Chapter 4 It Was Brinley's Voice

For several days straight, Vincent returned home each night just in time for dinner with Hannah. Every evening, as soon as the meal ended, he hurried right back to his office.

That particular night, Hannah turned in early. The next day, morning light woke her, and she soon noticed an arm draped around her waist. Vincent had come into the guest room and fallen asleep beside her. She could not recall the last time he slept at home.

When she tried to slip away, his hold only tightened. The closeness sent her heart into a wild rhythm.

"You're awake?" he murmured, his voice hoarse from the sleep.

"Yeah."

"I got something for you." He straightened up and reached for an elegant gift box resting on the nightstand.

"This purple gemstone necklace-it's one of a kind." His tone grew gentle. "Would you like me to put it on you?"

Hannah let him, gathering her hair to make room as he fastened the necklace around her neck. He always knew what suited her. The color brought out the best in her features.

Without warning, Vincent leaned closer, his lips skimming along the side of her neck and sending a tickling shiver across her skin. "Didn't Grandma mention we should think about having a baby?" His hand moved slowly toward the edge of her dress. "Why don't we make one now?"

His familiar scent closed in around her, and her body instinctively responded. Eight years of loving Vincent had left its mark. Every reaction gave her feelings away. But she was no longer the girl she had been eight years ago. Logic now held more power over her than longing ever could. A divorce loomed over them. She could not imagine bringing a child into a marriage on the verge of ending.

Carefully, Hannah placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "I'm not feeling up to it today."

Vincent made another attempt. "Is something wrong?"

A quiet answer left her lips. "No, I'm just tired."

He heard the finality in her voice and knew she meant every word. Reluctantly, he let her go. Still restless, he decided to take a cold shower. But before he could reach the bathroom, his phone buzzed with a call from Brinley. A scowl crossed his face. Muttering about needing to get back to work, he left the room.

Hannah had no doubts about who he was really going to meet-Brinley. Once he was gone, she sat up and pulled out the documents Felix had handed her. The hours slipped by as she read through every page. Her notes filled every margin of the documents-page corners dog-eared, sections underlined, questions scribbled in bold.

Reaching for her phone, she sent Felix a message. "Are you available? I've got some questions about the company."

His response came without delay. "Let's talk over dinner tomorrow. And it's your treat."

The following day, they met at the Gilded Restaurant.

Felix spent most of the meal outlining the company's struggles from the last few years. Hannah listened intently, concern visible in the lines on her face.

She tapped the stack of papers in front of her. "Have you noticed how our women's safety products have all started to look and feel the same? There's nothing new anymore."

Felix nodded. "We have tried to bring in new ideas, but nothing seemed to take off."

"Have you ever thought about using AI? We could develop a smart assistant that would really transform our whole product lineup."

Felix leaned back and answered honestly, "The idea has come up, but with our company struggling, no one wants to partner with us."

A spark of hope lit her voice. "I heard the CEO of VitraMind is coming back to the country. Maybe we could-"

Before she could finish, a familiar voice interrupted her. "Well, what a coincidence. Fancy seeing you here."

Brinley approached their table, smiling.

The moment Hannah spotted Brinley, her mood soured. "Don't act like we're that close."

Then, Hannah's eyes landed on the necklace around Brinley's neck, the very same purple gemstone necklace Vincent had claimed was "one of a kind." She sneered inwardly. So much for one of a kind. He had given her and Brinley each an identical gemstone necklace. She should have known better than to trust his words.

Having made her point, Brinley turned and walked off, but not before casually snapping a photo of Hannah and Felix together from a distance.

Elsewhere, Vincent was busy sending a text to Hannah. "I'll be home for dinner tonight." He believed that after last night, things had gone back to normal. He hadn't taken her talk of divorce seriously and just assumed it was another outburst. In his mind, she loved him too much to walk away.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. A photo arrived. It showed Hannah at dinner with another man. He zoomed in, noticing right away that she wasn't wearing her wedding ring. A muscle jumped in his jaw, and his eyes went cold.

Meanwhile, since Gilded Restaurant was known as a gathering spot for the city's wealthy, that afternoon, besides running into Brinley, Hannah also crossed paths with several people from the privileged circle.

Voices drifted behind her, sharp enough to cut.

"Looks like Hannah's hooked herself a new loaded guy."

"You didn't hear? Brinley's back in town. Vincent must have dumped her already."

"Word is, Vincent drove Brinley back after she got wasted last night."

"Seriously? And Hannah just let it slide?"

"Probably settled with money. Hannah moves on fast, doesn't she? Already has someone new by her side."

"Honestly, Hannah is a stunner. That figure, that face... Man, I'd pay just to get a handful. Wonder what her rate is?"

The men burst out laughing, crude and careless, not bothering to keep their voices down.

Hannah glanced at Felix, giving him a small smile. "Excuse me a moment. I have something to handle."

She then strode right over to the group of men, her smile steady. "Were you talking about me?"

Some of the men shrank back, but one spoke up, bold as ever. "What? It's not like we've said anything wrong. You were never even Vincent's girlfriend-just a kept woman. Now you're out, and we're not allowed to talk about it?"

Hannah's smile turned sharper. "Actually, you couldn't have been more wrong. When I was with Vincent, Brinley wasn't even in the picture yet. I got bored and tossed him aside. Understand?"

Then, she fixed her eyes on the man who'd made the crude joke. "And as for you?" She sized him up from head to toe, her smile cold. "You look like an overstuffed pig in an expensive shirt. I'd rather kill myself than let you anywhere near me."

Without missing a beat, she grabbed a glass of red wine and splashed it right across his chest.

The man shot to his feet, rage twisting his face, and reached for her. Felix moved quicker, stepping in between them and seizing the man's wrist. His voice stayed calm. "Trying to lay hands on a woman? Real classy."

"Ouch! Damn it. Let go!" the man cried out in pain.

Felix tightened his grip just a little. "If I held on any tighter, you'd be in a sling." A hard look from him followed. "Now scram."

The man hurried off, humiliated and red-faced.

Hannah smiled at Felix, her tone light. "Appreciate it. But I am afraid we'll have to finish our conversation another time."

Felix shrugged. "No worries. We'll pick it up next time." He took a moment to study her expression. "If I'm not mistaken, you were married to Vincent, right?" Nothing like those rumors about her being kept.

She answered without hesitation, "Yeah. But divorce is on the way."

There was a flicker of delight in his eyes, though quickly followed by concern. "Did he treat you badly?"

A pause followed before Hannah replied, "We just couldn't make it work anymore." She looked away and gave a dry laugh. "Funny, isn't it? When I left the company five years ago, I really thought I'd be happy. Looks like I was wrong."

Felix shook his head. "That's alright. You get married to be happy. You leave for the same reason."

A small smile played on her lips. "That's true."

They fell into step together, walking side by side. As they passed a private dining room, a high, breathless woman's voice echoed into the hall. "Vincent... Don't stop... Ah, right there... Yes, that's perfect... You feel incredible..."

Hannah stopped in her tracks. There was no mistaking it-Brinley's voice. Her legs refused to budge despite her desire to leave. Tears gathered in her eyes and fell before she could blink them away.