The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 497

Vivian remained seated, her calm, clear voice drifting through the air.

"But have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, 'entering the Sterling family' doesn't actually matter to me or Silas? If you keep forcing this standoff, you're the only one who's going to end up miserable."

Cynthia halted in her tracks and turned around.

The beautiful young woman was still sitting there, completely relaxed. From this angle, Cynthia couldn't see the exact expression on her face.

It was probably out of sheer frustration.

She let out a dry laugh.

"So, you're telling me you intend to fight me to the bitter end?"

"I have no intention of fighting you, and I never did." Vivian looked up, meeting the older woman's gaze head-on. "I'm just laying out the facts. You're Silas's mother, not mine. When it comes down to it... what does your approval actually have to do with me?"

Nothing.

Even if Cynthia despised her, it didn't change a thing.

It would only serve to put her own son in an impossible position.

Cynthia's face turned livid, but no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find a single logical counterargument. She nodded stiffly, her icy glare sweeping over Vivian one last time before she simply... walked away.

Vivian let out a long breath. She sensed a shift in Cynthia; it seemed unlikely she would go out of her way to cause trouble so frequently moving forward.

However...

That wasn't necessarily a victory.

Her crystal-clear eyes caught the sunlight, a complex, unreadable emotion swirling in their depths.

That afternoon, Vivian received a call from Zane Chase, asking her out for a meal.

Since her schedule was clear, she agreed, changed her outfit, and waited by the front door for him to pick her up.

A short while later, a white Range Rover pulled up to the estate. Vivian opened the door and climbed in, buckling her seatbelt as she asked, "What's with the sudden burst of spontaneity, Zane? Decided you missed me?"

Zane looked over at her, offering a helpless, amused smile. "Watch your mouth."

His long, elegant fingers effortlessly steered the wheel as his smooth voice filled the cabin.

"I happened to be driving past your office earlier and realized we haven't seen each other in a while. Figured it was time to catch up."

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