The Stand-In Who Burned the Script novel Chapter 8

Before Vivian could respond, the man behind her spoke up first.

"Vivian's anger has surely faded. Just eat."

He bypassed Vivian to sit down, taking the seat directly across from Amara.

Amara shot him a timid glance, then looked back at Vivian, whispering nervously, "It seems she's still mad..."

Vivian's lips pulled into a sarcastic, deadpan smile. "Since you know I'm still mad, you better put on a good show."

With that, she stopped talking.

She picked up her fork and began to eat.

The flavors were incredibly inconsistent, and the knife work was completely jagged—it was obvious the chef had absolutely no experience.

Vivian ate in silence, while the other two occasionally exchanged whispered comments.

Amara deliberately kept her voice low, as if terrified of triggering another outburst.

"You're amazing, Dr. Granger. I just casually mentioned two of my favorite dishes, and you mastered them instantly!"

"Vivian is so lucky to have a boyfriend like you. I wonder where my Mr. Right could be."

Jonah stared at her with utter devotion.

His voice was remarkably smooth. "He'll show up very soon."

Smack.

Vivian slammed her silverware onto the table and stood up, sneering down at them. "Amara, there's no need to feel happy for me. Didn't he just cook your favorite dishes? You're plenty lucky yourself."

"And you—"

She rounded on the man beside her, a sudden, sharp sting hitting the back of her nose.

Thankfully, she swallowed the emotion before it could surface, refusing to lose her dignity in front of them.

"Whenever I asked you to make something, you acted like it would kill you. You said you couldn't cook. What, did you secretly run off to Le Cordon Bleu behind my back?"

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