Chapter 7

A storm passed over Brinley's face as her fists tightened at her sides.

With her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised,Hannah gave Brinley a look. "Don't hold back now.Let's hear the rest."

Brinley retorted, "Do you seriously believe any of this will get between Vincent and me?"

With a dismissive laugh, Hannah waved her off."Don't talk like I am interested in winning my husband back. You already slept with him. I don't want him anymore."

Refusing to let the conversation drag on, Hannah made her way upstairs to find Danica.

Brinley's voice rang out from behind, sharp and loaded. "Let me make something clear. The only reason Vincent married you is that he took you as a stand-in during my absence."

Stopping on the landing, Hannah looked back,her tone as steady as ever. "Then let me remind you of something. Vincent is my husband, on paper and in reality. You? You'll never be anything more than his shameless mistress."

With her head held high, Hannah didn't spare another glance as she continued up the steps, every move confident. When she reached Danica, she collected three property deeds and slipped out of the house without saying goodbye.

Vincent arrived barely a minute later, urgency in every step. He rushed into the living room and looked around, only to find no sign of Hannah, the person he wanted to see. "Hannah's left already?" He didn't bother disguising his frustration.

Brinley, eager to stir things up, decided to mention the man she'd seen with Hannah at the Gilded Restaurant. "Yeah, she left. And she wasn't alone.Some guy picked herup."

Vincent's face clouded even more.

The sound of footsteps signaled Danica's descent from upstairs. Seeing her son, she broke into a smile."It's been so long since you came home. Why not stay for dinner tonight? Brinley's here too. Maybe the three of us could catch up like old times."

Vincent shook his head, voice devoid of warmth."I've got work to finish." He glanced over at Brinley."We need to talk. Alone."

Vincent didn't bother looking back as he stepped out of the living room.

Brinley lingered in the doorway, uncertainty shadowing her features before she trailed after him.Her lips parted, ready to speak, but Vincent's voice cut through the tension. "When did I ever sleep with you? Why did you fabricate such things to my wife?"

His tone was grave, eyes locked on her with piercing clarity.

A moment passed before Brinley seemed to crumble.

Tears shimmered in her eyes, sudden and raw, as if he'd laid her soul bare. "Vincent, my feelings for you never disappeared. Watching you and Hannah together-it tore me apart. I blurted out those things because I wanted you to care for me again. Weren't we crazy about each other once?"

She reached out, wrapping her arms around his waist in a desperate embrace. He moved away, breaking her grip. "I am married," he said, steady and unwavering. "Don't say such words again,especially when Hannah's around. The only reason I go out of my way to look after you now is because of your father."

Brinley's voice cracked, desperate. "But Hannah means nothing to you. She's just a stand-in!"

"No," Vincent retorted firmly. "She's my wife."Without another word, he turned his back on her and left.

Silent tears streaked down Brinley's face, but in their wake, a sharp and calculating glimmer appeared. A stand-in had managed to claim everything she believed belonged to her. What did Hannah have that she lacked?

...

Hannah sold off the three properties. A staggering five hundred million hit her bank account without warning.

She started by clearing every outstanding debt and settling all the company's unpaid salaries. After that,she purchased a house in Sterling Heights, the most prestigious and heavily guarded neighborhood in all of Dorbarrow. The people who lived there weren't just wealthy or influential-they were both.

She bought the house to live in by herself and avoid being located by Vincent. Deep down, she doubted he would chase after her anyway. Expecting that much from him felt foolish.

Her first evening behind those guarded gates brought an unexpected twist. Instead of quiet solitude, she brought in a troupe of sharply dressed male escorts-less for their company, more for the show of it.

Each man stood at attention, shirts unbuttoned just enough to reveal hard muscle and practiced confidence. They all understood the art of being admired.

As Hannah lounged with a glass of red wine, she ran her finger along one man's sculpted arm, more curious than captivated.

Even with laughter and music swirling around her, a hollowness pressed in. Her mind, stubborn as ever,wandered back to the one person she shouldn't miss. Vincent's physique wasn't nearly as impressive,but his body had always felt perfect to her. Nothing compared to the memory of tracing his sweat-slicked abs after their most passionate nights-soft,heated,alive beneath her touch. And then, after the heat of the moment, he'd always murmur her nickname "Anna" in that quiet, hungry way, and then pull her close for another round.

Her thoughts were spiraling somewhere they shouldn't be when her phone rang, snapping her out of it. Rena's name flashed on the screen. "Hannah, I just heard-Miles landed today. He came in through the VIP terminal. Want to head to the airport and catch him?"