The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 480

Vivian didn't see Cynthia at all until the following morning.

While she was eating breakfast, Judith handed her phone back. "Vivian, Silas will come pick you up after work. You'll just have to stay here for one more day."

"Oh, alright."

Vivian didn't rush to check her phone. Instead, she asked, "Where's Mom?"

"Madam is..."

Judith's expression looked grim. "She's sick."

"Huh?" Vivian blinked. The woman had so much energy while scolding her just yesterday, and now she was suddenly sick?

"Did she see a doctor?"

"She did. The doctor said it's nothing serious, she just needs proper rest."

Judith stood respectfully to the side, looking at the young woman in front of her. Even without a drop of makeup, her face was stunning enough to command anyone's attention.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Vivian, Madam has had a very difficult life. She's suffered a great deal and has her own silent burdens..."

She paused there.

Her gaze lowered even further.

"I know I shouldn't ask you to just blindly understand all of that. I simply want to tell you that Madam and Silas do not have a good relationship. Deep down, she desperately wants to repair her bond with her son. If you could help even a little in that regard, Madam would be incredibly grateful to you."

She had a strong feeling that this girl was truly different.

Perhaps, the strained relationship between mother and son could actually take a turn for the better because of her.

Vivian stirred her bowl of oatmeal, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips. "I understand what you mean. I'll do my best, Judith."

Cynthia hadn't eaten dinner last night.

And she hadn't eaten breakfast this morning either.

Vivian asked the chef to prepare a soft, easily digestible bowl of soup, adding some chopped greens and minced meat.

Sick people often lost their sense of taste, so something with a bit of flavor would go down much easier.

She personally carried the tray up to the bedroom.

Walking in, she closed the door behind her.

Cynthia lay in bed, devoid of makeup. She looked completely different from her usual polished, aristocratic self, appearing thoroughly drained of energy.

Hearing the noise, she fluttered her eyes open and scowled.

Cynthia swallowed the bite. Her expression remained unchanged—still icy cold, but now laced with a heavy dose of scrutiny and guarded suspicion.

"I've never understood why you chose to be with Silas. When you two got married, he was still blind. With your looks, finding someone far better than him wouldn't have been hard."

"Open up."

"..."

Seeing her refuse to cooperate, Vivian let out an exaggerated sigh. "You aren't a child. Why do you need someone to coax you into eating?"

Cynthia remained completely unbothered, her sharp, piercing gaze fixed on Vivian.

"Why are you playing dumb with me?"

"I'm not playing dumb. Just eat your food first. Ah."

"..."

Vivian brought the spoon right back to her mouth.

She had encountered plenty of bad-tempered, hard-to-please elders in her time. Truth be told, Cynthia was just sharp-tongued and traditional. She simply believed that, given the Sterling family's immense wealth and status, a woman like Vivian didn't belong there. But fundamentally, she wasn't an evil person.

The bowl of soup was empty in no time. Yet, even after finishing it, Cynthia's hostile expression barely softened.