Chapter 72

Brinley curled her lips in satisfaction. She knew it-Vincent would give in eventually. As she replayed the gala in her mind, her fury simmered beneath the surface. The audacity of Hannah, shaming her in public like that,right in front of Vincent, no less!

With careful calculation, Brinley squeezed out a few convincing tears and gave Vincent a wounded look."Vincent, I never meant to keep my being Victoria from you. I just couldn't figure out how to explain it. And at the gala-I had no clue why Hannah came after me like that. The way she went after me... It was humiliating. People jumped to conclusions and whispered things that aren't true. My heart pounded so fast that I just blacked out."

"Don't mind Hannah's antics," Vincent said calmly, idly twisting his wedding ring as he bent his knee.

To him, Hannah's behavior was just another recent outburst. He had dismissed everything she'd said at the gala without a second thought.

Relief washed over Brinley, her spirits rising. The meaning behind Vincent's words was clear-he was taking her side. Her place in Vincent's heart was unshakable, no matter what chaos Hannah created.

Their drive ended ten minutes later at the gates of the Jones family estate.

Eager to move ahead, Brinley stepped from the car first, her ears catching Vincent's quiet conversation with Derek. His instructions were clear-Derek was to go fetch Hannah from Cloudspire Center.

Instantly, Brinley's smile faded. What had Hannah done to deserve special treatment? Before jealousy could take root, she composed herself, plastering on her sweetest smile as Vincent approached.

Inside the entryway, Vincent and Brinley were greeted by Sharon, settled on the living room sofa.

Sharon usually tended to her garden, challenged someone to chess, and took long walks. Thus, her stillness on the sofa was jarring.

A shadow crossed Sharon's face as soon as they appeared. "Why is it just the two of you?"

Tension laced her words, hinting at an obvious disappointment at someone's presence.

Brinley knew Sharon implied she was not welcome. Her lips parted to respond, but Sharon had already fixed Vincent with a glare and jabbed a finger in his direction. "Didn't I tell you to bring your wife home? Where is she? Are you ignoring my words now?"

Nothing ever rattled the powerful CEO ofthe Jones Group-except his grandmother's scolding. With her,Vincent had no choice but to listen in silence.

Dragging a tired hand across his forehead, Vincent let himself slump into the cushions. "Derek's already on his way to pick her up," he muttered.

Sharon jabbed him in the arm. "You little rascal. That's your idea of winning your wife over? That's your wife,and you send your assistant to bring her home?"

Vincent was at a loss for words.

Brinley sat stiffly beside them, listening to the entire conversation revolving around Hannah, as though she didn't exist. She pressed her teeth into her bottom lip, swallowing her frustration, but kept quiet. Sharon's anger was written all over her face. Staying silent was the only safe move.

A sudden ringtone cut through the tension. Vincent glanced at his phone. Derek was calling.

Expecting a report of having fetched Hannah, Vincent put the call on speaker, making sure Sharon could listen in.

Sharon leaned in.

"Derek, put Hannah on the line," Vincent instructed.

On the other end, Derek sounded bewildered. "Mr. Jones, your wife has already left. I didn't see her."

Vincent's face turned cold in an instant. He let out a short, bitter laugh before hanging up.

Sharon's eyes sparkled with a silent "I told you so."

Uncertainty darkened Vincent's features. Hannah had left the gala. She wasn't coming home.Where had she disappeared to?

The tap of Sharon's cane against the floor punctuated her annoyance. "Didn't I warn you? Your wife ran off.And another thing-Hannah is your wife, not some business contact. Why are you hiding behind your assistant instead of speaking to her yourself? Marriage isn't handled by delegation,Vincent."

A storm seemed to pass over Vincent's face. Even phone calls didn't reach Hannah-she'd gone as far as blocking his number.

Sharon let out a weary sigh. "You two were never like this before. What on earth did you do to upset her so badly?"