Brewing the coffee, Sylvia carried it to the living room.


    It was a rare asion to have so many people gathered, feeling cheerful and warm. Even Tristan, who usually had a serious expression, couldn''t help but smile a bit more today. After serving the coffee, Sylvia stood behind Naomi and Edwin, continuing to y her role as someone who could easily go unnoticed.


    Just then, Rupert entered, with a noticeable coffee stain on his cor.


    Fiona eximed, "Rupert, you''re always so neat. How did you get your shirt dirty?"


    Rupert sat down, took a sip of his coffee, and nced at Sylvia before replying indifferently, "A cat rubbed against me."


    Fiona took a sip of her coffee and chuckled, "That cat must be quite something, bumping into your mouth, huh?"


    Rupert blew on his coffee and nodded slightly.


    "Yeah. Strong thing."


    As Sylvia heard this, her head drooped, her face flushing consecutively.


    After some idle chat, Tristan announced it was time for his afternoon nap, prompting everyone to prepare to leave.


    "Rupert, walk me to the garden."


    "Sure."


    Rupert stood up, apanying Tristan as they walked away.


    Sylvia, who had been keeping her head down, felt a gaze briefly sweep over her. However, she didn''t look up, pretending as if nothing was happening.


    But this fleeting moment of eye contact was caught by Bridget.


    Bridget clenched the fork she was holding but didn''t dare let the Garcias see anything amiss. She still maintained a gentle smile, "Why don''t we sit down and chat for a while longer?"


    In the past, people would have stayed to keep herpany, respecting her as Rupert''s fiancée. But after the incident at the press conference, most knew Bridget wasn''t as simple as she seemed, leading them to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. After all, until Bridget officially became a part of the Garcia family, her position was precarious.


    Many found excuses to leave, leaving Bridget embarrassed. She excused herself to take a walk in the garden and left. As she passed by Sylvia, she gave her a cryptic look.


    Eventually, only Naomi and Sylvia were left in the living room.


    Naomi, enjoying her coffee,ughed, "Huh, she''s quite themander without even being officially in the family yet. Looks like she hit a snag this time."


    Sylvia pressed the coffee cup to her lips, "Mom, let''s not talk about it. Someone might overhear."


    Naomi took a sip of her coffee, eyeing Sylvia, and held her chin up, "Why''s your face all red?"


    Sylvia brushed her hand away, "It''s hot with so many people around, okay?"


    Thest thing Sylvia wanted was for Naomi to find out about what happened with Rupert, fearing her mother might start dreaming of a wedding.


    Naomi clicked her tongue, looking disapprovingly at Sylvia''s in attire, "You''re a woman, can''t you dress up a bit? Why do you have to ruin such a pretty face? How are you going to find someone to marry?"


    "I won''t marry. I''ll just stick with you," Sylvia retorted.


    "You...you''re going to piss me off," Naomi said, though her eyes betrayed her amusement.


    She might not have much, but her love for her daughter was genuine. The two then went back to the garden together.


    Meanwhile.


    Rupert followed Tristan along the corridor in silence.


    Tristan, hands sped behind his back, nced at Rupert''s side profile and frowned, "Since when did we start keeping cats?" Rupert calmly replied, "There are plenty of stray cats in the outer park. It''s not hard for them to sneak in."


    Tristan nodded, and then changed the subject, asking, "How are things with the Zook family?"


    Rupert, ying with his ring, answered indifferently, "The acquisition is in progress. The Zook family has no other option now." Hearing this, Tristan stopped, patting Rupert on the shoulder.


    "I knew you wouldn''t disappoint me. I didn''t expect Sylvia to be of some use after all."


    Mentioning Sylvia, Tristan gave Rupert a pointed look.


    "Yeah," Rupert responded coolly, his expression unchanged.


    Tristan was pleased with his reaction. Sylvia and Rupert had slept together; having any lingering feelings for Sylvia wasn''t ideal.


    Continuing forward, Tristan suddenly said, "Rupert, you always handle matters cautiously. So, the kind of woman you choose is your business. But considering Bridget''s current situation, marrying into our family is out of the question unless she wins thepetition and restores her reputation. You understand, right?"