The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 424

As midnight approached, Silas ordered the bodyguards to fetch fresh toiletries. Just as he finished speaking, two guards approached from down the hall, murmuring to each other.

A dark glint flashed in his eyes. "Hold on."

"...Mr. Sterling?"

"What were you two just talking about?"

"Well..."

The bodyguard involuntarily flinched, realizing he had just leaked something massive. But having been caught red-handed by the young master of the Sterling family, there was no easy way to bluff his way out of it.

Silas read his hesitation instantly and ordered in a low, commanding tone, "Speak!"

"It's... Old Mr. Vaughan was injured!"

One of the trembling guards finally spilled, "The manor is in absolute chaos right now. Marcus only ordered us to keep a strict eye on this place; he hasn't given any other instructions."

The truth was, several guards had been pulled away, and Marcus had warned the remaining men that neither of their two captives were to be underestimated, demanding they maintain absolute vigilance.

Silas scrutinized the guard's expression but didn't say a word.

When he turned around, he found Vivian leaning against the bar counter, her arms crossed.

"You heard all that?"

"Loud and clear."

Vivian walked back to the sofa and sat down, her expression unchanging. "But I'm not worried. Grandpa will be fine."

Silas found this woman genuinely baffling. If you called her cold and heartless, she would get utterly depressed over someone like Elaine. But if you called her soft-hearted, her own biological grandfather had just been injured, and she was sitting there entirely unbothered.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Vivian widened her eyes. "Can't you put two and two together? For a family like the Vaughans, if anything truly catastrophic happened to the old man, they would lock that information down tight. There's no way a random bodyguard would be casually gossiping about it."

...

Silas's gaze deepened. "I thought you'd at least ask who did it."

"If I ask them, they won't tell me. If I ask you, you don't know. So why waste my breath?"

...

Fair point. She made perfect sense.

Silas sighed softly. "Being around you is certainly never dull."

"What?"

"Do you want kids?"

Silas stared blankly at the ceiling, his expression unreadable. "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"I had a dream, and it made me think of you. I think you'd make a great father. You'd probably be really good at it."

"Who's having the baby?"

"Who do you think? Me, obviously."

"Then no."

...

No just meant no. What did 'then no' mean? Did he mean he'd want kids with someone else?!

Vivian pushed herself up, puffing her cheeks in outrage. "I'm gorgeous! Don't you think I should have a baby to inherit my flawless genetics?"

The man shot her a sideways glance and replied faintly, "But any child of yours wouldn't just inherit your beauty. They'd also inherit your absolute lack of common sense."