Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

"Send me the recording in a bit," Rupert said flatly.

Freya, eyes red and watery, looked utterly pitiful. "Mr. Rupert, I swear, I had no idea Sylvia would do something this insane. It's just—I couldn't take her teaming up with others to push me out. That's why I went to ask her to back off today. I never thought she'd use that to hurt Ms. Simpson."

"Who?" Rupert's gaze turned sharp as a knife.

Freya froze, caught off guard. "Who... what?"

"Who did she team up with? Give me the names."

"I..." Freya's shoulders began to shake.

Right then, the surgery room doors slammed open and a doctor rushed out, looking frantic.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Rupert. We couldn't save the baby. And now the patient is in critical condition—she's losing a lot of blood and needs a transfusion immediately."

A nurse came running down the hall, clutching bags of blood.

Rupert's father, Tristan, heard the news and snapped. He didn't care about decorum anymore. He grabbed one of the blood bags and hurled it at Sylvia, hitting her square in the head.

"This family's been torn apart because of you!" he shouted, voice cracking. "I should've kicked you and your mother out the first day I met you!"

face, icy and humiliating. She stared at the fearful, judgmental faces around her, feeling like some kind of outcast-like a witch in a

Her eyes went hollow, empty-like the surface of a pond on a windless day. All the fight drained

Rupert stepped in, blocking him with a steely

was your child. Is

low and unyielding. "I'm not wasting any more time on people who don't

an inch, until finally, Tristan let

gestured to Orson, his right-hand

"Hold on! Who says she's off the hook? Maybe the shoving is a gray area, but the

breath caught. She wiped blood from her eyes and looked at Tristan whose gaze was cold and unrelenting, as if he wouldn't rest until she

"Fine

most she'll get is a couple days in a cell. It's

defend herself, to explain. But the

useless. She'd already been

returned and whispered something to

he said, voice

deepened, but he

ordered quietly, his tone brooking no argument- even

letting Orson guide her away. She didn't look back at Rupert.