Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

"Ms. Lloyd, it's me, Orson."

"What's up?" Sylvia asked, trying to suppress the pain.

"My boss wants to see you."

To see her? For what? To witness the aftermath of his rendezvous with Bridget?

Sylvia couldn't hold back her anger, blurting out, "I'm already off the clock, tell him to visit me when he's free. Maybe he should focus on keeping his own house in order, maybe have a couple more of those energy-boosting smoothies." With that, she flopped back onto her bed.

Outside, Orson stood confused by the rejection and had no choice but to head to the makeshift study Bailey had arranged for Rupert.

"Mr. Garcia, Ms. Lloyd says she's gone to sleep."

"And you believe that hogwash?"

Rupert sat by the window on a solid oak armchair, legs crossed, one hand propping his chin, the other flipping through a contract. "Well...she might be genuinely tired, but she still seems to care about you," Orson ventured.

"Oh?"

That was a surprise. She cared about him?

The only man she seemed to care about was Warren. She'd already held a grudge against him for sending Warren for a business trip. Orson stepped forward, reporting faithfully, "She advised you to drink more of those energy-boosting smoothies. Isn't that a sign of care?"

Rupert's lifted eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Energy-boosting smoothies...huh."

...

Dinner was delivered to her room by the servant.

Sylvia didn't want Bridget and Freya to know she was hurt, so she pretended to have a bit of a cold and cough, asking the servants to bring some anti-inflammatory drugs.

But with no salve for her burns, the pain was a constant annoyance.

The pain was so bad she could hardly stomach her food; she barely managed a few bites before sitting by the window to distract herself with the mountain scenery.

The misty mountains were like

something out of a painting, utterly serene Thankfully, after the brief commotion next door, all was quiet, or she couldn't have enjoyed even a moment of the view.

Sylvia was lost in the beauty when suddenly, the lights flickered and then went out.

She froze, glued to her chair, unsure of what to do next, before the fear of the dark could fully set in, Bridget's scream from next door truly startled her. "Rupert! Rupert! I'm so scared!"

Her shout snapped Sylvia back to reality.

The darkness in the mountains was different from the city's. Here, it was pitch black, as if a heavy curtain had fallen, sealing everything away.

Feeling her way in the dark like a

blind person, Sylvia fumbled over slowly to the door. When she opened it, Christine and Freya were already standing in the hallway spooked by every little sound

"Ah! You scared me, Sylvia?" Christine reached out, touching the wall.

"Yeah. What happened?" Sylvia emerged from her room.

"No idea, the power just went out suddenly," Christine said, her voice tinged with urgency.

Just then, Bridget's voice, dripping with coquettish fear, came from behind.

"Rupert, Rupert...I'm afraid of the dark."

Even in the dark, the closeness of two figures could be felt. Sylvia, recognizing the proximity of their voices, consciously moved to the side to let them pass.

The next moment, the man's presence brushed past her, chilling and menacing. She could almost feel his gaze on her in the darkness.

Then, the butler appeared.

"My apologies, the heavy rain on the mountain caused some landslides, leading to the power outage. We've been informed that the repair crews will come as soon as the rain lets up. For safety, please don't leave the mansion. The servants will bring some scented candles for tight."

The butler was in and out in a hurry, disappearing as quickly as he came.

The surrounding darkness, combined with news of the landslides, was unnerving.

Sylvia leaned against the wall, her eyes wide open, but she could see nothing. The darkness seemed to open up an abyss before her once more.

She clenched her fists, repeatedly telling herself this wasn't her past life; she could get through this.

Suddenly, Freya's crying broke through the darkness.