Silent Dreams Never Die — Author: John Miller 313
Chapter 313 Witness to Betrayal
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The sky outside was just beginning to lighten, the deep blue of night yielding to the first hints. of dawn.
Scarlett had no desire to return to sleep. She went into the ensuite bathroom to wash her face and get ready for the day. What Vincent might be doing or thinking outside the door held no interest for her.
By the time she finished and stepped back into the bedroom, Vincent was gone.
Once she was dressed, the early morning light had fully crept into the room. It was still very early, but Scarlett had no intention of lingering at Ravenshade Villa any longer than necessary.
As she left the guest room, she heard the sound of crying coming from Vanessa’s room down
the hall.
“Wahhh… Daddy, Sabrina isn’t answering my texts. She doesn’t want me anymore!”
The door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, Scarlett saw Vincent standing by the bed while Vanessa stood on the mattress, her small arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she sobbed.
Hearing his daughter’s distress, Vincent quickly tried to soothe her. “It’s still very early, sweetheart. Sabrina is probably still asleep.”
Vanessa looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. “But Daddy, Sabrina always wakes me up at this time. She didn’t today.”
Vincent gently stroked her hair. “How about I call her for you?”
Vanessa nodded vigorously, a spark of hope in her eyes. “Okay!”
Holding Vanessa, Vincent pulled out his phone and dialed Sabrina’s number.
The call connected, but was immediately met with a cold, automated voicemail greeting informing him the subscriber was unavailable.
Scarlett, still paused in the hallway, heard the faint robotic message through the door. Thinking of Sabrina’s late–night video and her habits, a cynical thought crossed Scarlett’s mind–perhaps Sabrina had simply had a very enjoyable night and was now sleeping it off.
At the thought, Scarlett gave a small, humorless shake of her head and continued downstairs.
From her perch on the bed, Vanessa’s eyes, still glistening with tears, had been fixed on the sliver of hallway visible through the doorway. She had seen the shadow of someone passing by -it was Scarlett.
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So, Mommy heard me cry?
But why doesn’t she come in to check on her? Before, she always would.
But this wasn’t the first time, or even the second.
A sad, final certainty settled in Vanessa’s young heart–Mommy didn’t love her anymore.
Well, fine. If Mommy didn’t want her, she still had Sabrina.
Since Sabrina’s phone was off, Vanessa’s crying subsided into hiccups. She looked up at Vincent. “Daddy, Sabrina must just be really tired. She’s sleeping in.”
Vincent gently pinched her cheek. “Mhm.” Even as he agreed, he knew this was out of character for Sabrina. As a doctoral student, she kept her phone on at all times, needing to be reachable for her research advisor or university matters.
*****
That afternoon, Scarlett was in her office at the hospital, finishing up some patient charts, when her phone screen lit up on the desk.
It was a message from Claire. Opening the app, Scarlett saw Claire had sent a short video clip. In it, Sabrina was walking arm–in–arm with Vincent, looking at display models in what appeared to be a luxury real estate office.
A follow–up text from Claire came through. “Your husband is house hunting.”
Scarlett didn’t understand the implication and replied with a simple question mark.
Claire’s response was immediate. “Seriously. Looks like he’s picking one out for Sabrina.”
Scarlett stared at the message for a long moment. Then, her fingers moved calmly over the screen. “Can you get a few more photos? If there’s any money to be claimed back later, we’ll split it 50/50.”
Claire, who was far from needing money, wasn’t interested in that. Her concern was for her friend. “You’re not upset?” she texted back.
Scarlett’s reply was succinct and weary. “What’s the point?”
*****
Meanwhile, after a day of viewings with Sabrina, Vincent had finally settled on a property–a sleek, modern villa located in the same exclusive neighborhood as Ravenshade Villa, just a short walk away. Its proximity was the first advantage; the property’s quality and privacy were
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the second.
:
After Vincent completed the preliminary paperwork, Sabrina looked at him, bewildered. “Vincent, why are you buying a place for me all of a sudden?”
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Vincent straightened up from the table and looked at her, his gaze soft. “You and your mother should have a proper home of your own.”
Sabrina frowned slightly. “But… we have Ravenshade Villa.”
Vincent’s eyes held a trace of remorse. “What happened last night was unfair to both of you. I don’t want you to be put in that position again. From now on, you can live here. Whenever Vanessa misses you, she can come over anytime. It’s close.”
Hearing this, Sabrina’s eyes welled up. She threw her arms around Vincent’s neck, her voice thick with emotion. “Vincent, you’re too good to me.”
He returned her embrace gently. “It’s the least I can do. I handled things poorly yesterday. It won’t happen again.”
*****
That evening, just after seven, Scarlett was unexpectedly pulled from her routine. She was informed she needed to accompany an Emergency Room physician on an urgent home visit— a call–out just as her shift was about to end.
The demand for overtime instantly put her in a sour mood. The only small consolation was that the address was for a residential area less than two miles from the hospital.
The patient was a young child, which required the specialized assessment of a pediatrician like Scarlett. Fortunately, the case was straightforward–a bad case of the seasonal flu with a high fever.
After accompanying the child and their anxious parents back to the hospital for further observation, Scarlett finally returned to her own department to wrap up.
As she saved the last of her notes and leaned back in her chair to stretch, her phone screen lit up once more on the cluttered desk.
She glanced over. This time, it was a text message from Xavier.
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