Chapter 314 A Bitter Errand\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The message from Xavier read, \u201cScarlett, Vincent had a bit too much to drink at a business dinner tonight. My driver took me home first. Could you go and keep him company? Make sure he gets home safely.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reading the text, Scarlett knew exactly what Xavier was doing\u2013trying to engineer another situation for them. Even though she saw through it, she also knew she couldn\u2019t refuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a sigh, she typed a reluctant reply, \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After packing up her things at the hospital, Scarlett headed to the parking garage. Sitting in her car, she hesitated for a long moment, her fingers tapping restlessly on the steering wheel. Ultimately, she started the engine and entered the address Xavier had sent into her GPS.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If she didn\u2019t go tonight, Xavier would undoubtedly have questions later. More importantly, given his fragile health, she was afraid of being the one to upset him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Arriving at the upscale restaurant, she spotted Vincent\u2019s car immediately\u2013a sleek, dark luxury sedan parked prominently near the entrance. The car was eye\u2013catching enough, but its personalized license plate made it unmistakable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, Scarlett was greeted by a host who directed her to the private dining room. When she reached the door, she found it slightly ajar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through the narrow gap, her gaze immediately found Vincent and Sabrina. Vincent was slumped on a chair, his complexion pale, his usually sharp eyes dull and unfocused as he stared up at Sabrina, who was standing over him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she watched, he suddenly let out a soft, breathy laugh, then leaned forward slowly, wrapping his arms around Sabrina\u2019s waist and burying his face against her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina raised her hands and began gently massaging his temples. \u201cI told you to take it easy,\u201d she chided softly, her voice a mix of concern and mild reproach. \u201cBut you never listen. Serves you right for the headache.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent, his face still hidden against her, didn\u2019t respond in words. He just held on tighter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Daniel\u2019s voice carried from inside the room. \u201cSabrina, I\u2019ll leave him in your capable hands.\u201d There was the sound of a chair scraping back as Daniel stood up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside the door, seeing movement, Scarlett quickly turned to face the wall, pretending to check her phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a round of murmured goodbyes from the remaining guests, they began to file out. Harris was also quite intoxicated, and Daniel helped support him as they left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
20:08 Wed, Jan 14\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 314 A Bitter Errand\u00a0<\/p>\n
A 664\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Passing by Scarlett, who was still facing the wall, neither of them noticed her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once the hallway was quiet again, Scarlett glanced back into the room. Only Vincent and Sabrina remained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent seemed utterly inebriated, his body heavy and limp as he leaned into Sabrina.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVincent, we should get you home,\u201d Sabrina said, her voice gentle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent lifted his head to look at her, his tone taking on a rare, childlike petulance. \u201cJust a little longer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina couldn\u2019t help a small, affectionate smile. Looking down at him, her eyes were soft. \u201cYou\u2019re a grown man. Why are you acting like a little boy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSabrina, come closer,\u201d Vincent murmured, his words slightly slurred. \u201cI have to tell you something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Obliging, Sabrina leaned down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But instead of whispering, Vincent suddenly lifted his head and pressed a kiss to her lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina brought a hand to her mouth, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink. \u201cVincent! You\u2026\u201d she started, a mixture of surprise and shy delight in her voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent just grinned, a genuinely happy, unfiltered expression that Scarlett rarely saw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A cold, hollow feeling settled in Scarlett\u2019s chest. Almost mechanically, she pulled out her phone and, through the crack in the door, quickly snapped two photos of the intimate moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her thumb moved to her message thread with Xavier. She selected the photos, her finger hovering over the \u201csend\u201d button. A powerful, bitter impulse urged her to do it\u2013to expose this scene to the one person who kept pushing them together..\u00a0<\/p>\n
But a calmer, more rational voice held her back. If you send these and he has another episode because of the shock\u2026 the responsibility will be on you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reason won out. Scarlett deleted the photos from the message draft and shoved her phone back into her pocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing that her presence here was not only unnecessary but painfully intrusive, she turned and walked away from the door, then out of the restaurant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back in her car, she sat for a long time in the driver\u2019s seat, the engine off, the silence pressing in on her. She didn\u2019t want to return to the stifling atmosphere of Ravenshade Villa, nor did she want to go back to her parents\u2018 house in this state and worry them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
73\u00a0<\/p>\n
20:08 Wed, Jan 14\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 314 A Bitter Errand\u00a0<\/p>\n
A64\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, she started the car and drove to Claire\u2019s apartment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had just stepped inside Claire\u2019s welcoming, minimalist living room when her phone rang. It was Xavier. She answered without hesitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandfather.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cScarlett, did you find Vincent?\u201d Xavier\u2019s voice was full of concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not wanting to create complications, she told a half\u2013truth. \u201cYes, I\u2019m with him now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, good. And when will you two be coming home?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett thought quickly. \u201cGrandfather\u2026 Vincent and I probably won\u2019t be back to Ravenshade Villa tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing this, Xavier chuckled warmly, the sound crackling slightly over the line. \u201cExcellent! That\u2019s the spirit. You young people should take some time for yourselves. It would set an old man\u2019s heart at ease to hear you\u2019re thinking about expanding the family\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett had no intention of venturing down that conversational path. \u201cGrandfather, Vincent is calling for me,\u201d she interjected gently. \u201cI have to go. Goodnight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before he could respond, she ended the call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the other end of the line, listening to the dial tone, Xavier\u2019s face broke into a wide, satisfied smile. He shook his head fondly. \u201cThat boy. Even more impatient than I was in my day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.1K\u00a0<\/p>\n
G\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 314 Chapter 314 A Bitter Errand\u00a0 64\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 The message from Xavier […]<\/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-27678","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\/27678","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=27678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27678\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}