Chapter 26

"Wasn't Brinley your first love?" Hannah's words Oozed sarcasm."Isn't it just typical for a man to get excited when his first love suddenly reappears?"

"Who put the idea in your head that Brinley was ever my first love?" Vincent replied sharply.

Her lashes fluttered slightly. Skepticism crept in. If Brinley was not his first, then who could it have been? She shot him a scornful look. "Anyway, don't count on me to help you." It was obvious to her that men driven by desire could lie convincingly.

Already on edge, Vincent snapped, "With the sour look on your face, I could not be less interested."

The words left his lips, and regret crept in immediately. He tried to take it back, but Hannah was quicker. "Is that so? Then maybe stop pressing your lower half against me," she retorted, shoving him away as his grip slipped. "Honestly, you disgust me."

That was the end of it. The fight ended with both of them angry and nothing solved.

Vincent locked himself in the study, his chest heavy and tense.

Two full days went by without a word between them.

Vincent started leaving the house early and coming home late. Meanwhile, Hannah jumped right back into her role at Nova Tech. In just forty-eight hours,she'd fired the procurement manager, overhauled the organizational structure, and left the staff grumbling behind her back-calling her a flashy figurehead with no real skills, just someone riding on connections.

The gossip pages soon lit up with bold headlines about Vincent and Brinley-"Jones Group CEO Acts out for His First Love." The story dominated the entertainment news all afternoon.

That was how Hannah learned what Vincent had really been up to after leaving her at the hospital the other day-he had rushed off to play the hero for Brinley.

Brinley kept texting Hannah photo after photo of the decorations for Sharon's upcoming birthday party.Hannah did not bother to respond.

Vincent instructed Clive to wipe the story from every entertainment site. Not long after, Derek messaged Vincent about the suit jacket-it didn't belong to Felix, and they were still working on figuring out its mysterious owner.

Vincent grunted in response and ended the call.

The next morning, almost everyone was home-Brinley was the only one missing. Sharon's eyes sparkled as she saw the family together and called everyone over for breakfast.

A fair amount of time had passed since Hannah last saw Sharon.She purred, "Sharon, I missed you." She leaned in and rested her head on Sharon's shoulder,showing real affection.

Sharon reached up and gave Hannah's nose a playfu pinch. "You sweet thing. I missed you just as much."She smoothed Hannah's hair and grinned. "Now,about the baby, how is that coming along? Will I get to hear some good news on my birthday? Nothing would make me happier than the arrival of a great-grandchild."

While speaking, Sharon turned her gaze toward Vincent,making her expectations perfectly clear.

Vincent hesitated for a moment and then replied honestly, "When things slow down at work, I'll take Hannah away on a vacation." The meaning behind his words was unmistakable.

Hannah managed a polite, well-practiced smile. A baby? She would leave Vincent's world entirely in eighteen days. Lowering her eyes, she quietly took a spoonful of porridge.

Danica, unable to keep quiet, looked Hannah up and down. "If you want my opinion, the issue probably

lies with Hannah. Five years and not a single child?That's definitely strange."

Vincent's face tightened with anger.

Danica shrugged, tossing up her hands. "Don't look at me like that. Somebody had to say it."

Hannah's grip on her spoon tightened. All those old hurts rushed back instantly. She faced Danica and spoke with steady clarity.r maybe your son's the problem."

In the past, Hannah had done everything she could to win Danica's approval, all for Vincent's sake. Yet no matter her efforts, it had never been good enough. Danica never accepted her. But now, none of that mattered anymore.

A muscle jumped in Vincent's jaw.

Danica stared at Hannah, caught off guard."What's that supposed to mean?"

"I went for a full checkup. The doctor said | was perfectly healthy. So, the childless issue is not on mell Hannah said, her tone cool. She cast a glance at Vincent. "Lately, I've noticed he's a little off. Not quite the stamina he used to have."

Two nights had passed since they last shared a bed.Now, Hannah was throwing it in his face in front of everyone. Vincent could tell she was doing it on purpose.