The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 400

Silas was just ruthless and sharp-tongued, whereas this woman...

She was completely unreadable.

She was like a flower blooming in a thick fog. She appeared out of nowhere, alternating between flashing her razor-sharp edges and hiding entirely. You never knew what was real and what was an illusion.

She fixed a suspicious stare on Vivian for a moment before standing up haughtily. "Don't tell me, then. I have plenty of ways to find out. Just you wait. Silas is going to torture you to death!"

And when that happened, she better not come crying to her for help.

Because she wouldn't lift a finger!

Vivian simply gave a dry "Oh," offering no other reaction.

Watching the woman's swaying silhouette strut out the door, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of Vivian's lips as she lowered her head and continued drinking her water.

—

With Silas gone, Vivian didn't just sit around.

After wrapping up matters at the company, she bought an array of gifts and headed to the Sterling Manor.

As soon as she walked in, she spotted Old Mr. Sterling sitting behind a rockery, holding a fishing rod and trying to catch fish.

Vivian lightened her footsteps and approached. The koi in the pond were plump and vibrant, swarming in a dense mosaic of colors. The arowanas were especially stunning, their scales shimmering with a rainbow of hues under the sunlight.

It was a shame that despite the sheer number of fish, not a single one was taking the bait.

She stood there watching for a long time before calling out softly, "Grandfather?"

"..."

Even as quiet as she was, the sudden noise nearly gave the old man a heart attack. He whipped his head around, ready to snap at whoever had disturbed him, but the moment he saw Vivian, a wide smile broke across his face.

"Well, this is a rare treat! You actually remembered an old man like me?"

"Of course I did."

Vivian walked over with a smile and handed her gifts to the butler. "You're on my mind every single day. Look, the second I had some free time, I came straight over."

The old man shot her a knowing glance, though he couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips. "At least you have a conscience, unlike that brat. Always busy, busy, busy... Who knows what he's even doing out there."

At that moment, the butler, who had just taken the gifts inside, returned with a chair for Vivian.

She sat down next to the old man. "Did you catch anything?"

If he caught them, he wouldn't even let anyone eat them.

Then what was he fishing for?

The truth was, the old man simply had nothing better to do. The courtyard was meticulously maintained and filled with rare tropical plants that had no business surviving in Northside's climate, yet he had managed to keep them alive and thriving.

Not to mention the sleek, glittering fish.

They sat there for quite a while until finally, toward evening, a fish took the bait.

The old man aggressively reeled it in, stroked its back like it was a precious treasure, and then promptly tossed it back into the pond.

Seeing that it was getting late, he tossed the rod to the butler.

He cast a long, measuring look at Vivian.

They went inside to wash their hands.

Since the chef hadn't finished preparing dinner, Vivian accompanied him to the living room for a pot of tea.

The old man moved with measured, unhurried grace, his expression deeply enigmatic. "You and the Fowler family have been going at it pretty hard lately. What exactly is going on? Tell me."