Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Fiona was shoved aside by Rupert, stumbling hard onto the cold, unforgiving floor.

She'd always known how to play her cards right. Even if she didn't have much real power in the Garcia family, the title of Mrs. Fiona still counted for something, and she'd built up her own little following.

But now, sitting on the ground with everyone staring at her, there was only icy silence.

Even her own husband had turned away, shielding the other woman and her daughter instead.

Only Warren stood by her side, glaring furiously at Patrick. "Dad! Are you really saying Mom's wrong here? If she hadn't seduced you, would you have abandoned us? You're the Garcia family's firstborn, the heir to the Garcia Group, with the world at your feet!"

Patrick, making sure the woman and child behind him were unharmed, finally looked back at Warren, troubled. "After everything that's happened, you still think your mom's right about everything?"

Warren froze, suddenly unsure.

Fiona clung to Warren's sleeve, voice trembling. "Don't listen to him! He's been bewitched by those two homewreckers. Why else would he leave us high and dry? If it wasn't for him, would you be suffering like this?"

Her tears streamed down her cheeks, and Warren's face twisted, torn between shame and anger.

especially with so many eyes glued to him. He could almost feel them all staring at his wounds, fueling his

to blame my mom?" Warren shot back at Patrick. "You cheated first! You took everything and left us here for

Patrick, the other woman stepped forward, nodding gratefully to Sylvia before facing the group, her voice

cheat. When we met, he had nothing but the shirt on his back and more scars than I could count. If he'd had money, we wouldn't have spent years working two jobs just to get by. If he'd truly cheated, why would we have waited so

the records yourselves everything's right there

you two just waited to get married to hide the money! Buy some time to

anger rising. "The only person I've ever wronged is you. I didn't take a dime—I left everything in your

have to answer to Rupert for everything. And every single one of these so-called relatives gossips about us behind our

hesitated, glancing over

his gaze, noticing Fiona's lips quiver, a flash

the stories weren't lining

Naomi mentioning, years ago, that the real tragedy of the Garcia family was Patrick. Tristan had handpicked him as the successor, and Patrick had lived

his own. Even if

seen Warren and Fiona living