Chapter 528

Hannah cut Claude off before he could react, her voice carrying across the hall like a bell. "Now, let's give a warm round of applause and welcome tonight's stars-Mr. Claude Hobbes and Ms. Bonnie Sandoval-to exchange their engagement rings. May their love stand the test of time and their hearts remain steadfast."

With that single move, Hannah skillfully steered everyone's attention back to the ceremony.

Claude's face clouded at once. Yet, with so many eyes fixed on him, he swallowed the fury rising in his chest. He could not afford to lose control here-his alliance with the Sandoval family was the lynchpin of his grand design.

Jaw clenched, Claude accepted the ring box from his assistant, pulled out the diamond ring meant for Bonnie, and slipped it onto her finger with rigid formality.

Bonnie responded in kind, her movements stiff, her eyes hollow.

The exchange felt icy, less a celebration of love than a bargain struck under duress.

The moment it ended, Hannah lifted the microphone again. "Well then, I declare the engagement ceremony of Mr. Claude Hobbes and Ms. Bonnie Sandoval complete."

"Not so fast." Claude broke in, snatching the microphone from her grasp and tossing it back to the officiant.

He gazed at Hannah, and from his assistant's hands, took another ring box-far more ornate than the first.Opening it, he revealed a ring unlike any other.

Presenting it with deliberate gravity, Claude announced, "Anna, this is the ring I prepared for you."

Gasps rippled through the hall like a sudden storm. A ring for his sister, at his own engagement, no less.This was beyond absurd!

Hannah's eyes locked on the dazzling ring, a chill searing up her spine. "Claude, have you lost your mind?Why are you giving me a ring?" Claude forced a strained smile, his words cloaked in a flimsy excuse."|t′Sonly a token-symbolizing our unbreakable sibling bond."

"She doesn't want it." A cold, commanding voice rang out from the entrance.

Every head turned. The double doors of the banquet hall swung wide as two bodyguards in black pushed through.

Vincent entered, clad in a dark coat, his expression stern and unyielding. He strode forward with an aura so forceful that guests instinctively turned their heads, whispers crackling like fire in his wake.

"Mr. Jones? What is he doing here?"

"Don't you know? That so-called 'sister' Claude is holding on stage is actually Mr. Jones' ex-wife,Hannah Scott!"

"My goodness! Is her ex-husband hereto take her away? What a spectacle!"

The instant Vincent appeared, Hannah felt her tightly coiled nerves loosen. Her first instinct was to wrench free from Claude and run to Vincent.

But Claude's grip on Hannah's wrist tightened cruelly, pain shooting through her bones. He yanked her back, forcing a smile as he addressed the approaching Vincent, "Mr. Jones! What an unexpected honor.Welcome to my engagement ceremony."

Vincent halted just steps away from them, his eyes darting from Claude's crushing hold on Hannah to her strained face. He ignored Claude's hollow greeting and spoke with a blade-like clarity. "Who ever said I came to witness your engagement?" His gaze sharpened, each word striking like a hammer. "I came to take my girlfriend home."

"Girlfriend?" Claude echoed with mock surprise, though the frost in his eyes betrayed him. "Since when did you have a girlfriend? Why has no one heard of this?"

"Since days ago." Vincent's reply was clipped, leaving no room for doubt.

Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward, seized Hannah's other arm, and with one swift motion, tore her free. The movement was clean, sharp, unstoppable-freeing Hannah from Claude's grasp and securely shielding her behind him.

Claude's hand grasped at air, his expression souring by the second.

Vincent stood before Hannah like a wall, his eyes narrowing on the mermaid wedding gown that clung to her form. His face hardened, his presence dark as a gathering storm. "Did he make you wear this?"