Chapter 639

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor before uniformed officers burst into the private room.

Without a moment's delay, the officers advanced straight toward Arthur and Fred, their movements firm and authoritative.

At the forefront, the leading officer produced his badge and a crisp warrant, his tone sharp and unwavering. "Arthur Griffin. Fred Griffin. You are hereby taken into custody under suspicion of multiple offenses, including affray and corruption.The evidence against you is substantial. You are required to come with us for further questioning."

The color drained from Arthur's and Fred's faces in an instant.

Fred, visibly shaken, jabbed an accusing finger toward Vincent and Hannah, his voice cracking with outrage as he questioned the leading officer, "Why are you only arresting us? What about them? They threw punches too! If you're making arrests, then arrest everyone involved!"

The leading officer's eyes turned glacial. "We follow procedure, not temper. The verified evidence implicates you two directly. Any other matters will be reviewed and determined through proper investigation. Now, please cooperate."

With a curt signal from the leading officer, two officers stepped forward, their cuffs clicking open with metallic finality as they prepared to restrain Arthur and Fred.

Arthur's composure shattered under the weight of humiliation and shock. His complexion shifted from flushed crimson to ashen white, his breathing shallow and erratic. He parted his lips, desperate to speak, but his throat failed him. His pupils rolled upward, and in the next second, his body crumpled heavily to the floor.

"Dad? Dad!" Fred's voice trembled as he dropped beside Arthur, panic flooding his expression."Somebody call an ambulance! My dad has high blood pressure-heart problems too! If anything happens to him, it's on you!"

The room erupted into confusion. The officers exchanged tense glances, frowns creasing their brows. A medical emergency in the midst of an arrest would complicate everything.

As uncertainty clouded the officers' decision, Sharon -who had been watching in composed silence-let out a weary sigh. She stepped forward, retrieved a small pillbox from her handbag, and handed it to the leading officer. Her voice was steady and clear. "This is a fast-acting antihypertensive. His collapse was likely triggered by a surge in blood pressure caused by emotional strain. Slip this under his tongue-it should stabilize him for now."

The leading officer assessed her calm explanation and then nodded to a subordinate to follow her direction.

Fred, however, refused the pill. His voice broke with desperation. "Medicine alone won't save him-we need to visit the hospital for a full check-up! You can't gamble with his life!"

All eyes were fixed on Arthur's unmoving body.

Hannah narrowed her eyes slightly. She caught a subtle motion-Arthur's fingers twitching faintly at his side. And more importantly, his eyelids fluttered,and his lashes trembled. Those weren't the signs of a man unconscious-they were tells of a man pretending.

A faint smirk curved her lips. This cunning old fox was trying to buy time by pretending to faint.

Without a word, she reached for the nearest cup of coffee with her uninjured left hand and flung its cold contents directly at Arthur's face.

Arthur flinched violently, letting out a startled,unmistakably conscious "Ah!" Instinctively,he raised his hand to wipe his drenched face, his eyes snapping open with fury at being exposed. Hannah regarded him coolly, her tone even as she turned to address the leading officer, "As you can see, he seems perfectly fine. You may proceed with your duties."

Annoyance flickered across the leading officer's face once he realized Arthur's ploy. His voice hardened."Enough of this farce. Take them away."

Two officers seized the still-pretending Arthur,forcing him to his feet and securing the cuffs with practiced precision.

Both Arthur and Fred stood defeated, all defiance drained from their expressions. As they were escorted past Hannah, Arthur shot her a venomous glare."Hannah, I truly misjudged you."

Her lips curved faintly in reply, though her eyes remained cold.

Once the policemen led the pair out, silence fell over the room like settling dust.

Vincent's gaze drifted to Hannah's wounded arm. A faint crease formed between his brows as he spoke in a low, uncertain tone. "You're awfully composed for someone hurt that badly. Doesn't it sting? And yet, you still found time to expose that old man's feigned faint."

He meant it as disbelief, but there was something uncertain-almost concerned-beneath his words.

Hannah, who had been watching the doorway,turned her head slowly. Realizing his remark was directed at her, she let her brows knit delicately, extending her injured arm with quiet poise. Her voice softened,touched with playfulness. "I didn't feel it earlier-l was too busy dealing with those fools. But now..."She paused, feigning a wince. "Now, it does hurt."

Her eyes met his, searching, almost teasing."Mr.Jones,does that worry you?"

Vincent's chest tightened at the sight of her outstretched arm, but his response came rough and sharp, as if to mask something unspoken. "If it hurts,that's your own fault. You could've avoided it, but you insisted on blocking with your arm. You brought that pain on yourself."

Even as he scolded, the image of her shielding his grandmother replayed in his mind-and with it came a surge of vexing emotion he couldn't quite name.