Hearing Rupert''s answer, Chris sucked in a sharp breath.
He tossed the damp napkin in his hand onto the table, frustration clear in his
"voice. "If all you want is a woman, you could have any girl who''s willing! But her"
"She agreed," Rupert interrupted, his tone calm and detached.
Chris was momentarily speechless. His thoughts shed to Naomi''s recent
hospital stay.
He didn''t need to ask how Sylvia had "agreed." He already knew.
"Are you out of your mind? Does it really have to be her?"
"It has to be her."
"Rupert! Don''t do this! I know the only reason you won''t tell Sylvia the truth is
because you''re afraid she''ll go after Tristan and drag herself down with him,
right?"
Rupert just took a drag from his cigarette, saying nothing.
"Do you have any idea-"
Chris almost blurted out what he knew about Sylvia''s situation, but then he
remembered his friend''s warning:
"With someone like her, unless she wants to speak up herself, airing her story for
her is like handing her a knife. All you can do is give her space-let her decide for
herself."
Space? Choice?
Chris nced around the room, then at Rupert, and changed the subject. "What
about Reese?"
Rupert''s face was asposed as ever. "I''ll take care of both of them."
Chris let out a long sigh and turned to leave.
Guided by memories from her old life, Sylvia found her way back to the room. She
opened the wardrobe-inside, women''s clothes of every style filled the shelves.
She couldn''t help but let out a bitterugh. She grabbed a random set and
headed for a shower.
After, shey on the bed, her mind oddly calm. Even as the door opened behind
her, she only gripped theforter tighter, refusing to look back.
But when she felt the warmth of another body settle beside her, Sylvia couldn''t
help but tense.
A man''s arm slid around her waist, pulling her close. His head rested gently on
her shoulder, dark eyes searching her face.
"Asleep?" Rupert''s voice was husky.
Sylvia caught the want in his tone. She didn''t struggle, only replied coldly, "I just
got out of the hospital. I''m not exactly up for that kind of thing right now. If you
really need something, you''ll have to find another way."
Rupert''s gaze darkened. "You sure do know a lot."
Sylvia said nothing, just waited for
him to get it out of his system. She''d
agreed to stay; she knew this was
inevitable.
Suddenly, the stillness was broken by the shrill ring of a phone.
Sylvia nced at the clock on the nightstand. Thiste, she could guess who it
was.
The phone rang again and again.
Annoyed, she muttered, "Just answer it. Maybe Ms. Sanford has something
urgent."
She hadn''t finished speaking when Rupert got up to grab his phone.
As his warmth left the bed, she curled up tighter under the covers.
Rupert''s voice was low, as if he didn''t want the caller to hear too much. "Yeah?
What is it? ... Okay, I got it."
When he hung up, Rupert looked at Sylvia''s turned back.
"Go home," Sylvia said evenly. "Ms. Sanford will be worried if you''re out toote."
"So generous?" Rupert''s tone was edged with anger, his gaze icy.
"It''s called professionalism. People
like me, who can''t see the light of
day, are better off being discreet,"
Sylvia said, tugging the nket up.
"Drive safe, Uncle Rupert."
"How thoughtful of you."
He threw the words over his shoulder and mmed the door behind him.
Sylvia flinched and pulled the covers tighter around herself.
She nced over at the shelf by the window.
In her previous life, it had held the only photo of the three of them together as a
family.
Her eyes burned, and before she could stop it, tears slipped down her cheeks.
Garcia Manor.
Reese, fresh from her shower, had
changed into the new silk pajamas
she''d picked out just for tonight. She
paced, smoothing out the wrinkles in
her skirt, waiting.
When she heard the door open, she stood up straight. "You''re back. Was work
alright?"
"Yeah," Rupert replied tly.