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.

a strange mix of relief and gratitude-she owed Rupert for scrubbing her

eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That's impossible!" She yanked Sylvia to her feet. "Are

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

to seduce Mr. Rupert and frame Bridget! You

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

hesitated. Her grip

Sylvia said quietly. "Because Rupert's got

die here tonight, who really wins? Ms.

getting out of this alive. When people have nothing

looked pale,

faltered, doubt flickering in

the opening Sylvia needed. She finally sliced through the last rope, flexed her ankles, and slipped free. Then, in a blur, she

reeking water, sending

on the pool deck

swam for the deep end, then scrambled out onto

water, Fanny spotted Sylvia and screamed, "Get her!

of men charged

pounding, toward the emergency

she'd underestimated Fanny's paranoia. Every exit was barricaded