possession, primal and desperate, a storm breaking loose with no words left to give.

Vincent's mouth crashed against hers, a brutal claim rather than a kiss, water cascading down and sealing her in his suffocating hold. His force was relentless; every movement meant to brand her as his, as if declaring without words that she belonged to him-utterly, inescapably, without exception.

Her vision blurred behind the sheet of rushing water. She tried to wrench herself free, but he slammed her wrist flat against the slick tiles with effortless strength, pinning her like prey.

A muffled whimper slipped from her throat, trembling against his lips.

Vincent's other hand roamed, unyielding, its path refusing to stop. His hand, searing against her damp skin,slid over her waist with urgent pressure. Without stopping, it pressed into her private parts.

"Ah!" Hannah flinched, a shiver racing through her as her body reacted against her will.

He then lifted one of her legs and took her, pressing her firmly against the wall with unrelenting force.

The icy tiles bit into her fevered skin while steaming water poured down relentlessly from above.

The air grew thick with heat and panic. His touch was rough, his kiss unyielding, each move meant to overpower rather than soothe.

Shallow, ragged breaths tangled with her muffled sobs,filling the narrow space until it felt like the walls themselves were closing in.

The steam thickened around them until the world itself seemed to dissolve.

Time slipped away, unmeasured, before Vincent finally carried Hannah out of the shower.

He set her carefully on the bed, though her body turned instinctively away, eyes pressed shut in silent rejection.

Hovering close, his voice rasped with a raw edge. "Burn this into your head-don't you dare run again. Each time you try, I'll break that thought with punishment until the day you no longer dare."

With nothing more to say, he strode off without a backward glance.

The echo of his heavy steps trailed off beyond the door.

Hannah slowly opened her eyes. Of course, she would find a way to slip away again. Next time, she would run farther-far enough that his shadow could never catch her again.

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The days that followed glided past in an eerie calm.

The only disruption came with her sudden period, a turn that unsettled Vincent and briefly derailed his cold determination to force her into motherhood.

That night, Hannah lay restless, her lower abdomen aching faintly while her mind spun through endless calculations.

In the hush of the darkened room, the door creaked open without a sound.

A tall silhouette slipped inside, every line of it achingly familiar. It was none other than Vincent. He didn't bother wvith the lights. Only the pale spill of moonlight guided him as he moved quietly toward the bed.

Hannah squeezed her eyes shut and slowed her breathing, feigning sleep. The weight of his stare pressed on her, lingering with unsettling patience.

Then, with a surprising softness, he tugged back the blanket's edge and eased down beside her.

Her entire body went rigid, bracing herself for what might come.

But the anticipated violation never followed. A calloused but strangely gentle hand settled over her belly,

radiating warmth through the thin fabric. Slow, deliberate circles pressed into her skin, awkward yet tender,nothing like the merciless man he had been before.

Hannah kept her eyes shut, acting as though she slept, while the steady rhythm of his palm lulled the edges of her fear.

In the hush of the room, time itself seemed to pause.

Just as her guard began to waver, his husky whisper brushed her ear. "Hannah, could you ever love me again?"

The words were almost swallowed by the dark, but to her, they struck sharper than any blade. And in that fragile, perilous instant, the outline of a perfect escape formed in her mind.