Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Chapter 310

Fanny's henchman handed her the bag.

Sylvia rattled off the unlock code without hesitation.

Fanny scrolled through every last thing on Sylvia's phone and laptop-work emails, class notes, random chitchat. No trace of any incriminating video or photos.

She frowned, clearly still suspicious.

Meanwhile, Sylvia quietly worked a broken tile against the rope binding her wrists underwater, trying to keep the conversation going. "Ms. Lance, if you think I'm hiding something, you're more than welcome to have your tech guy do a deep search."

Fanny didn't hesitate. She waved her hand, and one of her people started a full scan on both devices.

Watching the progress bars crawl across the screens, Sylvia felt a flicker of hope. Her hard drive was packed with four years' worth of design files and half-finished projects-searching all that would take a while.

Hopefully long enough.

But just as she felt the last threads start to give way, the scan beeped finished. "Nothing, ma'am."

Fanny snatched Sylvia's phone, glaring in disbelief.

gratitude-she owed Rupert

narrowed in suspicion. "That's impossible!" She yanked Sylvia to her feet. "Are you playing games with

can kill me? Ms. Lance, come on. I don't have a beef with you-why would I try

Mr. Rupert and frame Bridget! You want to turn us all against

stared at her, deadpan. "So you'd treat Bridget the same way you

hesitated. Her grip

Rupert's got her

But if I die here tonight, who

out of this alive. When people have

looked pale, exhausted-almost

faltered, doubt flickering in

last rope, flexed her ankles,

as she hit the filthy, reeking water, sending up

moment, no one on the

on her skin, she swam for the deep end, then scrambled out onto the slippery tiles-dripping, blood and dirty water trailing behind her.

Fanny spotted Sylvia and screamed, "Get

men charged after

sprinted, heart pounding, toward the emergency

paranoia. Every