Chapter 611

Vincent caught every word clearly, and in his mind, Hannah was being insincere. She insisted all the dishes had been arranged for him, yet her impatience betrayed her claim.

After the meal, the meeting picked up again, though the air was heavy, taut like a bowstring readyto snap.

Vincent moved through the agenda with sharp precision, outlining the crux of each project and exposing hidden risks, as though the earlier episode had been erased from memory.

The executives scrambled to keep pace, their thoughts lagging behind their leader's swift reasoning.

At last, all matters were covered, and the clock had already struck half-past ten.

Closing the final file, Vincent declared evenly, "That will do for today. By tomorrow, I expect complete execution plans on my desk."

The executives and Derek, relieved as though they had been freed from an iron yoke, wasted no time in leaving.

Silence soon claimed the office, broken only by the low, steady hum of the air,conditioning.

Vincent pressed at his temples, weariness seeping in, and a dull discomfort stirred in his stomach. Just as he was preparing to gather his things to leave, he noticed Hannah hadn't gone. Curled on the sofa in the corner, she had drifted into sleep.

His brows drew together as he stepped toward her. Standing over the sofa, he studied her still form. After a brief hesitation, he reached down to rouse her."|fyou're tired, go sleep in your own place111he said,his tone far from tender.

The instant his hand brushed her shoulder, Hannah reacted instinctively. Her arms slipped around his neck,tugging him gently downward.

Caught off guard, Vincent lost his balance and instinctively braced himself against the sofa's backrest,

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barely preventing himself from collapsing fully on top of her. Even so, their faces hovered only inches apart;her breath, warm and steady, reached him with startling clarity.

His first instinct was to draw back. Yet, her hold tightened, keeping him close, while she whispered plaintively, "Don't go."

Vincent froze. Was she awake, or merely speaking in a dream?

As he lingered in doubt, her voice wove through the quiet, trembling and sorrowful."We fought so hard to be together, and now you've forgotten it all... Do you know how much that tears at me? And you're so cold to me-it's breaking my heart."

Her words struck like fine needles, pricking his chest and spreading a strange ache that he swiftly tried to smother. Keeping his tone frosted, he muttered, "Since you're awake, get up and leave."

Yet, Hannah continued her monologue, lamenting his amnesia and indifference, her tone pitiful and aggrieved.

Vincent knew freeing himself would have been simple. She was not strong. But he didn't pry her arms away.He didn't why. Perhaps it was the fragile picture she made in her sleep, stirring a flicker of tenderness.Perhaps it was the sorrow in her words, seeping into his guarded heart. Or perhaps-just perhaps-it was the nearness itself that unsettled him.

In that heartbeat of his distraction, Hannah lifted her face, her lips brushing firmly against his.

Vincent's eyes widened, his mind emptied of thought. More startling still, Hannah pressed further, intent on deepening the kiss.

Sense crashed back into him. With sudden force, he shoved her away-so sharply that she struck against the sofa's back.

"Ouch!" she cried, pain flashing in her eyes as they snapped open. There was no drowsiness there.

Realization dawned swiftly. Straightening, Vincent adjusted his crumpled shirt, his expression dark as thunder."You were pretending to sleep?"

Rubbing her sore shoulder, Hannah's face nonetheless bloomed with a bright smile. She admitted openly,"Yes. The moment you came near, I woke. I only pretended because I wanted to test something."

Rising, she stepped forward deliberately, her movements driving him backward until his desk blocked his retreat.

"I wanted to find out whether, after losing your memory and forgetting me and everything between us..." Her gaze locked unflinchingly with his. "Whether your body-your instincts-would still respond to me."

Her smile deepened, edged with triumph. "And it seems they do. You do feel something."

Cornered against the desk, Vincent had nowhere left to move. His reply came cold, steady. "I'm a man. It's natural to have a physical reaction when a reasonably attractive woman makes advances. It proves nothing."

But Hannah, far from discouraged, laughed with even greater delight. Placing her hands firmly on the desk,she caged him in. Her eyes gleamed as she looked up. "So you admit it, then?"

Vincent frowned."Admit what?"