The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 219

Chapter 219

Charlie laughed again, genuinely amused. “I had no idea you were this witty.”

“Oh, it’s more than that.”

Vivian raised an eyebrow playfully. “I’m full of surprises.”

With the lighthearted banter wrapped up, she elegantly gestured forward, guiding the delegation into the building. As they walked, she gave Charlie a comprehensive breakdowny of the company’s organizational structure.

“I heard you practically just relocated Astra to Northside? Building an infrastructure this solid in such a short window is entirely your doing.”

Charlie didn’t hide his admiration, his eyes filled with professional respect.

“Hardly.”

Vivian winked. “It’s entirely the blood, sweat, and tears of my assistant and my staff. Haven’t you heard? A CEO’s only real job is barking orders from a comfortable chair.”

Charlie feigned an epiphany. “You know, you might be onto something.”

They continued chatting casually until they reached the executive conference room.

The second the doors closed, the relaxed atmosphere vanished, instantly replaced by razor-sharp professionalism.

Zoe projected the project parameters onto the massive screen, and Vivian personally ran the presentation.

The summit lasted nearly three solid hours. Afterward, it was standard protocol for Astra to host an extravagant corporate lunch.

However, Charlie waved it off. “Let’s skip lunch today. My team and I have a backlog of meetings we need to run to. But… Vivian, I do have a favor to ask. I’d like to invite you to an event. Let’s call it cashing in my favor.”

Framed like that, Vivian couldn’t possibly refuse.

“What kind of event?”

“A friend of mine is hosting an Equestrian Gala out in Newport. It’s going to be packed with major players from our circle.”

Charlie smiled warmly. “As you know, my domestic network here is virtually non-existent, making it incredibly difficult to find a suitable plus-one. After racking my brain, you’re the only person I can comfortably ask.”

Vivian pretended to think it over for all of two seconds before flashing a dazzling smile.

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Chapter 219

“Then I’d be honored to be your date.”

“Fantastic. We fly out tomorrow.”

Once the Insignia delegation left the building, a collective sigh of relief washed over the Astra staff.

Securing this single contract essentially guaranteed the company’s revenue for the next six

months.

Vivian instructed Zoe to organize a massive celebration dinner for the team. The moment she sat down behind her desk, her phone buzzed. It was Grandpa Sterling.

“Grandpa.”

“Oh, so you do remember you have a Grandpa?”

The old man grumbled playfully, his voice thick with mock annoyance. “You’re exactly like that brat of a grandson. You only ever call when you need something. When there’s no crisis, I’m just ‘some random old man’ to you.”

“How could you say that?” Vivian immediately turned on her sweetest charm. “Grandpa, we’ve just been buried in corporate takeovers lately. I promise we’ll come visit the second we can breathe. I’m the best granddaughter-in-law you have, remember?”

“Who knows if you mean a word of that.”

The old man scoffed, but a warm chuckle escaped him a second later.

“You haven’t forgotten our little agreement, have you? Give me an update. How is the baby-making progress going?”

Vivian knew this was the real reason for the call.

The old man played the part of a warm, doting grandfather perfectly, but underneath, he was ruthlessly pragmatic.

Forcing Vivian and Silas to marry, using unimaginable wealth and power to broker the deal, and demanding she give him an heir-it seemed like normal family pressure on the surface, but every single move he made was a masterclass in calculated manipulation.

Because he knew Vivian had zero leverage to refuse.

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