Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 65

Summer had just bought this brand-new car earlier this year with her own hard-earned money!

And now, her beloved vehicle was smashed to pieces.

What kind of absolute bastard did this?!

Silas's voice pulled her back to reality. "When I walked out, I saw someone in a ski mask acting suspiciously. I sent my assistant after him to see if he could catch him."

Summer pulled out her phone and started dialing 911. Noticing this, Silas added, "I've already called the police for you. You just need to contact your insurance company."

"Okay. Thank you."

Summer deleted the numbers and called her insurance agent, providing the address and a rundown of the situation.

After hanging up, she looked back at Silas.

It was only then she realized he wasn't holding an umbrella.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were standing in the rain."

He had helped her and waited by her car. Summer felt genuinely grateful.

Believing in returning a favor, she stepped closer without hesitation, raising her umbrella high to shield him from the steady drizzle.

Silas gave a nod of appreciation. "Thank you. It wasn't raining when I first came out."

Standing this close, Summer caught the faint, sophisticated scent of agarwood clinging to him. It was subtle, steady, and incredibly elegant.

"Are you a fan of agarwood, Mr. Sinclair?" she asked.

"Why? Are you?" Silas tilted his head slightly. Through his silver-rimmed glasses, his dark, profound eyes fixed on her.

Summer nodded. "I am. It's calming, grounding, and gives a sense of security."

Silas was quite tall. Even at five foot seven, Summer had to stretch her arm up to keep the umbrella over him.

"Allow me."

Silas reached up and took the handle from her grip. As he did, his fingers lightly brushed against hers.

Her hand was freezing from the wind. She hadn't dressed warmly enough today, completely unprepared for the sudden drop in temperature.

Feeling the icy chill on her skin, Silas held the umbrella with one hand while shrugging off his suit jacket with the other, draping it over her shoulders in one smooth motion.

Summer was startled. "Mr. Sinclair?"

"Keep it on," he said, gently stopping her as she tried to take it off. "Your hands are like ice."

His jacket was oversized on her, enveloping her entirely. The rich scent of agarwood, mixed with the lingering warmth of a stranger's body, wrapped around her securely.

When they did strike, it was always from the shadows. Open warfare was only initiated if total victory was guaranteed.

Silas offered a calm nod. "Mr. Sterling."

"What's going on here, Mr. Sinclair?" Julian asked, his eyes darting between Silas and Summer.

Though Julian asked the question, Silas kept his eyes fixed entirely on Xavier as he replied. "Isn't it obvious? I'm inviting Summer to join my company."

Lily turned to Summer in surprise.

She had assumed this was a coincidence, or perhaps Summer had purposefully orchestrated the run-in.

She certainly hadn't expected Silas to personally recruit her. Why would he want Summer?

Lily couldn't fathom what made Summer so special. In her eyes, Summer's only real achievement was managing to hold a job at Sterling Group for seven years.

She believed Summer had only succeeded because she had access to Sterling Group's bottomless funding, a team of world-class researchers, and Xavier's unconditional support.

With those kinds of resources, Lily figured even an idiot could produce results.

Because of this, Lily looked down on Summer.

She simply couldn't see anything exceptional about her.