The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 322

Chapter 322

Vivian took a deep breath, her fingers curling tightly. She knew she had utterly lost this battle

“I…”

Her voice was impossibly hoarse. “I have nothing to say.”

She let go of his arm.

It was the helpless resignation of someone completely out of options.

Do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore.

The muscles in Silas’s jaw feathered with tension. He stared at her, finally letting out a short, clipped laugh. He was undeniably furious.

“You’re incredible, Vivian.”

He stood up from the sofa. “Keep it up.”

A moment ago, Vivian had been leaning half her weight against him. When he moved, she nearly tumbled off the couch, her long hair cascading down like dark silk.

She dug her slender fingers deep into the upholstery, summoning every ounce of her sanity to fight back the aggressive, surging heat in her veins.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him reach the door.

He paused and glanced back at her.

Their eyes met. Vivian forced a stiff smile-whether it was self-deprecation or something else entirely, she couldn’t say.

She lowered her gaze, swallowing the pleas that threatened to spill from her lips.

Silas opened the door and walked out, never looking back.

He stepped into the elevator.

Only then did the tightly coiled tension radiating from him show itself. Deep within his pupils, a dangerous red glint flickered.

When he got into the car, Simon immediately sensed the suffocating atmosphere. “Mr. Sterling…”

“Back to Southwood.”

Weren’t they supposed to get dinner with Miss Fairchild?

Simon kept the question to himself. If Silas didn’t offer an explanation, Simon knew better than to ask. He started the engine and drove off.

Upstairs, Vivian couldn’t care less about anything else. The moment Silas left, she stumbled into the bathroom.

She twisted the shower knob, and freezing water immediately cascaded over her.

But the cold water only cooled her skin. Deep inside, the agonizing itch remained, roaring through her system like an untamed beast.

Summer was already over; the freezing shower was practically bone-chilling.

Vivian braced one hand against the tiled wall, letting the icy spray wash over her.

Silas…

Just thinking his name made her want to grind her teeth to dust.

He said he had never been manipulated by a woman like that before, but had she ever manipulated anyone like this either?

He was completely impenetrable. Immune to both softness and force.

Vivian slowly clenched her hands into fists. Under the brutal assault of the cold water, her mind finally cleared a fraction. She pushed her soaked hair back from her face. The water trailed down her stunning features, coating her in a translucent sheen that made her look devastatingly beautiful.

Just as another agonizing wave of heat surged through her, Zoe arrived.

Zoe thought about ordering delivery but worried the quality wouldn’t be good enough. She decided to wait until the IV was finished and go buy something herself.

Checking the time, she sat by the bed and gently tucked Vivian’s exposed hand under the covers.

A dozen minutes later, her phone buzzed.

Zoe put it on silent and stepped out into the hallway to answer.

She handled most of the company’s day-to-day operations, so as the calls piled up, she had to manage them one by one.

Growing increasingly irritated, she leaned one hand against the wall, her back turned to the corridor.

“If you can’t handle a minor issue like this, what exactly am I paying you for?”

“You want to bother President Fairchild with this? If she finds out, you’ll all be packing your bags!”

She completely failed to notice a figure walking past her-a man who had recognized her, partially concealed his face, and peeked into the room to confirm exactly who was inside.

Vivian…

How careless of her to end up in the hospital.

A sinister smirk tugged at the man’s lips as he walked past without breaking his stride.

Completely unaware, Zoe hung up the phone and returned to the room.

The last IV bag emptied quickly. Vivian’s face was still flushed, but her breathing had steadied.

Zoe figured she would probably wake up soon and needed to have some hot food ready.

Hesitating for just a moment, Zoe grabbed her car keys and left the room.

The moment she walked away, a dark figure materialized at the end of the corridor.