Chapter 634

A prick of impatience flared inside Vincent at the way Hannah probed him; impulse had always been his guide, and explaining himself had never been part of his habit. He seized her hand that jabbed at his chest, his eyes narrowing until they took on a hard edge. "You won't get explanations from me," he said,voice low and uncompromising.

For a moment, he admitted that her approach had achieved exactly what she intended. She had ensnared the full weight of his attention and the hunger that rode it.

Desire pushed ahead of restraint, and he closed the small distance between them with a sudden, decisive kiss. That kiss carried punishment and proclamation in equal measure-marked by possession and an urgent claim.

Hannah offered only a brief, half-hearted struggle

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that dissolved almost at once into yielding. She melted into the kiss and kissed him back.

Breaking the kiss, she breathed against his ear,breath quick and soft, "Vincent-you started it this time."

Her hands cupped his jaw, her gaze burning into him."Don't shut me out the way you did before."

She referred to their first time in the changing room at the university gym. She had made up her mind;whether Vincent's memory returned or not was beside the point. She intended, deliberately and patiently, to make him fall for her-piece by careful piece.

Vincent saw the brightness in her eyes and felt a stir in his chest; he was about to lean in for a deeper kiss when an untimely rap on the door fractured the moment.

A voice called from the corridor-Derek's, courteous and brisk. "Mr. Jones, you have visitors."

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Rodney's father, Fred, entered first, flanked by an elderly gentleman whose hair had gone silver at the temples. No guessing was necessary-the older man had to be Rodney's grandfather, the police chief,Arthur Griffin.

Hannah's chest tightened. They had come straight here with purpose spelled plainly on theirfaces:this would concern Rodney.

Vincent observed the two without the least flicker of surprise. He moved slowly, deliberately taking up the coffee pot and pouring himself another cup as if nothing urgent demanded his attention. After a measured sip, he lifted his eyelids and fixed his eyes on the visitors with a chill in his look. "What do you want?" he asked, curt and unwelcoming.

Fred supported the noticeably aged Arthur, his mouth curved into an almost ingratiating smile.

Arthur drew in a long breath. "Vincent, it's been a while, hasn't it?" he offered, though the courtesy felt thin.

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Vincent acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to enjoy his coffee while giving them only the barest of looks.

Fred leaned in, voice hurried and urgent beneath the civility. "Dad, skip the niceties. Get to the point-if we waste time, the Griffin family could be finished!"

Though they kept their tones low, Hannah caught the phrase "Griffin family could be finished," and it sent a jolt through her. It became clear that Vincent's moves were faster and more far-reaching than she had imagined. The Griffin Group appeared to be on fragile ground; their options exhausted, they had come to beg or bargain.

Arthur's shoulders sank with a heavy exhale, the lines on his face seeming to deepen. Dropping any pretense, he cut to the chase. "Vincent, I'll be straightforward. My superiors suspended me pending an inquiry. Griffin Group stock has collapsed, and we face bankruptcy and liquidation.Several relatives in public office are under investigation and suspension-did you orchestrate

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this?"

Hannah's eyes widened in disbelief. Arthur had been suspended from his post... She hadn't anticipated that Vincent's campaign would spill into Arthur's official standing. His tactics wNere ruthlessly efficient.

Vincent set his cup on the table and raised his head,his stare icily fixed on Arthur. He answered without remorse,"Yes."

Arthur shook with fury and pointed an accusing finger. "Why? Our families have been intertwined for years, with countless deals between us. How could you be so merciless-driving the Griffin family to ruin?"

Vincent's expression did not soften; his voice was cold, distant, and cutting as he replied, "You crossed someone you should never have."