Chapter 30

"We still don't have all the facts," Vincent said with a frown, his voice turning even colder.

Danica grew restless. "Vincent, how can you say that? Brinley's already dug up so much evidence. Hannah did this to her!"

Vincent stayed calm,replying,"1was the one who'd picked Brinley up that day. At that time, Hannah was still in the hospital. How would she have pulled this off?"

Brinley's expression faltered for a brief moment.

Danica muttered, "She must have arranged everything ahead of time. She could have hired those men long before. She didn't need to be there in person."

A wave of cold swept through Hannah. Danica's dislike for her really ran deep. Looking back at how desperately she once tried to earn Danica's approval, she saw now what a waste it had been.

Turning to Vincent, Hannah was surprised. She never expected him to intervene, much less defend her.

Brinley pressed her lips together, tears welling up again. "Vincent, when I first found out about this 1doubted it too. I struggled to believe Hannah would go so far." Tears streamed down her cheeks, every look crafted for sympathy. "But I have proof-a recording. The two men even mentioned her name."

Brinley took out her phone and played the audio for everyone to hear. "The client? Yeah, it was that woman,Hannah... Hannah Scott or something. She said we could do anything to Brinley and promised a big bonus when it was over. Brinley was a reaI looker, smooth skin, tiny waist, any man would want to..."

Brinley hastily stopped the recording, visibly flustered. She looked at Hannah with shaking eyes. "I know you never liked me, and you hated that I came to the Jones house. But I never imagined you'd try to hurt me like this."

Danica kept rubbing Brinley's back in a show of comfort, while Vincent tapped his fingers on the table, his face impossible to read.

Hannah could barely stop herself from laughing. "That's your so-called proof? Getting two guys to say my name in a recording? What exactly does that prove? And if I had actually hired them, do you think I'd have been dumb enough to use my real name?"

Brinley flinched but quickly recovered with a wounded sigh. "Hannah, I only want an apology. But after everything we've shown, you don't even seem a bit sorry."

Hannah folded her arms, her tone unwavering. "Why should I apologize for something I didn't do?"

Fresh tears sparkled in Brinley's eyes. "Then explain why your phone has a video of me being harassed by those men at the club?"

Hannah's eyebrows drew together in confusion. A heavy feeling of dread settled in her stomach."What are you even talking about?"

Before Hannah could react, Danica stepped forward and snatched Hannah's phone out of her grip.

Brinley wasted no time. She opened the photo album, found a video, played it, and shoved the screen in front of Hannah. "Are you still going to claim you had nothing to do with this?"

Brinley's desperate screams echoed from the phone speaker.

Hannah stared at the unfamiliar video playing on her own device. Then, it hit her-just yesterday, Brinley had visited her room, supposedly to discuss plans for Sharon's birthday. Right in the middle of their talk, Danica had called her downstairs. She had left her phone behind. That must have been when Brinley made her move.

Hannah's fists tightened with anger. Brinley must have realized the audio was not enough, so she planted this video as backup-now she was pressing her advantage.

Danica pounced right away. "What now? You're out of excuses. Say sorry to Brinley. Right noW."

Hannah lifted her head, her eyes steady. "If there's a video, why stop at apologies? Let's get the police involved."

Danica's face twisted in outrage. She clutched her forehead."Have you lost it? Dragging this to the police-what does that do for the Jones family?" She shook Vincent's arm, growing frantic. "Vincent, are you just going to let her do as she pleases? Do you really want to involve the police?"

Brinley didn't want to involve the police either. Her eyes welled up as she turned to Vincent. "Vincent, I'm not asking for much. I just want Hannah to apologize. That's it. The police won't fix anything.It'll only reopen my wounds and make me relive it all over again."

Hannah couldn't stand another moment of Brinley's theatrics in front of Vincent. She grabbed the phone back from Brinley's grasp."You want an apology? Let's see what the police think. By the time this is finished, you might owe me an apology."

She started to dial, but Vincent moved fast and blocked the screen with his hand."We're not involving the police," he said, voice flat and final.