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.

of relief and gratitude-she

yanked Sylvia to her feet. "Are you playing games with

What, so you can kill me? Ms. Lance, come on. I

Mr. Rupert and frame Bridget!

deadpan. "So you'd treat Bridget

hesitated. Her

Sylvia said quietly. "Because Rupert's got her back.

from framing her? But if I die here tonight, who really wins?

alive. When people

looked pale,

faltered, doubt flickering

the opening Sylvia needed. She finally sliced through the last rope, flexed her ankles, and slipped free. Then, in a blur, she grabbed Fanny's legs and yanked

as she hit the filthy, reeking

For a moment, no one on

bolt. Ignoring the burning from the tile cuts on her skin, she swam for the deep end, then scrambled out onto the slippery tiles-dripping, blood and dirty water

as Fanny's bodyguards fished their boss out of the water, Fanny spotted Sylvia and screamed, "Get her! Don't

of men

sprinted, heart pounding, toward the

Fanny's paranoia. Every exit was barricaded