Chapter 962 Vincent's Superb Acting Skills
Vincent leaned back in his chair, a smile playing at his lips. He wasn't entirely sure what he was anticipating, but he found himself looking forward to seeing her.
He texted: [Bring me a burger—the deluxe one.]
Vincent transferred $10,000 to Selene, who responded with a flurry of excited emojis.
She arrived at Hamilton Group headquarters in record time—faster than any delivery service, making it there in under thirty minutes.
"Do you have an appointment, miss?" A security guard stopped her at the entrance.
Selene held up the burger bag. "I'm delivering food."
The guard shook his head. "Sorry, no entry without an appointment. You can leave deliveries in the drop-off area outside."
"This is for Mr. Hamilton himself—he ordered it personally." Selene pulled out her phone to message Vincent.
From behind, Lily approached. "For Vincent? I can take it up to him."
Selene turned and instinctively stepped back, as if facing a dangerous predator. Liam had warned her about Lily's ruthlessness.
Lily, however, interpreted Selene's reaction as guilt—clearly assuming she was trying to seduce Vincent.
"You can leave now. I'll handle the delivery." Lily reached for the burger.
Selene dodged her attempt, feeling strangely certain that Lily might poison it.
Lily's expression darkened. "Excuse me?"
"This is Ms. Taylor, our boss's future wife," a receptionist quickly intervened. "You can give the delivery to her. Ms. Taylor, Mr. Hamilton is in his office."
Selene paused, uncertain. She had, after all, accepted $10,000 just to pick up a burger for him—and the job wasn't even done yet.
"Let me check first." She retreated to a corner and messaged Vincent: [Your girlfriend is here. Should I let her bring up the burger?]
Vincent didn't respond.
After waiting for what felt like forever, Selene was about to leave—she'd already been paid, after all—when Vincent himself appeared in the lobby.
His expression was cold as he glanced at Lily before addressing Selene. "You're slow. I'm docking your pay."
Selene hurried forward, bowing slightly. "Mr. Hamilton, your deluxe burger, sir."
Vincent took the bag and dismissed her with a wave. "You can go."
Selene exhaled with relief and bolted, not wasting a second—as if lingering any longer would somehow negate the $10,000 Vincent had paid her.
Lily watched Selene's hasty departure with suspicion, though she wondered if she was overthinking things. Would Vincent really be interested in someone like that? The woman was so ordinary, practically invisible in a crowd.
"Vincent, I didn't know you liked these. You should have said something—I could have our chef make them. Homemade is always cleaner than takeout. Who knows what ingredients they use out there." Lily's comment carried a thinly veiled insinuation about Selene's cleanliness.
Vincent turned and started walking back. "Selene works for Liam, who's Ethan's most trusted person and cousin. Understand?"
Lily quickly caught up, relieved. "I'm sorry, Vincent. I didn't realize it was part of your strategy. I thought—"
"Thought what?" Vincent frowned at her.
Inside the elevator, Vincent lifted her chin with his hand. "That I'd be interested in her? If she didn't have strategic value, do you think I'd let someone like that anywhere near me?"
Lily smiled and embraced him. "I knew you couldn't possibly be interested in her."
Lily considered herself far more beautiful and sophisticated than Selene, not to mention smarter and more valuable. How could Vincent possibly be attracted to some country girl?
In Vincent's office, Lily noticed Selene's jacket on his desk and reached for it.
Vincent snatched it away and tossed it in the trash. "Why must you touch everything? It's filthy."
Lily froze.
Before she could respond, Vincent continued, "I retrieved it from the counseling room this morning. With this jacket as a pretext, I can maintain contact with Selene. She's simple-minded—with a few small favors, she'll betray Liam in no time."
Lily smiled, realizing she had indeed misinterpreted the situation.
Vincent wasn't hiding anything from her.
Perhaps she had misjudged him. After all, if Vincent could resist her for so long, why would he be attracted to someone so far from sensual?
"Vincent, I'm leaving for Moscow tomorrow. Will you miss me?" Lily embraced him playfully.
She was going to meet the mysterious figure behind the black market. This time, she aimed to establish an alliance that would eliminate all obstacles in her path. She wanted not just to capture the Silverlight City market, but to dominate it completely.
She was determined to climb higher, making everyone look up to her.
"Of course I'll miss you," Vincent replied halfheartedly.
Lily was visibly disappointed. "Vincent..."
Vincent smiled. "Should I come with you?"
This satisfied Lily, and she hugged him tighter. "Not yet. He's extremely cautious and doesn't trust you. He specifically requested to meet only me. Let me meet him first, then I'll find an opportunity to introduce you."
Vincent nodded.
His strategic retreat had worked perfectly.
Now Lily could proceed to Moscow with peace of mind.
"Alright, I'm quite busy here. You don't need to stay and keep me company," Vincent said, secretly concerned his deluxe burger was getting cold.
"Sometimes I feel like you don't care about me at all, Vincent..." Lily said, sounding hurt.
"Why do you think I've been visiting the psychologist so often? Just to nap?" Vincent sighed, his acting impeccable. "I've told you before—I have PTSD and bipolar disorder. I struggle with understanding how to love someone... I'm trying my hardest to be good to you, which is why I'm working to heal myself."
"Vincent, I'm sorry..." Lily embraced him sympathetically. "I should have been more considerate of your feelings."
"It's not your fault," Vincent said, stroking her hair.
"Well, I'll let you work. I'll make something special for dinner tonight." Lily stood on tiptoe, attempting to kiss him, but Vincent avoided it.
Lily attributed this to his psychological issues.
She laughed awkwardly and reluctantly left, still captivated by Vincent's naturally mesmerizing features.
Once alone, Vincent frowned, wiped his hands with an alcohol wipe, and retrieved the jacket from the trash. He opened the burger, noting it was no longer fresh.
Displeased, he called Ethan.
"Your suspicions were correct. The Cunningham Group is under intense scrutiny, and the black market operator can't move contraband through their channels for now. They'll likely target the Powell family next. Lily flies to Moscow tomorrow."
The Powell Corporation controlled the largest port in Kerea and had established a strong foothold in Silverlight City. The mysterious figure behind the black market would certainly be looking for alternative routes, and Lily was positioning herself as that alternative.
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