Chapter 663

Vera shifted slightly under Hannah's steady gaze but kept her expression light,forcing out a breezy smile. "Friends should get to know each other better, shouldn't they?"

Hannah's soft laugh cut through the tension. Her eyes swept across the gathered guests before settling deliberately on Vincent. She answered with complete clarity, "Yes, I'm divorced."Her voice remained steady and precise. "But there was no infidelity. Not in body, not in heart."

She held Vincent's gaze the entire time.

The directness of her response gave some of the judgmental onlookers pause, forcing them to reconsider their hasty conclusions.

But there were always people who fed on chaos.

Boyce was infamous in Vera's circle as a troublemaker who lived for spectacle. Nothing thrilled him more than being the instigator of drama. He sensed the simmering tension and pounced on it. His eyebrows shot up as he called out to Hannah with mock enthusiasm, "Ms. Scott, I've just thought of a more exciting challenge. Are you brave enough to try it?"

Hannah could feel the hostility radiating from this group,but she was curious to see how far they'd go. She replied with a note of defiance threading through her tone, "Really? Mr.Hughes, I'm dying to hear what you have in mind."

Vera couldn't hide her eagerness to watch Hannah squirm. She jumped in quickly. "Boyce always knows how to liven things up.Ms. Scott, you really should give it a shot. Consider it part of making new connections."

Boyce's grin turned predatory as he announced his vulgar proposal for everyone to hear, "It's incredibly simple! Ms. Scott,you need to call your ex-husband right this second and tell him this exactly-"

He paused for effect, letting his words hang in the air with deliberate crudeness, "You will say, 'I still can't stop thinking about how you felt in bed.' Then, ask him if he'd like to sleep with you again! What do you say? Thrilling, isn't it? Ha-ha!"

Vincent's face turned to stone. His glare at Boyce could have cut glass.

Completely absorbed in his own performance, Boyce threw his head back and roared with laughter. His equally obnoxious friends joined in with whistles and jeering applause.

"Boyce, that's absolutely genius!"

"Absolutely thrilling! Ms. Scott, are you up for it?"

Vera's smile faltered. She hadn't anticipated Boyce would suggest something this crude. Her eyes darted to Vincent. He was staring at Hannah, his jaw tight and his brow creased with tension.

Vera's hands curled into fists. She'd wanted to humiliate Hannah, yes, but not at the expense of dragging Vincent into this mess. She opened her mouth to stop this, but Boyce was too caught up in his own momentum. He even rose from his seat,ignoring her completely.

Hannah showed no trace of anger at the vulgar challenge.Instead, she studied Vincent's rigid expression and released a quiet laugh.

When Hannah smiled wordlessly, Boyce mistook it for fear. He pushed harder, his voice dripping with mockery. "What's the matter, Ms. Scott? Can't handle a little game?"

Hannah shifted her attention to Boyce at last, her voice unnervingly calm. "Fear has nothing to do with it." She tilted her head slighntly. "I'm simply curious about something. If I actually make this call and say exactly what you're demanding,what happens then?"

Boyce waved his hand carelessly. "Simple. I'll down three shots!Fair trade, wouldn't you say?"

Hannah shook her head slowly, amusement playing at the corners of her mouth. "Three shots? That's hardly worth mentioning. It doesn't do justice to the 'genius' game you've created."

Boyce blinked in confusion. "Then what do you want?"

Hannah leaned forward ever so slightly, her gaze pinning Boyce in place with suffocating intensity. Her words came out measured and clear, "What I'm asking for isn't complicated. If I follow through with your little game, you'll kneel before me and serve me wine. You'll keep pouring, glass after glass,until I'm satisfied. Until I say you can stop. Only then do you stand."

A dangerous smile curved her lips. "Now that's what I call fun.What do you say, Mr. Hughes?"