Chapter 596

Hudson drew his gaze into a thin, assessing slit, taking in the woman who stood before him.

Hannah chose each word with measured calm, as if weighing them on an invisible scale. "It has been twenty minutes since I left the hospital. In another twenty minutes-if Ididn't return unharmed-"

She paused deliberately, her eyes on Hudson's increasingly darkening face, and then continued without hurry, "Anonymously composed messages will wing their way to every prominent political figure across Agosphia and to the editors running the largest mainstream outlets.

Those emails will lay bare the long-standing association between you and the infamous underworld leader Brixton,detail how you have leveraged your position for his benefit, and reveal your shared control over that gambling enterprise-the Odin cruise."

She leaned in a fraction, the air between them charged."Dco you truly imagine you would remain Minister of Economics after that? It wouldn't just be about stepping down-you could find yourself in chains."

The last words carried a metallic edge, her features hardening into granite.

A humorless laugh escaped Hudson, brittle as winter glass. "And you think you alone can topple me? I doubt you possess the means-or the connections-to pull something so vast off."

He hardened his posture and pressed the call button on his desk.

The next second, the office door burst open and a phalanx of guards surged into the room, their stares locked on Hannah with the kind of practiced menace that waited for a single command from Hudson.

Hannah did not flinch; serenity threaded through her words. "Mr. Chadwick, doubt my capabilities as you wish, but you know Vincent's bodyguards-how they operate efficiently without question when given an order."

She paused to let the implication settle. "Before I came here, I told Nate to count down forty minutes.Whether I phone him or not, he will execute my instructions the moment the time elapses. Are you willing to gamble everything on that chance?"

Her statement struck precisely where Hudson's confidence was most brittle. He remembered the clinical efficiency and unerring obedience of Vincent's men.

Silence pooled in the room like oil.

Hudson's features clouded over. In the end, the enormous risk made him hesitate. With the weight of calculation plainly visible in his expression, he signaled his guards to step back.

The guards melted away in disciplined formation, closing the door behind them and restoring a fragile privacy to the space.

Hudson's glare on Hannah was a storm in miniature. "So you actually dare to threaten me?" he demanded,menace sharpening every vowel.

Hannah exhaled, an even, quiet breeze. HHer outward composure never wavered. "This is not a threat, Mr.Chadwick. It is a necessary maneuver to secure both my safety and Vincent's. With him unconscious, you might exploit the situation or resort to coercion-perhaps even to force my signature on papers I would never sign willingly."

She unfolded her conditions like a precise plan. "My requests are straightforward. First, withdraw every one of your operatives from the hospital at once-absolutely no one left behind. Once your people are cleared out, I will not leak the evidence I have collected."

Her eyes narrowed with pinpoint focus. "Second, I insist that the most reputable team of attending physicians of this country assume primary responsibility for Vincent's care. I do not trust the current doctors, who appear to report patient details to you-an arrangement that calls their professionalism into question. Should I learn that remains unchanged, I will return to confront you, Mr. Chadwick,without hesitation."

Hudson's pupils constricted-she had even discovered this? He tried to deny. "How could the doctors be under my influence?"

Hannah's reply was edged with insinuation."Spare me the lies. Before I came here, I overheard the attending physician in the stairwell on a phone call-reporting back to you, Mr. Chadwick. You're more meticulous than I thought, and your reach truly knows no bounds."

Her stare cooled into something that felt like winter sunlight-clear, sharp, unforgiving.

Hudson found himself without a ready retort; further denials would be ineffective. With a sullen expression,he picked up the internal phone and delivered a few curt instructions.

"As you wish." He placed the receiver down and fixed Hannah with a gaze that was all ice."My team will withdraw. The medical specialists will arrive for a consultation shortly. Are you satisfied now?"

"Yes." Hannah inclined her head. "Mr. Chadwick, you are more pragmatic than I expected. I will take my leave now."

She turned without looking back and exited the office. Only when she had stepped out onto the street did she allow herself to release the breath she had been holding. Her palms felt slick; her legs trembled with the aftershocks of adrenaline.

The reason behind her bold confrontation had been simple-she'd sensed danger. Vincent's unconsciousness was the vulnerability. Hudson could, at any moment, harm Vincent or use Vincent as a bargaining chip to force her signature on some documents. She had to act decisively, using a daring move to keep Hudson temporarily in check and secure a safer environment for Vincent. Even so, she knew the respite would not last. Hudson had suffered a significant setback today and would not let it slide easily.

While Hannah measured the fragile victory in her mind, her phone buzzed in her palm-Nate was calling."Ms. Scott! Are you all right? Time's nearly out!" His voice carried the raw edge of urgency.

Hannah answered with steady resolve, "I'm okay. Don't send those emails. Hudson has backed down for now-his people are leaving the hospital. Position yourself outside Vincent's ward to prevent anyone from gaining unauthorized entrance. Vet the new medical team as they arrive and confirm their credentials."

A breath of relief leaked through the line. "Understood, Ms. Scott. Please return quickly. If anything happens to you,we will all be in deep trouble when Mr. Jones regains consciousness."

"I'm on my way." Hannah ended the call, hailed a taxi, and sped back toward the hospital, every muscle primed for whatever came next.