That day, the rain was torrential. Burning with fever, she had nearly gotten into an ident on her way to the hospital. She had copsed the moment she stepped out of her car. If a passerby hadn''t found her and carried her inside, she might not have survived that stormy night.


    "What a coincidence," Yves chimed in, holding up his right index finger. "I cut my finger this morning, and Ms. Green here was so frightened she insisted on driving me to the hospital. A little longer and the wound would have healed on its own."


    On his finger was a scratch so faint it was barely visible.


    "You don''t have to make such a fuss next time. A little thing like this is nothing," he said, looking at Hannah with a doting expression.


    Hannah was speechless.


    Seriously? How can he lie so naturally without even blushing? And I was so frightened I had to rush him to the hospital? Only a fool would believe that!


    To her astonishment, Lionel believed it.


    His face darkened instantly, his cool, indifferent facade crumbling as a storm of emotions churned within him.


    "A waste of resources," he muttered coldly before walking over to a nearby table. Watching Lionel''s reaction, Yves nearly burst outughing.


    Hannah shot him a frustrated look and whispered, “Mr. Lancaster, please don''t joke like that again."


    Her heart really couldn''t take it.


    Yves tilted his head. "Why not? Did you see his reaction? It was rather strange."


    "Strange?"


    He raised an eyebrow, his eyes seeming to see through everything. "He''s here with another woman, yet he''s still concerned about you. Don''t you find that strange?"


    Hannah''s gaze darkened, and she remained silent.


    In truth, she found it strange too.


    If he loved Sandra so much that he''d use their divorce papers to cate her, then why wouldn''t he just- finalize the divorce with her? Didn''t finalize


    he feel guilty for stringing her along like this?


    Or perhaps it was because he felt guilty that he was treating Sandra even better,


    as a way topensate?


    If that was the case... he was just a pathetic scumbag.


    As Sandra sat down, she couldn''t help but nce at Hannah again. “Lionel, don''t


    you think Hannah and Mr. Lancaster are getting a little too close?"


    Lionel''s cold eyes narrowed, a hint of anger in them.


    "It seems she''s really upset about those divorce papers," Sandra said, putting down the menu and looking at him seriously. "You need to have a proper talk with her. If she does something rash out of anger and your mother finds out, it won''t be good."


    He had almost forgotten about that.


    Initially, his mother had even wanted to buy Hannah off, to make her


    promise to never publicly


    acknowledge the


    to forget the past. If his


    and


    grandmother hadn''t intervened, they would have beenplete


    strangers by now.


    If his mother found out what Hannah was doing now...


    "You don''t need to worry about this," Lionel said, his gaze chilling.


    Sandra wanted to say more, but seeing the grim look on his face, she held her tongue.


    He nced over at Hannah, his eyes filled with a somber light.


    She was stillughing and chatting with Yves,pletely undisturbed by their presence. Her cheerful, radiant expression was a painfully sharp sight.


    Hannah looked up, and their eyes met. For a moment, she froze, then impassively shifted her gaze away.


    That fleeting reaction sent a jolt through Lionel''s heart, a sour ache spreading from his chest.


    Long after Hannah and Yves had left, Lionel''s mood remained unsettled.


    That evening, Hannah changed her clothes for dinner at the family estate.


    "Why aren''t you wearing the ne I gave you?" Lionel asked, appearing beside her and staring at her bare neck.