Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)
Chapter 119

Walking into the office, Bella clapped her hands to grab everyone's attention. "Ladies and gents, please welcome our new intern, Bridget Simpson, handpicked by Eloise as her top choice. But I guess introductions for the rest aren't needed, right?" The underlying tone in Bella's voice didn't go unnoticed. One by one, they lined up to greet Bridget, while Sylvia and Christine barely got a nod.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bridget caught Sylvia's puzzled look and seized the opportunity to shine. She gracefully walked over, linking arms with Sylvia and Christine, her voice dripping with sweetness. "These two are my friends as well, Sylvia and Christine. Please, take good care of them, too."

Sylvia was taken aback. It seemed Bridget had overheard her conversation with Christine outside the elevator and was now seizing the moment for some sort of revenge. Bridget was showcasing her generosity while subtly diminishing their presence, making it seem as though they were merely riding on her coattails.

Unfortunately, Christine seemed genuinely touched by Bridget's gesture. Sylvia, however, freed herself from Bridget's grasp and stepped forward to introduce herself.

"Hello everyone. I'm Sylvia. I'm new around here, so I'm looking forward to learning from all of you."

Her humble attitude and sincere gaze won them over easily.

"Nice to meet you."

"Aren't you the one who stood up to that reporter? I watched the live stream, really impressed."

"Sylvia, we'll remember you. Can't wait to see what you bring to the table."

The crowd waved at Sylvia with smiles as she returned the gesture.

Bridget's smile twitched, her foundation nearly cracking at the edges.

Bella, breaking the moment of camaraderie, directed everyone to their seats and outlined their tasks for the day. As Rupert's fiancée, Bridget enjoyed the privilege of sipping coffee while flipping through the studio's past portfolios. Sylvia and Christine, on the other hand, were left with the grunt work.

Sylvia didn't mind; she knew it was a step closer to her dream. Surprisingly eager, Christine offered to help Sylvia with the menial tasks.

"Sylvia, with your talent, you should.

be sitting there with Ms. Simpsonet

el with your talent, you should

coffee and portfolios.9

handle this."

can

It was the first time Sylvia had heard someone so excited about doing grunt work.

"It's okay, let's do it together."

While distributing the magazines, Sylvia's movement caused her turtleneck to shift, revealing a mark on her neck.

"OMG, Sylvia, you're hurt!" Christine exclaimed, holding the magazines.

Before Sylvia could cover it up, everyone saw and started snickering.

"Sylvia, looks like you and your boyfriend are quite the item."

"All those love bites, he must be crazy about you."

Sylvia's cheeks blazed red as she tried to cover her neck, stammering, "No, it's not what you think, I was just..."

"Bitten by a mosquito! Yeah, we get it," a colleague interjected before she could finish.

Sylvia wished the ground would swallow her up. "I'll go make some coffee."

Hiding in the break room, Sylvia checked her reflection on her phone, trying to adjust her turtleneck. Naomi's foundation didn't last at all. Not even half a day and it's already worn off. She thought the high neck would be a fail-safe, but her secret was still exposed.

As Sylvia scrutinized her reflection, another face appeared on the screen behind her.

With a coffee cup in hand, Bridget took a few steps forward, chuckling. "So, enjoying being someone's toy? That desperate for men? Should introduce you to a few more? So you can get it out of your system all at once."