Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

As soon as Sylvia walked into the office, she noticed Bridget was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a group of colleagues had gathered, buzzing with conversation.

When they spotted Sylvia, they waved her over excitedly. "Sylvia, your move at the party was brilliant! You really pulled the rug out from under them."

"Absolutely, it finally opened my eyes to who Freya really is. I can't believe I felt sorry for her and even bought her lunch before."

"And get this, the Rockfield family just released a statement. Because of the Carmen Group's blunder, they're ending their partnership."

Ending the partnership?

Sylvia paused, her mind racing as she pulled out her phone to check for updates. Just then, her phone rang-it was Naomi.

She stepped away from her coworkers to take the call.

"Hey, Mom."

"Sylvia, thank goodness we didn't invest in the Carmen Group like you advised! You won't believe it-all the investors' money is tied up! The Carmen Group is in total disarray! Word is they've lost over a million just from that celebration dinner."

Naomi's voice was practically dripping with schadenfreude.noveldrama

"Over a million? How did it get so bad?"

"The Carmen family splurged on having a celebrity perform, but thanks to Freya's drama, the show never happened. The contract clearly states that they're responsible for the payment regardless. Serves them right! Warren tricked you before, and then Hilbert tried to pull a fast one. Shameless!"

Naomi ranted on, her voice full of disdain.

Once she finished, Sylvia replied, "Mom, just make sure you say all this in private, okay? We don't need Tristan's people overhearing. No matter how messed up the Carmen family is, Warren is still his grandson."

"I know, I know. I'm not about to broadcast this outside," Naomi said, her laughter subsiding. "Oh, by the way, Tristan mentioned having a little gathering at home tonight. He wants you to come."

Sylvia was skeptical. "Mom, did you put him up to this?"

Naomi quickly denied it. "No, really, it was Tristan himself who asked for you."

"But he's hinted before that I shouldn't frequent the Garcia household. Why the sudden invite? Maybe I should find an excuse to skip it."

Sylvia felt it was best to avoid any complicated interactions with Tristan.

Naomi hesitated, then coaxed, "Sylvia, Tristan recently gave Edwin a promotion and even gifted me a lovely jade bracelet for taking care of him when he wasn't feeling well. If you don't show up..."

Tristan clearly knew how to play his cards.

Sylvia sighed. "Alright, I'll go. I'll swing by a store after work to pick up something nice."

"Is that necessary?"

"Mom, since I left, I'm just a guest," Sylvia reminded her.

"Okay."

Naomi's voice had lost its earlier cheer.

Fearing another teary conversation, Sylvia quickly found an excuse to hang up.

Meanwhile, at the Simpson household.

"Ah!"

Bridget was on the floor, her face covered as she sobbed, looking up at Zavier Simpson.

"Dad!"

"Don't you 'Dad' me!" Zavier barked, his anger palpable.

Miriam rushed to Bridget's side, helping her to her feet. "We can earn more money, but what if you hurt our daughter?"

"You keep coddling her! Look at the mess she's made! She was so confident about striking a deal with Hilbert, even promised it would be a goldmine! Now not only is the money gone, but she's brought back a heap of trouble!"

Zavier slammed his hand against the back of the couch, the sound reverberating

through the room, making Miriam and Bridget flinch.

Miriam gently nudged Bridget, urging her to speak.

Bridget, wincing from the pain, stepped forward. "Dad, don't worry. If I can persuade Fanny to help

Tristan fix the issues at the minonet

Mr. Rupert will definitely reinvest in the Simpson family. Just give me a little more time."