apter 316 A Deal With the Devil\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f62\u0f7164\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett didn\u2019t see a reason to lie. \u201cNo, I\u2019m not there,\u201d she answered truthfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent didn\u2019t react to her location. Instead, he made a request. \u201cVanessa woke up crying just now, having a nightmare. Can you go back and comfort her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett almost laughed at the absurdity. \u201cSo you called me in the middle of the night just to tell me that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are her mother,\u201d Vincent stated, as if it were the most obvious reason. \u201cWho else should I tell?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett ignored his rhetorical question and fired back one of her own. \u201cAnd you\u2019re her father. Why aren\u2019t you going back to comfort her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent offered no real explanation. \u201cScarlett, I\u2019m tied up with something. Do you think I\u2019d call you if I had a choice?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A bitter laugh escaped her. \u201cWhat about Sabrina? Doesn\u2019t Vanessa adore her precious \u2018Sabrina\u2018 the most?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was a brief pause on the line before Vincent replied, \u201cShe\u2019s\u2026 occupied as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOccupied?\u201d Scarlett\u2019s temper, worn thin by the late hour and the accumulated hurts, finally snapped. \u201cOccupied with what? Are you both too busy sweating between the sheets?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shouted the accusation into the phone, her voice trembling with anger, and then slammed her thumb on the \u201cend call\u201d button before he could respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After hanging up, her whole body was shaking\u2013a combination of rage and a deep, humiliating pain. Claire, who had witnessed the entire exchange, felt a surge of sympathy. She moved closer and wrapped a comforting arm around Scarlett\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let him get to you like that,\u201d Claire said softly. \u201cHe\u2019s not worth this kind of upset.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett took a shaky breath and nodded. \u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They finally tried to settle down to sleep around three in the morning. Claire, exhausted from the night\u2019s events, drifted off quickly. But sleep eluded Scarlett. Her mind was racing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Picking up her phone for distraction, she mindlessly opened her messaging app. As she scrolled through her contacts, her thumb accidentally tapped on her conversation history with Damian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as she was about to exit, something caught her eye. The label with Damian\u2019s name briefly changed, displaying a typing indicator as if he were writing a message.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
20:08 Wed, Jan 14\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 316 A Deal With the Devil\u00a0<\/p>\n
46\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett blinked, thinking her tired eyes were playing tricks on her. She rubbed them and looked again. The indicator was gone; it was just his name once more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the middle of the night, and I\u2019m exhausted. I\u2019m definitely hallucinating. I need to sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that same moment, Vincent and Sabrina were not in a bedroom, but seated around a large conference table in a sleek, modern office space. With them were five or six serious\u2013looking individuals wearing glasses, all radiating an air of academic intensity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They had been deep in discussion for nearly three hours, dissecting the complexities of Sabrina\u2019s doctoral research proposal. Despite the brainpower in the room, they had hit a significant roadblock and made little concrete progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina\u2019s shoulders slumped with defeat. \u201cVincent, maybe we should just forget it,\u201d she said, her voice small. \u201cPerhaps a PhD just isn\u2019t for someone like me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent remained silent for a moment, but his mind was working. He knew of one more person they could consult, someone whose expertise was precisely in this field\u2013Nolan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a moment of consideration, Vincent stood up. \u201cIt\u2019s very late,\u201d he announced to the room. \u201cLet\u2019s adjourn for the night and reconvene with fresh perspectives.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A palpable wave of relief washed over the weary consultants. They gathered their notes and laptops, departing quickly without a word of protest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once they were alone, Sabrina turned to Vincent. \u201cI\u2019ll go to the university tomorrow and start the withdrawal paperwork.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent looked at her, offering a gentle, reassuring smile. \u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary. There\u2019s still one more person we can ask for help.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina immediately knew who he meant. \u201cNolan? But\u2026 I think he has a rather poor opinion of me,\u201d she said, her worry evident. She had approached Nolan before, only to be met with polite. but firm refusal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Previously, Vincent hadn\u2019t given much weight to Nolan\u2019s capabilities or opinions. But now, at this critical juncture, Nolan\u2019s specialized knowledge was the key they needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent dismissed her concern with a calm authority. \u201cJust focus on refining your research questions. Leave the rest to me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
*****\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three hours earlier, in the newly acquired villa next to Ravenshade Villa\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
20:08 Wed, Jan 14\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 316 A Deal With the Devil\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The villa was ablaze with lights, its opulent interiors gleaming. Maria, exhausted from a long day of unpacking and settling in, had been looking forward to an early night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her plans were interrupted by a knock at the door. When she opened it, she found Lily standing there with a pajama\u2013clad Vanessa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Maria could speak, Vanessa happily bounded forward and wrapped her arms around Maria\u2019s leg. \u201cMaria! I want to sleep at your house tonight!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent had called earlier to say he and Sabrina would be at an important academic consultation and would be home very late. He had instructed Vanessa to go to bed on her own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Vanessa, feeling lonely and unable to sleep, had begged Lily to secretly bring her to the neighboring villa to see Maria.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maria, whose body ached with fatigue, felt a flash of intense irritation at the sight of the demanding child. However, with Lily watching, she plastered a wide, doting smile on her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She bent down and scooped Vanessa up with exaggerated affection. \u201cOh, my sweet girl! I was just feeling lonely and thinking of you! What a wonderful surprise! You can keep me company all night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa, nestled in Maria\u2019s arms, giggled with delight. Satisfied, Lily nodded and took her leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once the door was closed and she had carried Vanessa to a guest bed, Maria\u2019s smile vanished. She went into the ensuite bathroom to wash up. As the water ran, she muttered a stream of vicious curses under her breath, her resentment towards the child and her situation bubbling to the surface.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.1K\u00a0<\/p>\n
B\u00a0<\/p>\n
7\/2\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 316 apter 316 A Deal With the Devil\u00a0 \u0f62\u0f7164\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 Scarlett didn\u2019t […]<\/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-27680","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\/27680","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=27680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27680\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}