Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert) novel Chapter 210

Ding.

The elevator doors slid open to reveal a brightly lit corridor. Standing there, Sylvia could peer through the glass walls on either side, granting her a bird's-eye view of the building's interior.

At the end of the corridor stood a pair of impressive double doors made of solid wood, simple yet exuding a sense of authority.

The assistant cautiously pushed open the door, and Sylvia was greeted with a sight of a sprawling two-story office space that spanned across two hundred square meters.

A row of floor-to-ceiling windows offered an almost panoramic view of the surrounding cityscape.

A spiral staircase led upwards, presumably to Rupert's private quarters.

The sunlit tiles on the floor left Sylvia momentarily awestruck.

This was, in fact, her first foray into Rupert's professional domain.

Nearby, Edwin, who had been sitting at a small conference table, stood up at the sound of their arrival.

"Sylvia, what brings you up here?"

Snapping back to reality, Sylvia lifted the thermal bag she was holding, "I brought you lunch. My mom says you've been working too hard lately, so I went out of my way to order this for you."

"It seems like a lot of trouble for you to go through."

Despite Edwin's words, his actions betrayed his delight as he eagerly accepted the thermal bag.

Just as he was about to sit down, he noticed something else in Sylvia's hands.

"What's that?"

"Oh, it's Rupert’s jacket. He thought I was underdressed yesterday, so he lent it to me. Since I was coming over to bring you lunch, I figured I'd return it as well."

Looking around, Sylvia realized Rupert wasn't in sight.

Picking up on her gaze, Edwin explained, "Rupert had a fever spike to over 103°F after his meeting this morning. It's a wonder he even made it through."

"That high? Shouldn't he be in the hospital?" Sylvia asked, her concern evident as she clutched the thermal bag tighter.

"He refused. Instead, he had Chris come over to check on him. He's upstairs getting IV fluids now," Edwin gestured upwards.

Such dedication.

Sylvia paused, a mix of emotions brewing within her.

Even the bookshelf was thoroughly scanned.

It had to be with Rupert, especially with the contract signing imminent. Given his cautious nature, he would surely be keeping a close eye on it.

Could it be upstairs...

By this time, Edwin had finished his meal. He walked over to the sofa and opened the bag Sylvia had brought, finding another bag of medicine inside.

With a light chuckle, he teased, "Sylvia, did you come to check on Rupert?"

Sylvia quickly denied, "No!"

"What's this then?" Edwin picked up the bag of medicine.

"Considering his illness might have something to do with you, it makes sense to show some concern. Why don't you go up and see him?" He handed the medicine bag back to Sylvia.

Clutching the medicine bag tightly, Sylvia weighed her options.

She wasn't exactly on par with Rupert when it came to scheming and feared he might see right through her.

As she pondered, Orson walked in with a bowl of steaming chicken soup, pausing briefly upon seeing Sylvia.