Chapter 259 A Shove in the Dark\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
(67)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maria was furious. She shoved Lily hard. \u201cWhat kind of mother is she? She dragged Vanessa upstairs just to punish her! If she hurts one hair on that child\u2019s head, Sabrina will be devastated. Now move! Don\u2019t you dare stand in my way. I\u2019m going up to see my poor Vanessa!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
No matter what Maria said, Lily held her ground, gripping her arm firmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Monroe, Mrs. Stewart has a gentle heart. She would never lay a hand on Vanessa. Please, just calm down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maria struggled, trying to pry Lily\u2019s fingers loose, but failed. Eventually, she gave up with a huff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, Lily remained watchful, staying close to ensure Maria didn\u2019t try to storm upstairs and\u00a0<\/p>\n
escalate the situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Upstairs, Vanessa had finally cried herself to exhaustion and lay still on the sofa. Before long, her breathing evened out into sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett watched her, her own heart a tangled knot of frustration and love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once sure Vanessa was asleep, Scarlett gently lifted her, carried her to the bed, and tucked the covers around her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She then settled into a chair beside the bed, lost in troubled thought about how to reach her daughter, how to steer her back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t know how long she\u2019d been sitting there when a soft voice came from the hallway. \u201cScarlett. Come out for a minute.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett thought she\u2019d imagined it, but the call came again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Recognizing Vincent\u2019s voice, she stood and went out into the hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not wanting to risk waking Vanessa, Scarlett led him to their old bedroom, the one they used to share.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she flicked the light on, the room felt foreign. The dressing table was cluttered with an array of skincare bottles and cosmetic cases. The bedsheets were a light, unfamiliar blue, and the whole room carried a faint, floral perfume.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent seemed agitated. \u201cI need to take Vanessa to the hospital,\u201d he said without preamble.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was already late. A trip to the hospital now would mean returning in the early hours of the morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
20:00 Wed, Jan 14\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 259 A Shove in the Dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
67\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett, baffled by the sudden demand, refused flatly. \u201cIt\u2019s the middle of the night, Vincent. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSabrina says she misses her,\u201d Vincent pressed, his voice tight. \u201cShe wants to see Vanessa.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing that, a flare of anger ignited in Scarlett\u2019s chest. \u201cVanessa just fell asleep. It\u2019s eleven o\u2019clock at night!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing her resistance, Vincent tried again. \u201cI know the time. I won\u2019t keep her out long. I\u2019ll bring her right back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This only fueled Scarlett\u2019s anger. \u201cVincent, is Sabrina that important to you?\u201d she demanded, her voice rising. \u201cSo important that you\u2019d drag a sleeping child across town in the middle of the night for a social visit, ignoring what\u2019s best for her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent paused, then offered an explanation. \u201cSabrina was hit by falling equipment at the party. The doctor diagnosed a concussion. She\u2019s still in the hospital, and she says she can\u2019t sleep. She thinks seeing Vanessa would help her rest, so I thought\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett let out a bitter, incredulous laugh. \u201cA concussion isn\u2019t a death sentence. If she misses Vanessa that much, she\u2019s welcome to come here and see her when she\u2019s discharged.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing Scarlett wouldn\u2019t budge, Vincent gave up on reasoning. He turned on his heel to leave the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett guessed his intention\u2013to go wake Vanessa. She stepped forward quickly and grabbed his arm. \u201cVincent, if you do this, you\u2019re the one who\u2019ll end up hurting her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent, already on edge and frustrated, felt his temper snap at being physically restrained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned back and instinctively wrenched his arm free, shoving her hand away. \u201cGet out of my way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The motion was forceful. Scarlett, caught off\u2013balance, stumbled backward. Her shoulder hit the doorframe, and she fell to the floor, her forehead striking the hardwood with a dull thud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, the world spun, a dizzying blur of pain and disorientation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent stared at his own hand in shock. He\u2019d been rushing, annoyed, but he hadn\u2019t meant to use that much force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing her on the ground, he froze for a second before crouching down beside her. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d he asked, his voice now laced with concern as he helped her sit up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett, supported by him, saw stars dancing in her vision. Vincent\u2019s face above her seemed to warp and swim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
20:00 Wed, Jan 14\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 259 A Shove in the Dark\u00a0<\/p>\n
67\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t answer. Thinking she was just silently fuming, he murmured a soft apology. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean to push you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice sounded distant, muffled, like a buzz in her ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took Scarlett a long minute for the dizziness to recede and her sight to clear. Gradually, Vincent\u2019s worried face came into focus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing he was still holding her shoulders, she pushed his hands away coldly and stood on her own. \u201cVincent,\u201d she said, her voice low and steady with a finality that chilled the air, \u201cif you keep prioritizing like this, you will be the one who ruins Vanessa.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that, she walked past him and out of the bedroom, leaving him standing there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent watched her retreating back but didn\u2019t call after her. No words came.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alone in the bedroom, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, then immediately thought better of it. He stubbed it out and went to smoke in the hallway instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time he finished, Scarlett was nowhere to be seen downstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After tossing the cigarette butt into a bin, Vincent went to Vanessa\u2019s room. He sat on the edge of her bed, watching her peaceful sleeping face for a long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, as if reaching a difficult decision, he leaned over and gently shook her shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.1K\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u3002\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 259 Chapter 259 A Shove in the Dark\u00a0 A\u00a0 (67)\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 Maria […]<\/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-27623","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\/27623","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=27623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27623\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}