\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 76 Public Displays\u00a0<\/p>\n
53\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing the familiar footsteps, Nathan realized it was Scarlett who had entered. He turned toward her and said, \u201cI\u2019m almost finished here. I\u2019ll head to bed as soon as I wrap up this last bit of work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s eyes briefly flickered to his dark, inactive computer screen. She didn\u2019t challenge his obvious white lie. Instead, she placed the bank card she had been clutching tightly in her hand onto the desk. \u201cHere, Nathan. This is all the money I\u2019ve managed to save. It might not be much, but perhaps it can help in an emergency.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s eyes narrowed slightly. \u201cWhat\u2019s this for, Scarlett?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett didn\u2019t state the reason outright. \u201cJust consider it your little sister wanting to invest in the family,\u201d she said evasively.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though she hadn\u2019t spelled it out, Nathan could easily read between the lines. The meaning was clear enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett was far too perceptive for them to successfully conceal their troubles from her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After setting down the card, Scarlett quietly left the study.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back in her own bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed for a very long time, lost in a sea of turbulent thoughts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps Vincent hadn\u2019t yet deployed his full arsenal against the Theron family, but even the pressure he was currently applying was more than sufficient to be crippling for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Determined not to let her family be dragged down because of her choices, Scarlett continued her attempts to contact Vincent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, after numerous attempts, the call connected-but it was Sabrina\u2019s voice that answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Theron, is there something I can help you with?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing that voice sent an immediate, icy chill down Scarlett\u2019s spine. She was silent for a beat before replying stiffly, \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina\u2019s tone was utterly nonchalant, almost bored. \u201cVincent is helping me hand-wash some delicate lingerie right now. If you have a message, you can tell me. I\u2019ll be sure to pass it along.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary,\u201d Scarlett refused coldly, without a moment\u2019s hesitation, and ended the call just as abruptly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After all the effort it had taken to get through, she had hung up after just a few seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had been married to Vincent for five long years. In all that time, he had never performed even the smallest domestic task for her-not even something as simple as holding a door open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet for Sabrina, this man who always carried himself with an air of untouchable superiority was willing to humble himself to such an intimate, servile degree.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was never inherently cold or incapable of tenderness. He simply reserved all of his warmth and softness\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 76 Public Displays\u00a0<\/p>\n
exclusively for Sabrina.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The fact that Sabrina had been the one to answer his phone effectively ended Scarlett\u2019s attempts to reach Vincent for the remainder of the weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Scarlett returned to Ravenshade Villa once more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she arrived, the lights in the grand living room were ablaze. For a hopeful moment, Scarlett thought Vincent might be home, but it turned out only Vanessa was there, accompanied by a maid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d Vanessa exclaimed, jumping off the sofa the instant she saw Scarlett enter, her face instantly brightening with pure delight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett walked over and scooped Vanessa up, settling onto the couch with Vanessa in her lap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She glanced around the empty room before asking, \u201cWhere is your dad?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa hesitated, a flicker of guilt crossing her small features before she answered, \u201cDad said he had urgent work at the office, so he went back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett had raised Vanessa from infancy. She could detect the slightest evasion in Vanessa\u2019s tone instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she didn\u2019t challenge her on it. She knew it would be pointless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a moment, Scarlett asked in a conversational tone, \u201cVanessa, what did you do this weekend? Did you have fun?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa had been bursting to share her adventures with someone. Now that Scarlett was asking, the words tumbled out without filter. \u201cWe went swimming! It was so much fun!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s heart constricted, but she kept her expression neutral. \u201cWho is \u2018we\u2019, sweetheart?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa replied, \u201cJust Dad and me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett knew Vanessa wasn\u2019t telling the whole story, but she simply nodded. \u201cI see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa looked up at her, curious. \u201cWhy are you asking, Mom?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett forced a soft smile. \u201cNo reason at all, darling. You should start thinking about getting ready for bed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa tilted her head, her eyes hopeful. \u201cWill you take me to school tomorrow, Mom?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Vincent absent, Scarlett felt she had little choice. \u201cYes, of course I will.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That night, Scarlett slept in Vanessa\u2019s room, holding Vanessa close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps it was the persistent anxiety gnawing at her, but sleep proved elusive. She woke every few minutes, instinctively checking her phone for any message or call. Each time, she found that only a handful of minutes had passed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet, even as the clock ticked past three in the morning, Scarlett had not heard the familiar sound of Vincent returning home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
213\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:07 . Thu, Jan 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 76 Public Displays\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps he wasn\u2019t coming back at all tonight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
53\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or perhaps, at this very moment, he was already asleep, wrapped in another woman\u2019s embrace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During one of these fretful checks of the time, a glaring news headline popped up in the browser feed on her phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVincent Stewart Spends Millions on Lavish Birthday Celebration for His Lover.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The headline was sensational and impossible to ignore. Against her better judgment, Scarlett clicked on the link.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The article was filled with professionally taken photographs of Vincent and Sabrina from various angles, always walking side by side. In some, Vincent was looking down at Sabrina with a soft, intimate smile. In others, he was shielding her protectively from an imagined crowd. Sabrina appeared demure and glowing in every shot, her eyes shining with unmistakable happiness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There were even short video clips. They showed Vincent had purchased an extravagant mountain of luxury gifts for Sabrina, and he was personally carrying all the shopping bags himself, refusing to let any staff\u00a0<\/p>\n
assist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 76 \u00a0 Chapter 76 Public Displays\u00a0 53\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 Hearing the familiar footsteps, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27440\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}