Chapter 66

Hannah spoke sharply, and Vincent's expression darkened with a hard frown. After making sure Brinley was steady on her feet, he turned to face Hannah and asked in a voice stripped of warmth,"How many times do I have to say it? I told you to quit talking about divorce. Haven't you thrown enough tantrums?"

Initially, Vincent had thought it was best to just give Hannah the silent treatment for a while-they'd been arguing too often lately, always over Brinley. But he hadn't expected Hannah to chase him down here and even make a scene.

A quiet satisfaction flickered across Brinley's face.She knew Vincent would take her side, no matter what.

Rena couldn't take it anymore and marched forward,

pointing right at Vincent. "You call this throwing a tantrum? Maybe take a look in the mirror. You and your lover started all this, but suddenly it's out of bounds to point that out?"

Not even bothering to acknowledge Rena, Vincent replied, "This doesn't concern you. Stay out of it.You're just an outsider."

That was enough to silence Rena, at least for a moment.

Hannah stepped protectively in front of her friend and let out a low, bitter laugh. "Then go ahead and talk to me. I'm not an outsider,aml?"

Whatever Hannah once felt for Vincent had finally faded away. Not a single drop of hope remained in her for him now. She gazed up at Vincent, a distant smile formed on her lips. "Since you've already brought her here to try on wedding dresses, perhaps you should get moving on our divorce."

Vincent's face grew stormy as he caught Hannah's wrist. "I told you, don't bring up divorce again."

Brinley glanced sideways at Vincent, momentarily surprised. So he was the one who didn't want the divorce? No, that couldn't be right. The way he cared for her didn't feel fake. Maybe he was just embarrassed by the confrontation.

Hannah let out a derisive smirk. Vincent had always been like this, claiming one thing while his actions suggested otherwise. The very man who resisted divorce was now parading another woman around,helping her choose wedding dresses. The irony was almost laughable.

Wrenching her wrist free, Hannah fixed him with a cold stare.

With just that look, Vincent felt the distance between them widen even further. He had been noticing her grow more indifferent toward him lately. He'd thought giving her the cold shoulder for a couple of days would make her panic and soften her approach toward her, maybe even going back to their past dynamics. However, after three long days apart, he found she seemed completely unfazed. Nothing about her reaction matched what he had imagined.

A flash of annoyance crossed Vincent's face as he tugged at his tie, searching for relief.

Not wanting to drag things out, Hannah lost all desire to try on that soft green dress anymore. She handed the gown to an assistant and headed straight to the register to pay.

From the register all the way to the exit, she never once turned to glance at Vincent.

Vincent's mood darkened.

Brinley reached out and softly took his hand. "Please don't be upset, Vincent. Hannah just gets the wrong idea.I'll try to explain things to her."

Finally, Vincent's gaze landed on Brinley.

Brinley caught his gaze and spun with a grin. "Well?What do you think, Vincent?"

A sharp edge crept into his voice as he replied, "Take it off."

That response left Brinley frozen, confusion written across her face. "What... What did you just say?"

Cold and unwavering, Vincent answered, "Wedding dresses aren't something you should be trying on."

Attending the Cloudspire Center gala was never high on Vincent's list. He'd only said yes because Brinley wanted his company, and her role as the manager required her to keep up appearances at these events. She'd asked for his help with gown shopping,and he'd agreed, thinking it was harmless. Now,standing here, he was caught off guard by how things had turned out.

Seeing his mood shift, Brinley quickly softened her tone, letting a bit of sadness show. "I'm sorry,Vincent. The dress just looked so pretty, and l wanted to try it on. That was all. I had no other intentions. I only wanted to know what I'd look like in a wedding gown. With my condition, I'm afraid I might not make it to my big day. I just thought maybe my dad and brother would like to see me dressed like this."

The tension from Vincent's expression softened,his jaw set with tension. "So, which one did you like?"