Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert) novel Chapter 147

He didn't move.

Sylvia even thought she might have been mistaken, seeing a flicker of amusement in his deep gaze just before the light intensified.

As the light grew, she felt a sudden tightness on her shoulder, realizing she had forgotten to buckle her seatbelt.

Exiting the tunnel, the car’s interior brightened.

Rupert sat opposite her, legs crossed, everything as calm and composed as ever, as if the slight disarray in Sylvia's breathing was merely an illusion.

She raised her hand, feeling a need for a sip of coffee to calm her nerves.

Lifting the cup, she noticed the coffee that had spilled earlier was now full.

When had it been refilled?

Sylvia thought of something and abruptly looked across.

Rupert lazily lifted his cup, and there, unmistakably, was a faint lipstick mark.

He...

A buzz went through Sylvia's head, her lips tingling.

Bridget, sitting diagonally across, noticed the light had brightened and immediately glanced toward Sylvia and Rupert, seeing no reaction from either.

"Good, that tramp Sylvia didn't seduce Rupert after all," she thought, relieved. But then she noticed the lipstick mark on the cup Rupert held and caressed.

Being a woman, she knew exactly what it meant.

Bridget clenched her fists, her foot unceremoniously kicking Freya's knee.

It hit right where Freya had been injured, causing her to break out in a cold sweat, but she dared not show pain in front of Rupert.

Covering her knee, Freya looked at Bridget.

Bridget glared back venomously, signaling that Sylvia would pay today.

Freya, boiling with anger but unable to speak, simply nodded.

The rest of the journey passed in silence. After a couple of hours, they arrived at the outskirts and the Camellia Manor.

...

Stepping out of the car, Sylvia was immediately captivated by the hillsides blanketed with camellias.

True to its name, Camellia Manor was surrounded by these blossoms.

The butler quickly approached.

In the garden, a woman in her thirties stood up from the pavilion. Her beauty was accentuated by her delicate makeup and the intelligent sparkle in her eyes.

She held a pair of scissors, meticulously trimming a potted plant.

When she saw Rupert, her face lit up with a different kind of smile, and she immediately walked over.

"You're a hard man to schedule."

"Busy," Rupert replied coolly.

Bailey, undeterred, put down her scissors and sashayed closer.

"Everyone in Kingstoria knows you’re a busy man. That makes me even more curious about who managed to get you to agree to meet."

They were both astute.

Rupert had declined several one-on-one meetings, except when Eloise's studio sending an intern, which he accepted.

Wasn't that telling?

Bailey's gaze swept past Rupert's companions.

Bridget offering a gentle smile and was about to greet her, but Bailey's eyes moved past everyone, directly to the last figure in line.