Chapter 488

Hannah tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. "What did I say?"

She was playing the fool, pretending not to understand.

"The part where you told me to seduce Erica. Are you trying to push me toward her?" Vincent seized her hand and pressed it against his chest, where his breath rose and fell like storm-tossed waves.

His voice was grave, his gaze unwaveing. "Can't you feel it?My heart is beating only for you!"

Beneath her palm, his chest burned like a furnace, his heartbeat thundering like a war drum.

Hannah's hand was trapped in his firm grasp, impossible to pull away. Her fingertips curled ever so slightly, and for a fleeting instant, a ripple flickered in her eyes-only to vanish, hidden beneath a calm surface.

Looking up, she met his deep stare, and with a playful lilt,she countered, "With your heart racing like that, are you sure it isn't just anger?"

Her words carried a note of mockery, a shield against the truth she refused to face.

"It's your act of ignorance that fuels my anger. You know I love you." Vincent's warm breath brushed her cheek,leaving her no escape.

Back in that hospital room, when she had once placed her hand over his heart, she had already known the truth.

Now, the entryway was wrapped in a silence so heavy that it

Now, the entryway was wrapped in a silence so heavy that it seemed to weigh upon them, broken only by their uneven,hurried breaths.

Hannah kept her silence for a while, her gaze shifting with a tide of emotions before settling into a calm that was bottomless. When she finally spoke, her tone was measured,almost detached. "Vincent, if you had said that line in the first years of our marriage, I would have been overjoyed."

That way, she would not have spent years doubting his love,only to suffer disappointment time after time until their marriage withered.

Vincent's heart sank like a stone in deep water. "And now?"

Hannah met his eyes, her voice flat as a blade. "Now, it means nothing to me."

Even faced with his confession of love, her heart remained unmoved.

To Vincent, it felt as though a dagger had pierced him, pain clouding his eyes. "I've done so much for you, yet you don't see any of it?" His stare searched her face, desperate to find a crack.

But Hannah's eyes stayed steady, unruffled. "It was nothing more than a few meals and a helping hand. Didn't I already thank you?"

She brushed off his efforts as though they were leaves in the wind,carrying no weight.

"I don't want your thanks. I want you!" Vincent's voice rumbled low, like thunder rolling in his chest. He yanked her closer,his fiery chest nearly pressing against hers.

Hannah leaned back a fraction, her lips curling with a teasing smile. "Didn't you already have me not too long ago?"

With her free hand, she traced his tense jawline, her touch both playful and dangerous. Her tone dripped with flirtation, clearly reminding him of their intimacy a few days back.

Vincent froze for a heartbeat, and in that moment she slipped free.

But as she turned, he caught her from behind, his arms locking her in a fierce embrace. His lips hovered close to her ear,burning hot. "Hannah, you know exactly what I mean. Stop pretending!"

Held tight, she could not move. For a moment she was silent,her eyes clouded with thought.

Then, she turned in his arms, her hand rising to caress his cheek gently. "Vincent, do you truly want me?"

Her words came soft as a sigh.

His eyes, unwavering, held no hesitation. "Yes. Only you.Always you."

"Then prove it. Show me your sincerity." Rising slightly on her toes,her lips brushed near his throat.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his body jolting as though struck by lightning."What do you mean?"

Hannah stepped back just enough to breathe, her eyes locked on him. "I want you to win me over! Pursue me with the same fire I once had for you-chase me without restraint, without fear."

Her words struck him hard, his heart trembling under their weight. He swore, "You have my word!"

A smile curved Hannah's lips, deepening like ripples in still water. "But I'm not so easy to claim, not after the woundsI′Vborne."

Her tone grew serious. "So I have two conditions. First, you must be at my side whenever I call. Second, no matter what I do,you mustn't ask why."

Vincent frowned, troubled, but answered with resolve. "P'll do my best."

Hannah nodded with quiet satisfaction and then shifted her gaze. "And as it happens, I do need your help with something."

Suspicion flashed in Vincent's eyes, his voice hard with refusal."Don't even think about asking me to seduce Erica!"

"Why would I ask you that?" Hannah chuckled softly."I asked you to pursue me-how could I possibly want you to seduce her? I'm not willing to share what's mine. Rest assured, it's just a small favor."