Chapter 454

Vivian popped open a beer bottle with her teeth and handed it to Audrey. "Tell me honestly, what's so great about Serena? She's nothing extraordinary."

Audrey accepted the beer, taking a long swig that sent bubbles dancing down her throat. After a thoughtful pause, she spoke in a measured tone. "Some patterns are hard to break."

Vivian hesitated before confessing, "I actually talked to Dominic about this—" She raised her hands defensively. "Not betraying you, I swear. Just thought since he's Adrian's friend, he might see things differently."

Audrey turned sharply toward Vivian, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "And?"

"Dominic thinks Adrian doesn't have romantic feelings for Serena," Vivian continued carefully. "More like a sibling bond."

Audrey's eyebrows knitted together before she let out a bitter laugh. "That's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard."

"How can two unrelated adults have a 'sibling relationship'? Are they emotionally adopted or something?"

Vivian shrugged. "I can't explain it either. But something feels... off. Like there's a missing piece we're not seeing."

She cracked open another beer with the same dramatic flair and took a deep drink. "Look, I'm with Dominic now, so I'm not judging. But seriously, we can't both be stuck in toxic relationships, right?"

Audrey exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "Adrian isn't like that. If there was something between them, he would've told me. What possible secret could be so big that he'd rather fight with me daily than just explain it?"

Her voice cracked with frustration before she sighed again. "Maybe this is karma. Maybe in a past life, I destroyed Serena's entire bloodline, and now she's haunting my marriage like some vengeful spirit. She won't even let me breathe."

"Enough sad talk," Vivian declared, clinking her bottle against Audrey's. "Tonight we celebrate your sudden stardom!"

They both tipped their bottles back in unison. Vivian let out an unladylike belch before grabbing her phone and opening Instagram.

Ivory Phoenix Productions had reposted Vivian's viral moment, turning it into promotional gold for Ambermyst. Vivian Hartley, the acclaimed screenwriter, was now being hailed as the real-life embodiment of her own strong female protagonist—fans were calling it art imitating life in the most spectacular way.

Vivian scrolled through endless praise-filled comments, beaming brighter than if the compliments had been for herself. Another burp escaped as she grinned. "Talent always rises, babe. You're absolutely slaying! I never expected it to blow up like this."

What neither noticed was Audrey's account had gained an astonishing ten million followers overnight, surpassing Vivian's by four million.

Meanwhile, Adrian sat motionless on the clinic's leather sofa. The sterile lighting carved his sharp features into marble perfection—his undone cuffs and loosened navy shirt the only signs of disarray. A cigarette hung forgotten between his lips as he stared into space.

The silence stretched.

And stretched.

And—