Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Looking into her eyes, Rupert found it almost impossible to hold himself back.

Even the stray strand of her hair brushing across his nose seemed to tease him, stirring something deep inside.

Before Sylvia could react, he leaned down and brushed his lips gently against hers, barely a whisper of a kiss.

But in the next heartbeat, his hand slid to the back of her neck, possessively deepening the kiss. It was intense, but brief; his clenched fist hovered near her ear, and Sylvia could actually hear the restrained tension in the way he held himself back.

Rupert stared at her, voice low. "Sylvia, you really are something else."

Sylvia blinked, confused by his words.

But he didn't give her a chance to ask. Instead, he tugged her down beside him, pulling the covers over them both.

"Get some more sleep," he murmured.

Sylvia squirmed, tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge. She sighed in surrender and closed her eyes.

Out in the hallway-

Bridget gripped the doorknob so tightly her knuckles turned white. She stared at the two of them curled up together, trembling with rage.

But she didn't dare fling the door open. Instead, she spun around, holding back the urge to scream.

She'd barely reached the elevators when a hand clamped over her mouth and yanked her into the stairwell.

Dazed, she barely had time to process before a man, breathless and wild-eyed, crashed his lips onto hers with a bruising kiss.

He only let up when she winced in pain, and when she shoved him away, she finally saw it was Caleb.

"Caleb! Get your hands off me!" she hissed.

Caleb didn't seem bothered. He cupped her face, kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose.

"C'mon, don't be mad. So, did you and Rupert sleep together last night?"

She scoffed. "Sleep? That's all you ever think about! I asked you to handle

something and you can't even get that right. And you have the nerve to say you'd do anything for me?"

Bridget turned her back on him.

Caleb wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling into the crook of her neck and peppering kisses along her skin.

"Relax. I said I'd take care of it, and I will. Soon enough, Sylvia won't be a problem anymore."

At that, Bridget's eyes glinted. She spun to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Really?"

"Of course," Caleb said with a cocky smirk.

Bridget pulled him into a heated kiss.

...

After Sylvia drifted off to sleep, Rupert slipped out of the hospital room.

He climbed into the back of the car and lit a cigarette, exhaling the first drag before glancing at Orson.noveldrama

"We're being tailed," he said quietly.

Orson flicked his eyes up to the rearview mirror. Sure enough, the same white van had been following them since the hospital.

He nodded to Rupert in the mirror, then cut across three lanes and took a sharp right, losing the tail in under five minutes.

Rupert smoked in silence, considering. "They're being awfully persistent. Someone's been tipping them off."

Orson, more than just Rupert's assistant, was a trained bodyguard-ditching a tail was child's play for him.

Once they were clear, Rupert stubbed out his cigarette and pulled out his phone. "Chris, you got a minute?"

"What's up, Rupert? If you're looking for Caleb, he's out on medical leave. You know how it is-he's a bit of a

wild card, but he's the top of his net

class and the professors love him. Got hurt, so they sent him home to recover."

Chris couldn't hide the pride in his voice when he talked about his younger brother.

Ever since Benjamin passed so suddenly, Chris always put on a happy-go-lucky act, but Rupert knew he was carrying a heavy

care of their mom, and looking out for Caleb.

load-managing the family, t

Rupert hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Chris, I need you to come to Pinehill."

There was a pause. "Whoa. You

xet

never that tone with me. What's

going

'Don't tell me your niece is

in trouble again."

“She is. That's why I need you here,” Rupert said quietly.

Chris didn't miss a beat. “All right, man. I've got some vacation days lined up

anyway. I'll head over."

He agreed without hesitation.