Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Chapter 318

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Chapter 318 Chris fiddled with his Zippo lighter, letting out a weary sigh. "Can you really blher for not listening? She has no idea that her so-called airtight evidence is nothing compared to what the Lances have been building for three generations. Even if Fanny ends up behind bars tonight, it won't shake the Lances in the slightest. If anything, she's just made herself their next target. And let's not forget -Tristan's not letting this slide either." Rupert took a slow drag from his cigarette, silent as ever.

Chris frowned, glancing sideways at him. "You're not really just going to let this go, are you? I get that you want Aaron's help to handle the mess at the mine, but con, man-these are people's lives we're talking about. You politicians and your backroom deals..." He was a doctor, after all. Sympathy cnaturally to him.

He found himself torn, caught between his loyalty to his oldest friend and the heavy weight of the tragedy at the mine. The thought of those lost lives gnawed at him.

Tristan's mining operation was a gold mine-literally-but Rupert wasn't the one calling the shots.

That responsibility lay with two of the Garcia family's older relatives. They cared about one thing: profit. Safety regulations? Just paperwork to fudge for the inspectors.

Then, inevitably, disaster struck. Five men dead, a dozen more still in the hospital.

Those two old men tried to keep it under wraps, but as the truth started to leak, they went running to Tristan for help.

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Tristan's solution? Call it an accident, sweep it under the rug. If anyone reported it, it would haunt them for years to come.

That's when Tristan decided to play his usual games, targeting Bridget and hoping she'd get something on Fanny Lance, the Lances' precious daughter.

But things hadn't gone according to plan.

Rupert ground out his cigarette in the trash, his expression unreadable. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. Aaron says if we let Fanny walk, he'll help with the mine situation." Just around the corner, Sylvia was yanking leaves off a tree, her face drained of color-she looked like she could disappear right into the hospital wall. She'd only cto ask Chris to keep a copy of her injury report, just in case she ever needed it.

She never expected to overhear this.

No wonder they'd pressured her to drop the case earlier-and Rupert hadn't said a word.

Of course, this was what he wanted all along.

He'd saved her, sure, but only as a move to help Fanny.

She was just a pawn.

To Rupert, nothing mattered more than leverage and deals.

Sylvia slipped away, her report forgotten. She knew she was in way over her head.

Rupert stared at the cigarette butt, exhaling a final stream of smoke. "But do you know how much the Lances are demanding?" Chris, still torn up inside, was caught off guard by the sudden shift in Rupert's tone. He let out a breath and punched Rupert's shoulder, grinning with relief.

"Jesus, man! I thought you were actually going to side with those crooks. So, how much are they asking for?" "Two million. All those lives, and they want more money than any of them could've ever earned put together. Isn't that just sick? People are worth less than dirt," Rupert muttered voice cold as winter. "I'm taking the mine. And I'll deal with the people too." Chris's grin faded. He sobered instantly.

"You're... you're going after Tristan?" Rupert didn't answer. He just turned and strode away.

Hospital room.

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Sylvia collapsed onto her bed the moment she got back soceaning herself in the scratchy hospital blanket. A few minutes later, the door creaked open. She squeezed her eyes shut, feigning sleep.

She could smell the faint scent of tobacco as a man approached, stopping at her bedside.

She felt his gaze burning into her. There was something unreadable, almost suffocating, in the way be watched her-like ivy vines curling around her, drawing her in bit by bit. When she finally realized it, she was already pressed against his warm chest.

Her breath caught. Even with her eyes closed, she knew his face was only inches away.

His breath tickled her cheek-almost teasing.

She nervously pressed her lips together, and at that, she could feel his whole body tense up, his presence suddenly overwhelming.

But all she could think about was what she'd overheard him say to yton m Chris. Her heart twisted painfully, and she forced herself to roll over, turning her back to him, pretending to be asleep.

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Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

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