Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert) novel Chapter 690

Time seemed to freeze. Sylvia stared blankly at the rings in her hand, her mind completely void.

The men's band had been worn by Rupert ever since he got it. Unless he gave his express permission, Reese could never have taken it off his finger.

Which meant this wasn't just a warning from Reese. It was a direct message from Rupert.

He had still chosen someone else.

It wasn't surprising in the least.

Sylvia was finally free of him.

Yet her breathing hitched erratically. A suffocating wave of despair crashed over her, as if a million barbed needles were tearing her heart to shreds.

Seeing her reaction, Lester's expression darkened as he snatched the card. "I'm going to go find out what the hell this is about."

"Don't." Sylvia took the card back, shoved it and the rings into the envelope, and tossed it into the entryway drawer. "She's not wrong."

"Sylvia..."

"Let's go. I'm hungry," Sylvia said, forcing absolute rationality into her voice.

"Alright."

...

Reese and Rupert's wedding went ahead as planned.

It was less of a union between two families and more of an absolute circus for the entire city and the internet.

The night before the ceremony, the two massive hotels they had bought out were fully packed with A-listers and elites.

Paparazzi didn't even sleep, swarming around to snap photos of celebrities and billionaires. Even without being physically present, the online frenzy was deafening.

Sylvia simply turned off her phone, pulled a magazine off the shelf, and tried to read herself to sleep.

After flipping through two pages, she zoned out, entirely unsure of what was running through her head.

Ding-dong.

It took the doorbell ringing three times before she finally snapped out of her daze and walked over to open it.

Ms. Ward stood outside, holding two trekking poles she had found God knows where. She handed one to Sylvia.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"Why?" Sylvia grabbed the pole, thoroughly confused.

"I'm going hiking to watch the sunrise tomorrow."

"Huh?"

Sylvia looked at Ms. Ward in sheer bewilderment, trying to spot even a hint of a joke on her face.

She tipped her head back and took a deep breath, feeling a profound lightness wash over her entire body.

"Thank you, Ms. Ward!" Sylvia screamed at the sky.

"What?" Ms. Ward was buffeted by the roaring wind, clearly missing the words.

Sylvia didn't repeat herself. Instead, she looked off in a specific direction and murmured into the wind.

Thank you, Rupert.

Sylvia knew this was Rupert's doing.

He had to guarantee the Garcia family that she wouldn't show up at the wedding, just so they could finally leave her in peace.

"Sylvia, why are you crying?" Ms. Ward hurriedly dug through her pockets for a tissue.

Sylvia touched her face, only just realizing that tears were streaming unstoppably down her cheeks.

She wiped them away haphazardly. "The wind is just too strong."

After watching the sunrise, Ms. Ward pointed at the ancient structure nestled on the mountain.