Vincent Hawthorne's gaze fell on the palm of her hand.
It was fair and slender.
The memory of its smooth, soft touch flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but frown.
"Miss Vaughn, don't be too greedy."
He collected himself and said flatly.
"Alright."
Faye Vaughn climbed out of the wardrobe and glanced at the space above his head.
While she was acting, his favorability score had risen to 40%.
Unfortunately, the moment Vivian Windsor arrived, it plummeted.
It had dropped all the way down to 20%.
'The power of the ungettable dream girl showing up in person really can't be underestimated.'
"You can go now."
Vincent Hawthorne ruthlessly ordered her to leave.
'Vivian is back. Why would I waste any more time on a substitute?'
"Second Young Master, if you need me again, feel free to make another appointment."
Faye Vaughn smiled and, with a strong sense of professional ethics, took the torn nightgown with her.
She returned to her room.
There were three missed calls on her phone.
They were from Wyatt Hawthorne.
'He must have returned to the country with Vivian Windsor.'
Faye Vaughn's fingertip slid across the screen. She thought for a few seconds, then decided not to call him back.
'He'd left her hanging so many times. It was his turn now.'
Faye Vaughn casually opened WeChat and saw that Fourth Young Master Liam Linden had sent her a message.
[Little Rhonda, are there any toys you've wanted lately?]
Rhonda was the fake name she had given Liam Linden.
Last time, she had used the excuse of buying a drone to give Liam Linden twenty thousand yuan.
She knew his mother's ear had been injured by her stepfather and required surgery.
By now, she should have recovered.
[I don't really want anything lately. Brother Liam, are you okay?]
Faye Vaughn asked tentatively.
On the WeChat screen, the "typing..." indicator stayed on for a long time.
It seemed as though Liam Linden was typing, then deleting his words.
Finally, he sent just one short sentence: [Not so good.]
Faye Vaughn frowned.
'I've been so busy lately, I haven't been able to check on Liam Linden.'
'What happened to him?'
Faye Vaughn dialed her private investigator. "Did something happen to Liam Linden and Joanna Linden?"
"Miss Vaughn, I was just about to report to you. I've sent the details to your email."
Faye Vaughn opened her email.
In the attachment were several photos.
Liam Linden's mother, Joanna Linden, was bruised and swollen from being beaten. She was leaving the police station with Liam.
"Joanna Linden's husband was forcing her to see clients at home. He beat her when she refused."
The private investigator continued, "They were at the police station this time because Liam Linden nearly killed his stepfather."
"Luckily, there were no serious injuries. Liam Linden was detained for a disciplinary lecture and has since been released."
After the call, Faye Vaughn's heart felt a little heavy.
According to her missing system, Liam Linden would eventually "go dark," taking revenge on the Hawthorne Family and even society as a whole.
The death of his mother, Joanna Linden, would be the start of his descent.
'Counting the days, that time is drawing near.'
'I have to find a way to stop it.'
[Brother Liam, my older sister is a celebrity. She's always being followed by sasaeng fans. Is there any way you can help her?]
Faye Vaughn thought as she typed.
'Pretending to be a little girl makes it easy to earn Liam Linden's trust, but it's not convenient for giving him large sums of money.'
'Making up a sister will make things easier.'
[She might need a portable mini-camera and a tracking locator.]
Liam Linden replied quickly, explaining in detail, [The camera can record the sasaeng fans' behavior for evidence. The locator is just in case she gets kidnapped by them, so you can find her as quickly as possible.]
Faye Vaughn sent a voice message in a little girl's voice: "Brother Liam, is that kind of stuff hard to make? How much would it cost?"
Liam Linden also replied with a voice message, his youthful voice slightly hoarse, "I can make something more sophisticated than what's on the market."
"What's your sister's budget?"
Faye Vaughn's tone was full of innocent cheer. "My sister's a star, she's super rich! Just ask her for the money!"
She sent him a WeChat contact—it was her own alternate account.
Liam Linden added her.
Faye Vaughn immediately transferred two hundred thousand yuan: [A deposit. If the equipment is good enough, I'll pay you double.]
She projected the image of a rich, clueless big spender.
Liam Linden was stunned.
'So much money!'
'It's enough for him to take his mother and escape this hellhole.'
'To escape to a place beyond the Hawthorne Group's reach.'
[So, can you do it or not?]
Faye Vaughn typed out the question in a spoiled tone, [If not, then refund the money.]
"I can!"
Liam Linden quickly sent a voice reply. "Just give me a few days! I'll contact you when it's done!"
Faye Vaughn arrogantly replied with a single word: [K.]
...
On the film set the next day.
Faye Vaughn saw Vivian Windsor.
She had been invited to make a cameo as a special character.
"Miss Vaughn."
Vivian Windsor took the initiative to greet her, her face wreathed in a graceful and poised smile. "I've heard so much about you."
Faye Vaughn replied politely, "The same goes for you. I've heard your name for a long time."
Over the past three years, she had heard Vivian Windsor's name countless times.
And Vivian, in turn, must have known about her existence from the very beginning.
"Miss Vaughn, you and I look..."
Vivian Windsor paused, her tone full of meaning.
'So much like me.'
'It just goes to show that in Wyatt's heart, this girl named Faye Vaughn is nothing more than my stand-in.'
For the past few years, she had been busy with her career, juggling various men, and had no intention of settling down too quickly.
Otherwise, there would have been no opportunity for Faye Vaughn to slip in.
"I hear you've moved out of the Hawthorne residence, Miss Vaughn?"
Vivian Windsor took a step closer and whispered in Faye Vaughn's ear, "You're very sensible. It saves me the trouble of having to do anything."
After saying this, Vivian Windsor stepped back, the elegant and magnanimous smile still fixed on her face.
Faye Vaughn raised an eyebrow.
Not far away, a tall, slender man got out of a car.
He wore his usual custom-tailored suit, looking sharp, handsome, mature, and distinguished.
"Wyatt?"
Vivian Windsor's face lit up with pleasant surprise as she hurried over to him. "What are you doing here visiting the set? Didn't you say you had an important meeting today?"
"The meeting was rescheduled."
Wyatt Hawthorne replied coolly.
His gaze flickered past Vivian Windsor, landing on Faye Vaughn, who stood quietly in place.
She was in costume, a form-fitting qipao that outlined the curve of her narrow waist, looking so delicate it made one want to wrap a hand tightly around it.
A shadow flickered in Wyatt Hawthorne's eyes.
"I'm so happy you could come keep me company."
Vivian Windsor said with a hint of a coquettish whine.
Wyatt Hawthorne's expression was unreadable. "Just focus on your filming," he said. "Pretend I'm not here."
Vivian Windsor pouted. "You're standing here looking more handsome than a top male celebrity. How am I supposed to ignore you?"
Despite her words, she still had to run over when the director called.
As for Faye Vaughn, she didn't look at Wyatt Hawthorne once, from beginning to end.
When she was filming, she was completely immersed in her role, as if she had become a different person.
This was the first time Wyatt Hawthorne had seen her act.
With her dark hair and red lips, she was both alluring and fiercely cool, navigating through crises with effortless grace.
Her every move was captivating.
"Excellent!"
Director Coleman, who was behind the camera, shouted his approval.
He rarely praised actors so openly on set. "Vaughn, your future is limitless!"
Wyatt Hawthorne narrowed his eyes slightly.
'No wonder she kept insisting she wanted to rely on herself. Turns out she has a real talent for acting.'
'It wasn't that he was so old-fashioned that he forbade her from working.'
'It was just that she had taken things too far.'
'This time, she'd even moved all her things out.'
'He'd just have to see how long she could last before coming to him to make peace.'