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!"

hairpins in Sylvia's hair, drenching her in cold, sticky blood. It trickled down her face, icy and humiliating. She stared at the fearful, judgmental faces around her, feeling like some kind of

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

again, but Rupert stepped in, blocking him with a steely

the hell are you doing?" Tristan barked. "That was your child. Is this how

"I'm not wasting any more time on people who don't matter. Bridget's safety

Tristan down. Neither man gave an inch, until finally, Tristan let out a shaky

gestured to Orson, his right-hand

"Hold on! Who says she's off the hook? Maybe the shoving is a gray area, but the drugs prove she planned all this. She shouldn't be going with Orson. She should

her eyes and looked at Tristan whose gaze was cold and

didn't flinch. "Fine by me," he

a couple days in a cell. It's pointless. And Bridget? She'd hate being

explain. But the words stuck in

useless. She'd

then, the butler returned and whispered something

record," he

scowl deepened, but he couldn't

take her away," Rupert ordered quietly, his tone

moved like a ghost, letting Orson guide her away.