Chapter 35

No sooner had Clive finished wondering about Vincent's big plans than Brinley arrived, breezing through the reception.

"Hello, Mr. Monroe. Is Vincent available right now?" Brinley purred.

A spark of intrigue lit up Clive's eyes. "He's in his office," he answered, barely hiding his excitement.

An odd glance from Brinley caught his expression, but she let it go without a word.

Earlier, Clive had nearly spilled Vincent's request for a ring in his surprise-luckily, he managed to hold back.

Skipping any kind of announcement, Brinley swung open Vincent's office door and stepped inside. "Are you free at the moment, Vincent?"

Without looking away from his paperwork, Vincent responded, "Next time, try knocking first."

Although she pulled a face, she didn't protest.

"Is there something you needed?" he asked, eyes still glued to the document in his hands.

"Vincent, would it be possible for me to get a job here?" Her voice softened as she approached his desk.

Bills were piling up for her. Despite the support Vincent had provided-both abroad and since she returned -she had drained her funds paying off the two men she'd once hired. Panic set in after hearing about Hannah's trip to the police, and she ended up spending even more to make sure those two men disappeared for good.

It wasn't until then that Vincent set his work aside, studying her with a puzzled look. "You have no plan to return to Bellavia?"

That idea was out of the question for her. With his divorce on the horizon, she planned to stay and finally take her place as his wife, "I'm not going back," she replied, shaking her head for emphasis.

"But I thought your stay in the city was temporary," Vincent insisted, his brow furrowed.

A little smile played on Brinley's lips. "Originally, I did mean to just take a break before going back. But it's warmer here than I remembered. Honestly, I don't want to leave anymore."

With her lashes lowered, a subtle shadow of sorrow crossed her features. "Years back, my mother remarried overseas. After she had my younger brother, she barely acknowledged me anymore. Whenever I'm unwell,I go to the hospital on my own. That house isn't a home. It's just empty and cold. I can't bear the thought of returning. If my father and brother were still around, they'd never let things get this bad for me."

A faint wave of sympathy flickered in Vincent's eyes. After a moment's pause, he spoke. "There's a subsidiary of Jones Group called Polaris Tech. I'll put you in charge of it. There's an apartment close by, and you can move in as soon as you'd like. Clive will see to all the details."

Brinley was caught off guard, surprise and happiness lighting up her face. He was practically handing her an entire company. That had to mean he truly cared for her. Her smile turned soft and grateful."Thank you,Vincent. I won't let you down."

"Good," he replied.

Uncertainty crept back into Brinley's voice as she asked, "What about Hannah? She did hire those men to harass me, but since nothing actually happened, maybe we can just let it go?"

Vincent redirected his attention to the papers in front of him. "I'll handle it."

A quiet nod from Brinley. "Thanks for everything, Vincent."

No sooner had she walked out than Vincent's phone buzzed with Derek's name on the screen. "Mr. Jones,those two guys who went after Miss Gilbert have already gone back to their hometowns. Should we keep tracking them down?"

"Don't stop. Keep investigating." Vincent pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off a headache.

After a pause, Derek said, "There's one more thing. When I dropped by your house for the files, Mrs. Jones asked about the suit jacket. I brushed her off with a white lie, but... Should I just buy her an identical one?"

A muscle jumped in Vincent's jaw as his gaze landed on the wedding ring glinting coldly on his hand."Boredom must really be getting to you," he replied, his tone icy enough to send a chill down the phone.

Clearly, that meant "no." Derek frowned. How was he supposed to answer Hannah if she asked again? He couldn't admit the jacket had been thrown away on Vincent's orders, could he?

After ending the call, Vincent's expression hardened, unreadable in the dim light. Was she seriously worried about another man's jacket?