Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Orson noticed the paleness on Sylvia's face and hesitated, "Ms. Lloyd..."

Sylvia scoffed coldly, "He really went out of his way this time."

"Ms. Lloyd, actually..."

Before Orson could explain, Sylvia had already stormed off, leaving him to sigh in frustration.

Back in her room, Sylvia made a beeline for the bathroom, only to be confronted by the mirror's revelation-a faint bite mark on her neck, its ambiguous redness seemed to speak volumes without a single word.

She scrubbed it furiously, but the effort only deepened the color. Frustrated, she gave up and decided to cover it with foundation before her meeting at Eloise's studio the next day.

Just as she was pondering how to borrow some foundation from Naomi, Naomi herself appeared.

"Sylvia? You're back? I brought you some snacks."

Hearing this, Sylvia casually wrapped a towel around her neck and stepped out.

Naomi eyed her peculiar attire. "What's with the towel around your neck?"

Sylvia improvised. "Just went out for a jog, got a bit sweaty, so I wrapped it up to avoid catching a cold."

"You've barely recovered- don't push it. Come, sit and eat."

"Alright."

Sitting down, Sylvia inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and started to eat.

Naomi, in high spirits, began gossiping. "Sylvia, you won't believe it- karma finally caught up with Bridget." "Bridget? What happened?" Sylvia asked, feigning indifference.

"The organizer of the competition got busted for bribery. Turns out, he was behind the jewelry contest, and now the spotlight's on Bridget. Despite her denials, the seed of doubt has been planted. And that's the real torture." Naomi clapped her hands in delight.

Sylvia felt a sense of satisfaction. Bridget had plagiarized, and if she dared to challenge the accusations, the relentless internet detectives would surely expose her.

"Bridget's like a kebab over a fire, endlessly tormented."

As Sylvia ate, her curiosity piqued. "How did the organizer get exposed?"

Naomi, peeling an orange, chuckled. "Must've crossed someone with power and influence. Now, the whole internet knows."

Handing Sylvia a slice, Naomi speculated, and Sylvia nodded along, not dwelling too much on it.

After eating, Sylvia wanted to rest, but as Naomi cleared the tray, she noticed a stash of medicinal patches.

"Where did you get these? They're like gold dust, made by some reclusive herbalist. How do you have so many?"

"Just... from the hospital." Sylvia stared at the patches, realizing their value.

Was this Rupert's way of making amends for deleting Bridget's evidence?

"Mom, you can take them, but could I borrow your foundation for tomorrow? I'm visiting Eloise."

"No problem. I'll leave you some patches and take the rest for Edwin." Naomi left happily with the patches.

As dawn broke, Sylvia adjusted her turtleneck and stepped out of the Garcia Manor, heading to Eloise's studio via a long subway ride.

Arriving at a building that looked like

a gemstone nestled in a culturally vibrant Street, Sylvia hastened her steps. Just as she was about to enter, someone called out from behind.

"Sylvia."