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

our MVP. Since Bailey chose you as the lead designer, what's

status has seen all kinds of jewels - she'll buy what truly speaks to her." Because Bailey and Eloise had personally endorsed her, Sylvia hadn't thought

But now...

reality, Sylvia realized Christine was

about rising from the ashes,

a chord with Bailey, who watched Christine

Eloise, you have

her smile widening as she

"Bridget, you're up."

"Right."

flicking to Christine with a venomous

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

No matter.

she'd deal with Sylvia, then

brought a triumphant smirk

entering the office, she saw Sylvia

would always be trash, no matter

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

design. Deliberately, she had

concluded, she

ye

light laugh. "After braving countless challenges, letting go is when you truly