Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 338

But looking at Vivian's face—a face virtually identical to Xenia's—still sent a visceral jolt of terror through her.

Guilt had a way of gnawing at the soul.

If the truth about her stealing the patent ever got out, her life would be entirely ruined.

Summer leaned in, feigning sweet concern. "Lilith, why do you look so pale?"

Vivian played right along. Crossing her arms, she shot Lilith a sideways, condescending glare. "She's probably been doing something filthy in the shadows. The guilt must be eating her alive."

Lilith was indeed drowning in guilt, and having Vivian hit the nail so perfectly on the head only made her panic worse. To compensate, she shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Don't you dare slander me! It's just my pregnancy hormones making me pale!"

Vivian clicked her tongue. "Morning sickness is morning sickness. What's with the screaming? Did I accidentally expose a nerve? Panicking because you got caught?"

"Vivian West!" Lilith fixed her with a venomous glare, looking exactly like a cornered viper hissing from a sewer grate.

"Ooh, hit a sore spot, did I?" Vivian smirked, her smile freezing the air in the room. "If you don't want people to find out, maybe you shouldn't do it in the first place. Did you really think we were completely blind to your dirty little secrets?"

Lilith's heart seized. A wave of ice shot from the soles of her feet straight to her chest. Her hands curled into tight fists as she gritted her teeth. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm saying," Vivian drawled, her tone drenched in dripping sarcasm, "that since you climbed your way up as a mistress, you'd better keep your tail tucked and lay low. Otherwise, karma's going to catch up to you real fast!"

Lilith's phone pinged with a notification. She glanced at the screen, then suddenly burst into loud, theatrical sobs. "Summer, business is just business! We all rely on our own skills. How could you threaten me to hand over my projects? I worked so hard to sign those contracts!"

Summer let out a burst of laughter, turning to Vivian with a lazy, unbothered expression. "See? What did I tell you? Here comes the fake injury routine."

Vivian's eyes practically sparkled with amusement. "Damn, Lilith. It's a real tragedy you're not in Hollywood. This acting is totally wasted here."

They watched the spectacle as if they were observing a clown fumbling a juggling routine.

The physical damage was zero, but the sheer humiliation was off the charts.

Lilith glared at them with pure malice, crying through gritted teeth as she leveled her accusation. "You two are monsters! Seeing that I'm pregnant and can't move easily, you trapped me in the bathroom and won't let me leave! Are you even human?!"

"I'm telling you right now, Summer, I'm never giving those projects to you! Go ahead and hit me if you dare!"

Smack!

Lilith delivered a brutal slap across her own face, leaving a blazing red handprint stamped on her cheek.

Bang! A deafening crash echoed as the restroom door was violently kicked open. The heavy wood slammed against the wall, bounced back, and was kicked viciously open again.

Xavier stood in the doorway, his face a mask of towering rage.

Lilith threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Xavier! Summer cornered me in the bathroom! She wants all my projects, and when I refused, she wouldn't let me leave! She threatened to strip my clothes off, take pictures of me, and ruin my reputation!"

Xavier's hand moved in slow, comforting circles over Lilith's back, but his eyes were fixed on Summer with lethal intensity.

"If you have a death wish, Summer, just say it!"

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