Sylvia settled herself down to steady her thoughts before leaning in to confide in the only officer she felt she could trust.

"Could you help me..."

"Sure," the officer nodded.

After laying everything out, Sylvia felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

Wanting to spare the officer any trouble, she inhaled deeply and said, "I've said all there is to say. I don't want to put you in a difficult position. Just do what you have to do with me."

The female officer had been decent to Sylvia, and the last thing Sylvia wanted was to get her in hot water with Rupert. So, she obediently held up her cuffed hands.

The officer hesitated for a moment while looking at her, and then chuckled, "Actually..."

She started to say something more but then stopped, leaving her sentence hanging in the air. Then she uttered meaningfully, "Staying here might be the safest option for you, don't you think?" "Safe?" Sylvia was puzzled but nodded, "Thank you."

The officer seemed to want to say more but eventually shook her head and left the room without another word, uncuffing Sylvia before she left.

The story somehow made its way online. Bridget, in an interview, was tearful, insisting Sylvia was innocent. Yet, her expression was laden with unspoken pain and grievance, and she inadvertently revealed her injured arm. Following her and Rupert's official announcement, Bridget, celebrated as a brilliant jewelry designer, had garnered a considerable online followers.

Once the interview was posted, eager fans vowed to teach Sylvia a lesson, staking out at the school.

That was when Sylvia realized what the officer meant by "safe". If she got caught by those fans, hard to imagine what she would face.

The situation escalated overnight, even dragging Julian into the mix, only painting him as the victim and Sylvia as a jealous aggressor who led him on only to retract her affections.

Even without internet access, Sylvia could piece together the storm brewing online from snippets of conversations among the police.

Instead of explaining, Sylvia remained silent, waiting. Until a sharply dressed man appeared, introducing himself as the Garcia family's chief lawyer.

"Peter, hello," Sylvia greeted him politely. Upon hearing it, Peter was surprised at her composure.

He wasn't familiar with Sylvia, but she knew him all too well. In the past life, he had used the law to corner her, leaving her to bear the brunt of public scorn with no chance to defend herself. Now, with such a scandal unfolding, it was Peter's turn to step in.

Peter looked away and stated seriously, "Ms. Lloyd, you've been bailed out. I'm here to take you away."

Sylvia didn't budge, replying coolly, "And then? There's no need to hold back, Peter."

Peter, who was signing papers, paused, scrutinizing Sylvia for a long moment. Then, he put his pen away, pulled a document from his briefcase and handed it to Sylvia.

"There's a press conference in an hour. This is your speech. Just read it as is."

Sylvia took over the document. The first page demanded she confess to harming Bridget and deceiving and hitting Julian. It was a scripted apology, essentially a confession, absolving the Garcia family of any involvement.

Peter stood, hands on his back, his presence commanding, "Ms. Lloyd, you're implicated in orchestrating an attack on Ms. Simpson. Even if you didn't act directly, prison is on the table. Whether you care it or not, think about your mother and Mr. Edwin Garcia.

Just apologize publicly, Ms. Simpson will sign a settlement, and you'll be off the hook. As for the Zook family, your admission will clear them of any liability. In return, they'll drop the charges and even extend Edwin's contract."

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