The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 22

Zoe followed closely behind, clearly noticing the tight clench of her boss's jaw.

Her heart ached for her. "Boss..."

"I'm fine."

Vivian pressed her lips together, withdrew her gaze, and quickened her pace toward the backyard.

Penelope had lived as a recluse for years. Every day, she sat around pretending to be devout, thumbing a string of prayer beads as if she were truly ready to renounce the world.

At the small shrine set up in the back, she knelt on a cushion in front of a Bodhisattva statue.

Vivian crossed her arms and stood quietly in the doorway, waiting for her to finish her scripture reading.

A dozen minutes later, the older woman finally opened her eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

She didn't turn around, perfectly aware of who was standing behind her. Her voice was light and airy. "You should go back. Don't worry, I won't go to the Fairchild estate to disrupt your life, so please don't come disrupt mine. Wouldn't it be better if we just left each other in peace?"

"That sounds great for you, but not for me."

Vivian raised an eyebrow, her cool gaze resting on the back of the woman's neatly pinned hair.

"If you could actually keep your daughter in line, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to track you down. But you clearly can't control her... Oh, and your daughter is quite the filial one, isn't she? Constantly worrying that you're suffering out here, scheming up ways to drag you back?"

At the mention of her daughter, Penelope's hands finally paused.

Her expression darkened. It took her a long moment to speak. "Miss Fairchild, Amara is also of the Fairchild bloodline."

Vivian let out a meaningful hum. "So, are you suggesting I drain Amara of her blood to prove it?"

"Miss Fairchild!"

Penelope's head snapped up in shock. "You've gone too far!"

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