Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Chapter 165

Bridget clutched the flash drive in her hand, feeling smug. After all, she had achieved her goal, and the details hardly mattered anymore.

"Next time, be more careful, will you? I pulled strings to get you in here, and yet you're doing worse than Christine. At least she had colleagues speaking up for her, snagged a sweet deal. Look at you..." Freya mumbled, "Sorry," her head bowed in submission.

Bridget barely spared her a glance, brushing past and striding into the office without another word.

Moments later, Freya slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes brimming with venomous daggers. She turned sharply and nearly collided with Christine.

Christine said nothing, just brushed past. But then, she stopped, turned back, and flashed Freya a smile.

A sudden tightness gripped Freya's chest. By the time she looked again, Christine was long gone.

Was it just her imagination?

...

An hour later, in the conference room, Bailey and Eloise exchanged a few pleasantries before taking their seats.

"Let's get started. I have another engagement soon."

"Sure," Eloise replied, her attention shifting to Christine, who was poised to lead off.

Christine stood, presenting her design concept. "My theme is 'Rising from the Ashes.' I've incorporated gemstones representative of the fire element in an inverse setting to add depth..." Fire?

Sylvia gasped, her pen slipping from her grasp and rolling off the table.

back to their breakfast conversation at Camellia Manor. Christine

MVP. Since Bailey chose

of jewels - she'll buy what truly speaks to her." Because Bailey and Eloise had personally endorsed her, Sylvia hadn't thought much of it at the time. She had shared her ideas

But now...

to reality, Sylvia realized

about rising from

chord with Bailey, who watched Christine

"Ms. Eloise, you have

smile widening as

"Bridget, you're up."

"Right."

gaze flicking to Christine with

Christine was nothing more than a grunt, yet here she was,

No matter.

she'd deal with

a

entering the office, she saw Sylvia struggling over

always be trash, no matter

out her flash drive, looking at Sylvia's pale face. "Good

screen displayed her design. Deliberately, she had chosen camellias

concluded, she turned

ye

laugh. "After braving countless challenges, letting go