Vivian Miller smiled and said, "Shall we find a quiet place to sit and chat privately?" Angela knew Victoria Sinclair was easy to talk to and often bullied, so she became anxious instantly, "Miss pick-me, what exactly do you want to do?" The term "pick me" made Vivian Miller’s face instantly darken. She looked at Angela unhappily, truly not expecting Victoria Sinclair’s friend to be so rude as to give her a nickname. Angela huffed and glared at her. Victoria Sinclair stood up, grabbed her backpack, and tugged Angela’s hand, "Angela, I’m going out for a bit." Angela’s tone softened, "Victoria, you don’t know what kind of ill intentions she has. Don’t go out with her." "It’s okay." Victoria Sinclair comforted her while gently patting her arm. As noon approached, the sky darkened as if it were dusk, filled with clouds and a chilly wind howling. A heavy rain was imminent, and the wind swept through the city. Since the research institute was relatively remote, it took them more than ten minutes to walk back near Victoria Sinclair’s neighborhood, where they found a quiet café. The two sat in a corner and ordered two coffees. Vivian Miller sipped her black coffee slowly while Victoria Sinclair sat still, quietly watching her, waiting for her to speak. Vivian Miller pursed her lips, frowned, and put down her cup, "The coffee here isn’t as good as the hand-brewed one by my aunt at home. It’s astringent, lacks aftertaste, and isn’t fragrant." Victoria Sinclair remained consistently tranquil and elegant, "Miss Miller, just say what you want to say." Her time was precious, unwilling to waste it on meaningless things like tasting coffee. Vivian Miller stayed silent for a few seconds, her eyes sincere, "Sister-in-law, Eugene’s beloved grandfather just passed away. He’s very upset and in a bad mood. I want to take him abroad for a trip to relax. Is that okay?" Victoria Sinclair leaned back in her chair. Beneath her calm exterior, her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible giant hand, making her feel suffocated and uncomfortable, yet she still had to act indifferent, "Go wherever you want. You don’t need to tell me." Because her opinion couldn’t change Eugene Vaughn’s mind. Vivian Miller empathetically explained, "Sister-in-law, you’re Eugene’s wife. I must seek your approval for matters . After all, a single man and woman traveling abroad together can easily cause misunderstandings." Victoria Sinclair’s hand, resting under the table, slowly tightened on her pants, her heart heavy. Since she knew that a single man and woman traveling together could cause misunderstandings, she still chose to do it and even demanded her approval. Isn’t this just hypocrisy? Vivian Miller continued, "I’m a very outgoing and straightforward person. I’m very familiar with Eugene. We’re like brothers, having grown up together. If anything were to happen, it would have happened long ago and wouldn’t concern you, right?" She didn’t seem straightforward, but she did seem manipulative. Victoria Sinclair felt a bittersweet helplessness and discontent in her heart, but she maintained her appropriate composure, "Is this the reason you asked me out here?" Vivian Miller was taken aback, "Isn’t this serious enough?" So she understood the seriousness of a single young woman inviting a married man on an overseas trip, disguising illicit acts under the guise of brotherhood? For a wife, this was obviously serious. Yet Vivian Miller knowingly did this, deliberately coming to her, under the guise of seeking her approval, when it was actually meant to show off and to intimidate. She indeed felt upset, but what could she do? Eugene Vaughn never reported his whereabouts to her; it was nothing but an empty marriage. She turned her face to look out the window. Suddenly, heavy rain poured down, the whole street immersed in a hazy and dark gloom, raindrops falling like countless fine threads on the ground, echoing the noise of rain hitting surfaces. Pedestrians on the road hurried with their umbrellas. Her mood was worse than the weather outside. Vivian Miller, in her familiar tone, pressed, "So, sister-in-law, do you agree?" Victoria Sinclair wasn’t one of those "brothers" she was surrounded by, who would comply with her every wish. Her tone grew colder, "If I don’t agree, will you still go?" Vivian Miller hadn’t expected such a response, she froze for a moment. "No matter what my answer is, you’ll still go." Victoria Sinclair clenched her fist, her tone exceptionally chilling, "Miss Miller, you specifically came to ask me about this, but your intention wasn’t to seek my opinion. Deep down, you know exactly what you’re thinking, and I won’t expose you." Vivian Miller awkwardly raised her coffee cup to drink, her eyes flickering. She found Victoria Sinclair to be cold, solitary, quiet, and gentle, but she did not expect her to be so clear-headed and wise. She wasn’t like her male friends, so easily manipulated. Victoria Sinclair turned to continue watching the rain. If she had an umbrella, she would have left immediately. The atmosphere was tense and cold. Vivian Miller held her phone under the table, sending Eugene Vaughn a location and a message on WeChat. Vivian Miller: (Eugene, I’m at a café near your home, without an umbrella. The rain is too heavy for me to leave. If you’re not working yet, could you come pick me up?) Eugene Vaughn: (I’ll be at the door in two minutes.) Vivian Miller grinned, quickly picked up her phone and pretended to make a call, mumbling just loud enough for Victoria Sinclair to hear, "Didn’t expect the rain to be this heavy, I’m asking Eugene to come pick me up." After speaking, she pretended to dial and put the phone to her ear, pausing for a few seconds, then said with a familiar straightforward tone, "Eugene, I’m at the Lucky Café near your house, the rain’s too heavy, come pick me up... okay... two minutes, right? By the way, sister-in-law is here, she doesn’t have an umbrella. Could you give her a lift back to the research institute too?... Okay..." After giving her commands, Vivian Miller put the phone back in her bag, turned to Victoria Sinclair, and said, "Sister-in-law, I’ll have Eugene take you back to the research institute first." Just after speaking, Vivian Miller eagerly picked up her bag and left the seat, turning to wait outside the door. Victoria Sinclair’s gaze was fixed on the rain outside the window, despondent. Her husband especially came to pick up Vivian Miller, adhering to Vivian’s arrangement, and as an afterthought, offered to take her back? Vivian Miller was always effortlessly dominant. There was no point in arguing with anyone, especially not against her own time. Instead of wasting time here, troubled by trivial matters, it was more meaningful to return to the lab and conduct more research. In an instant, Victoria Sinclair picked up her backpack, slowly moved her chair, and walked out of the café. As she pushed open the glass door, a cold wind mixed with rain moistening her nasal passage swept her face, causing a chill to run from head to toe. And all she saw was the taillights and license plate of Eugene’s car, disappearing further away in the rain before her eyes. Latest content published on novel⟡fire.net She stood at the entrance like a fool, her eyes sore, her body cold, and her heart empty. Victoria Sinclair went back into the café, returned to her original seat, listening to the wind and watching the rain, wasting time until the rain stopped.