Chapter 13
"If you refuse to play as the assistant, then that's the end of it," Vincent said, his tone firm. "Brinley will take charge of the entre birthday banquet on her own."
Excitement flickered in Brinley's gaze, a spark she barely managed to hide.
A cold laugh tumbled from Hannah's lips. "Vincent,you're the one who'd dragged me all the way back.And now this? Am I supposed to just let you walk all over me?" She regretted it-regretted letting her guard down and believing him for evena second.
With a tired sigh, Vincent pressed his fingers to his temples. "That isn't what I mean. You said no to assist Brinley, so now you don't have to."
Disbelief hovered around Hannah as she let out a scoff. Truthfully, she didn't trust Brinley with the entire banquet. Something in her gut warned that the party could turn into a mess if Brinley managed it.Letting Sharon's birthday be ruined was out of the question.
In the end, Hannah relented. "Fine. I'll take the assistant's role."
Disappointment weighed heavily in her tone, and Vincent noticed right away. Words hovered on his lips, but Brinley was faster. "Thank you, Vincent.Everything will be perfect. Sharon will have the best celebration she's ever had-I promise."
Victory shone in Brinley's eyes. Despite Vincent's harsh tone the last time they talked alone, it was clear he was still on her side. That was all she needed to outplay Hannah.
Watching from her seat, Danica looked absolutely pleased to see her son taking Brinley's side.
Hannah,choosing silence, left the table and headed straight to her room. After this exchange, she'd lost her appetite. Locked away in her room, a tidal wave of feelings swept through her, every one of them tracing back to Vincent.
A sudden knock broke the silence. One of the housekeepers stood outside her door. "Mrs. Jones,Mr. Jones noticed you barely touched your food and asked me to bring you some dessert."
"Just set it down," Hannah replied, not bothering to glance up. This was so typical of Vincent-hurting her first and patching things up later with shallow gestures. As if a sweet treat could erase the sting of his actions. As if she could be bought with a few kind crumbs. Honestly, maybe she'd given in too many times. The more he disappointed her, the more she found herself growing numb. Only the occasional,hollow ache in her chest reminded her that she could still feel at all.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Danica couldn't hide her displeasure at Hannah's habit of holing up in her room after dinner, avoiding any household responsibilities.
Predictably, Brinley leapt at the chance of playing as a messenger and volunteered to fetch Hannah.
As fate would have it, Hannah emerged from her room for a glass of water just as Brinley made her way up the stairs.
Without a word, Hannah passed by, her glass in tow,her expression as cold as the marble beneath her feet.
"Hannah," Brinley remarked, unwilling to let her go.
Choosing not to react, Hannah continued down the stairs, determined to ignore her.
A quick sidestep put Brinley in Hannah's path.
"What is it?" Hannah asked, irritation sharpening her words.
"I only meant to say this-I was just as surprised when Vincent defended me. You went out of your way to turn him against me, and still, nothing between him and me has shifted at all." Brinley smiled, her expression dripping with smug satisfaction.
"Yeah, he cares a lot for you," Hannah said, her laugh empty. "Is that what you wanted to hear all along?"
Not waiting for a response, Hannah pivoted to walk away.
Once again, Brinley stepped in, blocking the stairs."Don't you find yourself pathetic? Not a single person at the dinner table stood up for you. Everyone sided with me. And yet, you still have the nerve to cling to Vincent?" Triumph sparkled in her eyes.
A chilly laugh escaped Hannah. "Pathetic or not, I'm still Vincent's legal wife."
Mockery curled Brinley's lips. "Doesn't matter.You're just a stand-in during my absence. He never loved you."
Those words stung, but Hannah met her gaze and forced a smile. "Even so, until I walk away, you'll always be the shameless mistress."
Contempt flickered in Brinley's tone. "You already know he sees you as my substitute, and you're still holding on to that title? Have you no shame,Hannah?"
With a shrug, Hannah retorted, "At least I'm not the shameless one scheming to wreck someone else's marriage."
Anger flared in Brinley's eyes. "I dare you say that again!"
Enraged, Brinley gave Hannah a violent shove,sending Hannah stumbling down the staircase.
Hannah landed hard, the water glass slipping from her grasp and exploding into shards across the tiles.An attempt to stand only made things worse. Her palm pressed into the broken glass, and pain shot through her hand like electricity.
Footsteps echoed above. In a flash, Brinley scrambled down the stairs and threw herself to the floor, clutching her arm and twisting her face into an agonized mask.
Meanwhile, Vincent had just finished a round of work in his study. The sudden commotion drew him out. At the sight of both women crumpled at the base of the stairs, his expression went from confusion to alarm."What happened here?"