Chapter 22

Brinley stretched out on the couch in a secluded room at the bar. Empty bottles covered the floor near her feet.

Across the room, two men hovered close, getting handsy with her. One of them kept stealing looks at her chest, unable to help himself.

Brinley caught him right away, took his hand,and pressed it straight against her chest. "Be bolder," she said, letting her words slur like she was completely drunk. "Just go ahead and touch me-kiss me to0.Make it look real."

The two men exchanged a lewd grin. "If you insist,we won't say no."

The bolder one went further, yanking down her top and kissing her bare chest with abandon.

Brinley threw her head back, took another long drink,

and put up a weak struggle just for show.

This staged performance had a purpose. Brinley had witnessed what had unfolded at Chance Café this morning.The moment Hannah felt dizzy, Vincent had rushed to hold her and carried her to the car himself.All Brinley could think was, why was Vincent so concerned about Hannah? She was just a stand-in,nothing else.

Refusing to accept it, Brinley had decided to find out for herself if Vincent actually cared more about Hannah than about her. So, after seeng Vincent rush Hannah to the hospital, she'd hired these two men to stage a fake assault. When everything was in place,she'd "accidentally" called Vincent's number. He had not answered right away. Once he finally picked up,she'd remarked bluntly, "Don't touch me." With that,she'd hung up for the effect.

After that, he'd kept calling her back every ten minutes. She'd ignored each call, counting them in her head. When he'd called for the twenty-first time,she'd finally picked up. Her voice shook as she spoke."Vincent... Help me... I need you."

"Tell me where you are." Vincent's tone had come out icy and urgent.

She'd whispered, "I'm at Midnight Veil.." Then, she hung up.

Right now, the two men were clearly aroused, eyes dark with intent.

With a sly smile, Brinley said, "Take your pants off.Touch me like you mean it. Kiss me everywhere.Make it look real."

Since she had put on a performance, she made sure every detail was convincing. She reached into her purse, pulled out her phone, and twisted her face into an expression of pain and terror before handing the phone to one of the men. "Press record.Film me being 'assaulted.'"

After the video finished, Brinley took a moment to watch it. It turned out exactly the way she wanted.She smirked. The climax of the show was about to arrive. She struggled away from the men, only to be shoved down again.

Meanwhile, Vincent rushed through the club,searching room by room because he still had no idea which room Brinley was in. When he finally charged into the correct room, he saw Brinley pinned down by the two men, her clothes messy, and heard her calling out his name in pain.

Vincent's face twisted with anger. Without hesitation,he kicked both men aside. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Why did you come here alone?"

Tears streaming, Brinley threw her arms around him."Vincent, you misunderstood me earlier, and I was so upset that I sought comfort here. I never meant those words... Please don't stay angry at me..."

In the dim lighting, Vincent's expression was unreadable. "Let's get you out of here."

Brinley pressed herself to his side as they walked,but he gently moved away. "I'll get someone to bring you clean clothes," he said, taking a step back.

Desperate, Brinley grabbed his arm. "Do I disgust you now?" With her face hidden behind one hand,she began to sob again.

By the time she left the bar, Brinley was wrapped in Vincent's jacket, her arm looped tightly through his.Her eyes sparkled with victory. She knew it-Vincent still cared about her.

As he looked the other way, Brinley snapped a quick photo of herself leaning into him. She scrolled through her contacts until she found Hannah's name and sent the picture right away.