Chapter 530

Hannah slowly shook her head, her eyes locked on Vincent's with quiet sincerity. "That's not what I mean.I had been waiting for you to come. I'm truly grateful you came."

At her earnest reply, the taut lines on Vincent's face softened, his eyes revealing both relief and a trace of joy. His gaze drifted again to the wedding gown draped on her, and with undisguised disdain, he muttered,"This dress is hideous."

Hannah looked down at the tattered fabric and allowed herself a playful jest.′′|st? I think once it's torn, it looks rather one-of-a-kind. Maybe I was meant to dabble in fashion design?"

But Vincent could not force even the ghost of a smile. He reached out, pinched a bit of the frayed cloth between his fingers, and his eyes darkened. "What I can't bear is seeing you in something that came from Claude."

The thought that Claude had specifically prepared this for Hannah was like a thorn lodged in Vincent's heart, stirring up a storm of discomfort and resentment.

"Are you jealous?" Hannah lifted a brow at him.

"A little," Vincent confessed without hesitation, his tone edged with sulkiness.

Hannah sighed."Well,you'll have to put up with it for now. Until I reach home and change, this is all I have."

Before her words had even settled, Vincent drew her closer, turning her to face him. Without a moment's pause,he stripped off his black coat and wrapped it firmly over her shoulders.

The oversized garment swallowed her frame, cloaking the glaring wedding dress entirely.

"There," he said with a confident air, satisfaction threading through his voice, "much better."

Once back at Hannah's residence in Sterling Heights, Vincent busied himself in the kitchen to whip up a simple bowl of noodles. Later, watching Hannah sit in fresh home clothes after a shower, eating quietly, Vincent felt the day's knots inside him finally loosen. His gaze never left her, as if he could never get enough of looking at her.

A bit shy under his steady eyes, Hannah laughed softly."Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

Vincent's reply was plain, yet brimming with tenderness. "You're beautiful. I simply can't look away."

A gentle warmth surged in Hannah's chest. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she gently reminded him,"|t′S late. You should go home now. After such a nerve-wracking day, we both need rest."

Vincent frowned. "That's my line. I should be saying that to you." After all, it was Hannah who had borne the brunt of everything, startled and tossed into the storm.

Yet, Hannah only shook her head, her tone calm, almost matter-of-fact. "I've been through worse.Compared to that, tonight is nothing.I can handle it."

For a fleeting moment, a flash of sympathy passed through Vincent's eyes.

When Hannah finished her noodles, she placed the bowl aside. "I really need some sleep. Aren't you heading home?"

She once again made it clear he should leave.

Vincent remained silent for a while, as though weighing something heavy. Then, in a voice low and solemn,he said, "Hannah, let's live together."

Hannah, who was about to tidy up the table, paused, turning toward him in surprise. "Why bring this up so suddenly?"

He rose, walked over to her, his expression filled with urgency and sincerity. "I just want more time with you.To protect you better. We can have separate rooms, or if you prefer, you can move into my place."

The fear from what could have happened in today's incident still gnawed at him; the thought of Claude trying something even more reckless next time was unbearable. What if he failed to reach her in time?

Hannah saw the raw concern in his eyes and understood his intent, yet the proposal struck her as abrupt."I understand your worry. But don't you think it's too soon? We've only just started again."

"It's alright to say no," Vincent said quckly, softening his tone so as not to press her. "I'm not forcing you.Just think about it. When you feel ready, let me know. I only wanted to put it out there."

Hannah nodded lightly. "Alright, I'll consider it."

Her words were not a refusal, and that alone gave Vincent some peace of mind. He didn't linger. After a few final reminders, he left her home.

Elsewhere, Erica's days grew bleaker by the hour.

To cover the crushing debt from the cosmetic surgery hospital, she had milked hundreds of thousands from Danica with the excuse of investing in a new project. But it was a drop in the ocean.

Driven to desperation, Erica had even ordered some thugs from her shadowy factories to try to stalk or abduct Vincent-foolishly imagining she could lock him up and use Logan as a pawn to command the Jones Group. Yet, Vincent's bodyguards were veterans, sharp as blades. Those thugs were taken down in an instant and handed over to the police before they even neared him.

Therefore, her harebrained scheme collapsed before it could breathe.

As the final debt deadline from the cosmetic surgery hospital loomed, her phone rang with menacing calls,voices threatening to reveal her forged documents and fraud.

Pushed to the brink, Erica had no choice but to secretly sell off portions of her shady factories, scraping together enough money to temporarily settle the enormous debt.

But what she never foresaw was that in trying to liquidate assets and raise such a sum, she would draw the watchful eye of an underworld boss.