Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert) novel Chapter 637

“Mr. Rupert, would you cut it out already? Fake is fake, it’ll never be real. I’m not a kid anymore.”

With that, she tossed the bouquet straight into the trash can.

Rupert froze, completely caught off guard.

Sylvia didn’t look back. She darted toward the street and flagged down a yellow cab.

Once inside, she stared out the window at Rupert’s figure growing smaller in the distance, then turned her gaze away, her face unreadable.

“Miss? Miss?”

She blinked, snapping back to reality at the sound of the driver’s voice.

“Sorry, what?”

He sounded slightly annoyed. “Where are you headed? I’ve already asked a few times.”

“Oh—sorry.” Sylvia quickly rattled off her address, then fell silent, staring blankly out the window again.

After a while, the driver spoke up once more.

“You okay back there? Your phone’s been buzzing for ages.”

Sylvia startled and grabbed her phone. It was a call from Lester.

“Hey, Sylvia, you make it home yet?”

“I’m in a cab.” Something occurred to her, and she quickly asked, “Is Reese all right?”

“They’ve both been checked out at the hospital. Fay’s ankle is a bit swollen, and Reese banged her knee when she fell. Mr. Rupert’s on his way to pick her up now.”

He’s picking up Reese?

Rupert had just been talking to her, saying all those things, and now he was rushing off for Reese. Sylvia couldn’t decide if it was laughable or just plain sad.

“Sylvia? You still there?” Lester’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“Yeah,” Sylvia replied, sounding drained.

“What’s up?”

“It’s just… that movie. I got totally suckered into it.”

Lester chuckled. “Guess you didn’t know, but the internet calls it a ‘couples sci-fi flick’—the kind where you take your girlfriend so she’ll jump into your arms when she gets scared.”

“…”

“Did it scare you?”

As soon as she sat down, Reese started chatting about her day.

Rupert, halfway through pouring a glass of water, paused at her words. His voice was low. “Did you mention the flowers?”

“Yeah. Fay brought it up.” Reese leaned back against the couch, rubbing her leg.

Rupert didn’t press further. He set the glass down, face unreadable. “I’ll go get the guest room ready for you.”

At the mention of “guest room,” Reese stiffened, about to suggest she could just crash in the master bedroom, but Rupert was already gone.

Watching his retreating back, she gripped her mug a little tighter.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a bag on the coffee table.

Rupert had been clutching it the whole way home, not even letting Orson carry it.

Without waiting for a reply, she dropped it straight into the trash.