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.