Chapter 392

Within days of Vincent regaining consciousness and finding his voice again, Hannah's foundation in Dorbarrow-Luminara Group-came under a brutal, coordinated assault.

It started with major partners walking away from contracts.Deals unraveled overnight, penalties enforced under obscure clauses, negotiations stalled without warning.

Next came the banks. Credit ratings suddenly downgraded Loans frozen. Suppliers crowding the headquarters, demanding overdue payments.

Then, as if someone had sounded a whistle, waves of"surprise inspections" followed-tax authorities, commerce regulators,environmental officers. The company scrambled to keep up,stretched thin on every side. Fear spread through the core team;morale fractured.Headhunters circled, poaching top talent with offers that were impossible to refuse.

And then-the final strike. Competing products poured into the market, near replicas of Luminara Group's core technologies,priced deliberately to undercut. The funding behind them seemed endless. Someone had orchestrated every move.

In just two weeks, Luminara Group's stock collapsed. Market share vanished. Cash flow teetered on the edge.

Headlines filled the newsfeed: "Luminara Under Siege-Shadow Capital Forces Crash the Stock." "Founder Hannah Scott Missing Amid Alleged Fund Diversion." "Is Luminara About to Change Hands?"

Vincent's message was clear. He was dismantling everything Hannah had built, piece by piece. He wanted her cornered. He Hannah had built, piece by piece. He wanted her cornered. He wanted to force her back to Dorbarrow-his turf, his orbit, his control.

Watching one grim alert after another flash across her phone,Hannah's eyes hardened, a cold resolve settling in. "This can't go on..." she murmured.

Claude stood beside her, his voice low but tense. "This is Vincent's move. He's forcing you out. Hannah, if this continues,Luminara Group won't survive. He's cutting straight to the root."

Hannah turned to him, her expression steady, almost unnervingly calm. "You're right. This can't keep up."

She placed her phone down carefully and then lifted her gaze,sharp and unwavering. "That's why," she said, voice cool and firm, "I've decided to sell Luminara Group."

Claude froze, suspecting he had misheard. "Sell it? Hannah,are you serious? That company is your life's work. You built it from nothing. You'd just-give it up?"

Shock ran through him, his voice rising despite himself.

But Hannah's lips curved, not in defeat, but in a faint, icy smile that carried the weight of control. "Of course, I'm not giving it up," she said quietly. "I'm not really selling it." Her eyes locked on his, her voice low, deliberate, edged with intent. "I'm going to 'sell' Luminara Group to myself."

Victoria Hale, her alternate identity, was poised to take action.

Claude's brows drew tight, confusion written clearly across his face.

"Vincent is targeting Luminara Group for one reason only,"Hannah continued, calm and precise. "He believes it's my lifeline-my one weakness. But..." She paused, her voice carrying a cutting edge. " If Luminara She paused, her voice carrying a cutting edge. "If luminara Group no longer 'belongs' to Hannah Scott, and if nothing ties me to it anymore... if, on paper, control shifts to an untouchable powerhouse named Victoria Hale, would Vincent keep burning resources on a war he can't win?"

Her gaze lifted, cool and final. "He won't. The siege will become pointless. By then, Luminara Group will walk free."

Hannah crossed to her desk, unlocked a reinforced cabinet, and swung it open. Inside lay a single file, perfectly aligned. Beside it rested a gleaming signet seal. The seal bore one name,etched in sweeping script: Victoria Hale.

"Luminara Group changes hands," she said softly, brushing her fingertips across the metal crest. Her eyes hardened. "Hannah Scott steps aside. From this moment on, Luminara Group answers only to Victoria. And when that happens, Vincent loses every trail to me."

Claude stared at the seal, his confusion giving way to shock."You're Victoria?"

He was aware of the name, of course. The entire industry did.Years ago, a figure called Victoria Hale had appeared out of nowhere, a strategist who'd carved through the female security tech market with ruthless precision. She'd launched groundbreaking products, crushed competitors, and then disappeared-leaving only rumors in her wake.

Claude's disbelief ebbed, replaced by something heavier.Admiration. Respect. And under it, something he struggled to contain-an almost magnetic pull toward her.

"You have my word," he said, steady and firm. "I'll bring in every Hobbes contact, every resource, to make this seamless.Vincent won't find a single thread to tug." His eyes shone,fierce with resolution.

Hannah turned to him, meeting his gaze. Her voice was quiet, Hannah turned to him, meeting his gaze. Her voice was quiet,

but it carried weight. "Claude, you can't appear in this."