Chapter 498

Vincent swallowed hard, his Adam's apple jerking with the effort, the weight of unspoken words burning in his chest.

In a sudden surge, he stepped in and crushed her against him,his arms unyielding. "I'm sorry." His face sank into the curve of her neck, his breath hot against her skin, his voice low and ragged. "I had no idea how much you carried alone. If I'd realized earlier..."

If he had known, he would never have missed that call, never would have been absent when she needed him most, never would have let his pride twist them apart until divorce papers sat between them. He wished he could go back and beat that reckless, arrogant version of himself out into the open and beat him to death.

Hannah stiffened in his arms, a flash of resistance trembling through her. Yet she didn't push him away. She felt the faint quiver of remorse trembling through his hold. It wasn't a performance.It was real.

After a long while, they pulled themselves together, smoothing out their disheveled clothes before heading off. Vincent slid behind the wheel and personally drove Hannah back to her company.

The gleaming car-and the magnetic man at the helm-once again drew hushed gasps and sidelong stares from the receptionists and early staffers.

"Did you catch that? Ms. Scott's been getting out of that same car again. It's been going on for close to half a month,hasn't it?There's no way it's just coincidence."

"I heard a rumor-supposedly the one chasing after her is the head of Jones Group himself!"

"No way, Vincent Jones? That's insane! He looks even more striking in person than in those glossy magazine spreads."

Hannah strode into the building with practiced composure,letting the waves of gossip and curious stares roll off her back.Her spine stayed perfectly straight as she stepped into her private elevator and rose smoothly to her top-floor office.

At her desk, she sank into the chair, only to find her thoughts drifting-Vincent's warmth still ghosting against her shoulder like a memory she couldn't quite shake. With a brisk shake of her head, she forced the haze away and buried herself in work,tackling several urgent documents in quick succession.

When the last file was closed, habit pulled her cursor to a news site. Just as expected, Erica's name had already shot onto the trending list. The internet's reach was merciless; rumor and speculation spilled out in endless streams, netizens gleefully digging through her trail of "new faces" and guessing which clinics had crafted them.

Hannah read with cool precision, her eyes slicing through the articles as she marked out the hospitals and directors most frequently named-the ones drowning in suspicion. She lifted her phone, compiled the essentials into a terse message, and sent it off:"Mr. Jones, with your connections, can you dig*into this for me?"

Vincent's reply came almost instantly. "Already checked the top three-messy backgrounds, but nothing solid on Erica.I'll have my people comb through the rest right away."

Her response was brief. "Appreciate it."

He sent back a curt acknowledgment."Mm."

That should have ended the exchange, but his next message

That should have ended the exchange, but his next message flashed across her screen."I've arranged some supplements for you-sent to both your office and your place,"

Her brows knitted at the sudden shift. She tapped out a single word."What?"

As if on cue, her assistant slipped into the office carrying several ornate gift boxes. One by one, they were set on the coffee table in the lounge area until the corner looked as though it belonged to a boutique shop.

With steady steps, she approached the boxes and flipped them open,revealing high-end items-collagen powder,royal jelly,cranberry extract, plus imported vitamins and herbal blends all marketed for women's health.

With a practiced flick, her phone caught the image and fired it off to Vincent. "Mr. Jones, are you planning to ditch finance and start a health-supplement business?"

His call came through almost instantly. "These are all good for women-nourishing. Make sure you take those regularly."

Lifting the cranberry extract, Hannah rolled the jar between her palms, her tone even. "What made you put all of this together out of nowhere?"

For several seconds the line stayed quiet, then his deep voice finally broke through. "All I wanted was to help you regain your strength."

Hannah caught the weight beneath his words, recognizing his underlying concern. She chose not to point it out and only replied lightly, "Alright then. Thanks."

After a short stretch of casual talk, she put the phone down.Her gaze fell on the stack of items, and a weight pressed down on her chest, nameless yet suffocating.

When work finally wrapped, Vincent's car was already waiting

When work finally wrapped, Vincent's car was already waiting by the curb.

Sliding into the passenger seat, Hannah casually mentioned a restaurant.

Instead of following her lead, Vincent steered the car elsewhere.

Familiar streets slipped past the window in the wrong order,making her brows knit. She turned, puzzled. "This isn't the way I told you. Weren't we going out to eat? Where exactly are you taking me?"