Rupert said nothing. He just gripped her shoulders, his fingers digging in.

Sylvia stared him down, her body trembling. "What, cat got your tongue? Or is it just that Mr. Rupert can''t even be bothered to exin himself?"

His voice was cold. "Your mom''s out of danger."

The words hit Sylvia like a punch. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, her breathing out ragged and harsh, like a fish flopping on drynd.

She forced out a hoarse shout, "And what does ''out of danger'' even mean to you? Are you waiting for her to die? Is that it? Once she''s gone, nobody will know what Kay did, and you''ll get to sign your shiny new deal with a clean conscience!"

"She''s my mom! My only family left in this world! You really want me to just stand by while she''s humiliated?"

"You can treat me like crap all you want, but she''s still Mrs. Edwin! Or does all you see in people amount to dor signs?"

Her words echoed off the paneled walls of the private dining room, pounding in Sylvia''s skull, though nothing hurt as much as the deep ache in her chest.

She could still remember Naomi''s shattered body after the car crash.

The folks at the funeral home had told her one leg was gone. Asked if she wanted them to put on a prosthetic before the cremation—at least let her mother leave this world with some dignity.

They didn''t fit prosthetics gently on the dead the way they did for the living.

The wound couldn''t be closed, so they just hammered it in with nails to keep it fixed.

Sylvia would never forget that. The memory had festered, curdling into hatred. She''d spent every day cursing Bridget for what she''d done.

Now, she realized it''d all been a lie.

Sylvia shoved Rupert away and turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist.

"That''s all I am to you? Worthless?"

"Mr. Rupert, what else am I supposed to think? Lucky for me I don''t remember a

thing. Forgetting everything must be God''s little gift."

"Sylvia!" He stared at her, something strange flickering in his eyes.

But to Sylvia, it didn''t matter anymore.

She yanked her hand free and walked out of the room without looking back.

Momentster, Orson stepped in.

"Mr. Rupert, it''s handled. Ms. Lloyd-"

"Let her go."

Rupert''s breath was shaky as he reached for the whiskey bottle and drank straight from it.

Sylvia stormed out of the country club, pulled out her phone, opened an alternate ount, scrolled through a few messages, and walked away without a backward

s

The pretty boy only got released after Orson roughed him up a bit.

Nursing his bruises, he checked the messages he''d received and immediately

thought of someone.

Ignoring the pain, he limped off to find Kay.

Kay red at him. "Who the hell told you toe here?"

"Ms. Winslet, some woman tracked

me down and got me beat up

trouble. te winc

for my

hove

touching his swollen cheek

belongs to s

"A woman?" Kay pulled out her phone, showing him a picture of Sylvia. "Was it her?"

"Yes, yes, that''s her. She didn''t get what she wanted though-one of my buddies interrupted her."

Kay rxed a little at that, but her frown didn''t fade.

"Sylvia... I''ve underestimated you. Looks like you won''t back down till you''ve lost everything."

She narrowed her eyes, then looked at the battered man. "Here''s some cash Lay low for a white And about

Naomi-turn up the pressure I want

her pushed to the edge."  s

"You got it."

With the money in hand, he slipped away.

Kay stared at Sylvia''s photo for a few seconds, then dialed a number.fn4561 This text is hosted at F?nd-Novel/fn4561

"Mr. Hanson, here''s your chance to prove yourself."