The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 33

The first thing Vivian did when she got home was head upstairs to shower.

Emerging in her pajamas, she lay back on her bed, unlocked her phone, and instantly spotted the black avatar among a sea of unread iMessages.

Was this...

Silas Sterling?

Vivian's heart skipped an inexplicable beat as she clicked on it.

Oh... Two messages, containing only two punctuation marks.

A period, and a question mark.

What did that mean?

She was completely baffled. Just as she was about to type a reply, a detail surfaced in her mind: Silas Sterling was supposedly blind.

So were these marks just random screen taps? An accidental touch?

Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't an intentional message from him.

Vivian lost interest instantly and backed out of the chat.

Just then, Zoe Hunt's call came through. She answered casually, leaning lazily against the headboard.

"Hello."

"Boss, all the procedures will be finalized tomorrow."

This was undeniably good news. Vivian's lips curled up. "Looks like we can start prepping the company transfer."

"Yes." Zoe was clearly in high spirits too. "And the paperwork the Chairman signed included a full power of attorney, so Attorney Vance can handle everything. You won't have to deal with him again."

Vivian tilted her head back. The reflection of the downstairs pool ripples danced across her ceiling, shimmering beautifully.

She stayed silent for a moment before asking, "How many days left?"

"Five days."

In five days, they could leave this place for good.

At ten o'clock that night, the sound of tires pulling into the driveway broke the silence.

Vivian was still awake, mindlessly scrolling through short videos on her phone. She paused, feeling a twinge of surprise.

Jonah hadn't been home in days. Did the sun rise in the west today?

Oh.

He was back to settle the score with her.

Barely two minutes later, a knock sounded at her door.

Vivian raised an eyebrow, watching him approach.

"What are you doing?"

Jonah stood by the bed, staring down at her.

After a suffocating silence, he finally spoke. "I remember explaining this to you. The only reason I pay so much attention to Amara is because she's your sister, and she has a heart condition."

Vivian nodded. "Yep. You're a doctor. It's only right."

The man's frown deepened. "Stop being so sarcastic."

"Oh."

Jonah looked at her stunning face, sensing something was fundamentally different. After a moment of hesitation, he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Vivian instantly shifted further inward, putting as much distance between them as possible.

"..."

Jonah's eyelids twitched. He forcefully grabbed her hand, his voice thick with suppressed anger. "Vivian, stop throwing tantrums, alright?"

Vivian met his eyes, genuinely confused about what act he was putting on now.

But in the next second, clarity hit her—