Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Everything happened way too fast.

Lester, quick on his feet, managed to raise an arm in defense, but he still couldn't avoid the sneak attack entirely a blast of pepper spray left one of his eyes stinging and blurry.

Sylvia glanced outside, startled. "Ms. Ward? What are you doing?"

Ms. Ward froze in the hallway, realizing who she'd just sprayed. The canister slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you guys!"

Sylvia's gaze dropped to the rolling can on the floor. Pepper spray-of course.

She quickly ushered Lester inside, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and helping him rinse his eye. Thankfully, he'd blocked most of it, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

After a couple minutes, Lester took the towel Sylvia handed him and dabbed at his face. "I'm okay. Really."

Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief, pulling out her phone to order some over-the- counter eye drops for same-day delivery.

Then she finally turned to Ms. Ward, who was standing in the foyer looking as guilty as a kid caught sneaking cookies before dinner.

"Ms. Ward, what happened?"

been all over the news. I felt like someone was tailing me tonight, so I-" She shot an apologetic look at

"It's alright. But are you sure someone was

I got scammed by that guy last month, I'm super cautious around men. I don't even let the delivery drivers bring food up

for, and he said he was working on renovations in the building next door. I didn't think

I got off the bus early to buy apples from the fruit stand near the entrance, and I saw him again. He followed me all

what it was, how it tasted. I think he was trying to see how much food I ordered, maybe how many sets of utensils, to figure out if I

why Ms. Ward was

scrolled through the building's group chat on her phone

alerts-reminders not to open the door for

work

to Lester, she sighed. "Look at

Ms. Ward a reassuring smile. "I'm fine,

looked mortified, but when she met

door locks. Sorry again for the trouble," she said, already edging out the

realized what Ms. Ward

probably thinking and felt

flush

but the woman already

had Cheeks