Chapter 659

Danica faltered beneath the weight of Vincent's commanding aura, her voice trembling as she avoided his eyes, clutching the phone as though it were her last defense.

Vincent's patience had long since run dry; a shadow crossed his face, dark and unyielding. Without further ado, he pulled out his own phone, his tone turning glacial as he declared, "I'm calling security."

The words hit Danica like a whip. The mere thought of uniformed guards surrounding her in front of this crowd was unbearable-she had already humiliated herself enough for one night. Panic flickered across her face as she blurted out, "Fine!You win! You're really the first son I've seen treat his mother this way."

Grumbling bitterly, she extended her phone toward him, the cracked screen glinting beneath the chandelier.

Vincent snatched it from her grasp. His fingers swept across the damaged screen with practiced precision until a particular video in the gallery caught his eye.

He tapped it open. The footage began to play-grainy, angled from a concealed position-and immediately, Hannah's figure appeared on the screen. She was surrounded by men, her vulnerability glaring and cruelly exposed.

Vincent's eyes hardened. He knew, without hesitation, that this was no genuine recording. The composition, the motion, the unnatural lighting-it reeked of fabrication.

Yet,as the images flickered before him, an inexplicable sense of familiarity took hold. It was as if he had witnessed it

familiarity took hold. It was as if he had witnessed it firsthand.

Without warning, an agonizing pain surged through his skull. He staggered, one hand gripping the nearby wall for support, cold sweat dripping down his temples.

Disjointed flashes burst across his mind. A ballroom drenched in golden light. Hannah was standing before him at Sharon's birthday party, her eyes glistening with unspoken heartbreak.

His own voice, fervent and desperate, was trying to explain something she refused to hear. Her hand struck his away.

There seemed to be many onlookers around, whispering and pointing.

Then came the sharp sound of paper hitting his chest-Hannah's trembling hands thrusting forward a divorce agreement.

A crushing wave of grief and isolation swept over him,suffocating and relentless.

The chaotic images stopped surfacing. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought he might collapse. He gasped for air.Slowly,the stabbing pain receded,leaving behind only a hollow ache.

His face fell as he stared once more at the false video. A storm brewed behind his eyes-rage, confusion, and something deeper, rawer. The truth that flickered within those memories told him there had been more to their story-a grave misunderstanding and harm between him and Hannah.

Slowly regaining control, he exhaled, face composed into a mask of icy resolve. Then, with deliberate finality, he deleted the video.

From her spot nearby, Danica observed Vincent silently, Seeing the video erased and reading the cold authority in his

the video erased and reading the cold authority in his expression, she quickly recovered her composure. She knew he no longer remembered the past-an advantage she intended to exploit.

Applying a tone dripping with moral disdain, she scoffed,"That's for the best! Even I can't stomach such filth. Vincent,you saw it yourself-Hannah has no sense of decency.Promiscuous, unrestrained, disgraceful. Divorcing her was the smartest thing you have ever done. Don't let her fool you again."

Vincent lifted his head sharply. His eyes, glacial and penetrating,locked onto hers. "Mom," he said, his voice cutting through the air like tempered steel, "do you really take me for a fool? Do you believe my memory loss means I've lost my ability to see through a cheap forgery?"

The color drained from Danica's face. Her lips parted, but no sound emerged. Only then did she realize with alarm that the man before her might have forgotten fragments of his life, but his instincts, his insight, his quiet ferocity remained untouched.Worse still, even without memories of Hannah,his soul still shielded Hannah as if bound by something beyond memory.The cold doubt in his gaze pierced her composure, chilling her to the core.

Without another word, Vincent tossed the phone back to Danica. It landed in her hands with a dull thud. Then, turning on his heel, he walked away, his stride unyielding, his silence more condemning than any rebuke.

Meanwhile, across the opulent hall, another confrontation simmered.

Vera had cornered Kane near the exit, her practiced smile straining beneath the weight of frustration. "Mr. Sampson," she began, her voice trembling with grievance masked by poise,"what's the meaning of this? We were getting along perfectly earlier. Your presence at my event was a sign of support, was it

earlier. Your presence at my event was a sign of support,was it not? Yet, you publicly turn around and side with Hannah-do you realize what that does to my reputation?"

Kane regarded her with quiet restraint. The genial warmth he had displayed earlier dissolved, replaced by a measured sternness. "Vera," he said slowly, "I came here out of respect for your father and because you invited me to what you described as a professional exchange. But what have l witnessed tonight? Loud music, flashing lights, and endless chatter-not exactly the environment for serious discussion,is it?”

He paused, his gaze firm and edged with disappointment."Tell me-since I arrived, have you sought my counsel even once as one eager to learn something? Have you shown the humility or diligence this field demands? Hannah, on the other hand, has spoken with me all evening about tangible matters-market dynamics, fiscal discipline, project viability. That is professionalism. That is the kind of mind one partners with."

Leaning slightly closer, his voice deepened with quiet reproach."And one more thing-regarding your proposal, I said it was worth considering, nothing more. I made no promise, no endorsement. So, this indignation of yours, this attempt to hold me accountable for a decision I never made-Vera, that's not how business works. You've strayed far from the essence of professionalism."