Sylvia watched Rupert walk away, his figure growing smaller with each step. Her eyes went cold, but her face showed no surprise. She tilted her head up at the overcast sky, letting out a bitter smile that looked pale even to herself.

Well, it all happened just as she expected.

Back in her previous life, Naomi and Edwin''s car crash had to be linked to this partnership. Rupert had lied to her, saying the crash happened because Naomi and Edwin were helping her dig up dirt on Bridget. But that was just a distraction —a way to keep her from noticing the real story.

She never realized that the mysterious husband Kay married was actually Edwin. She didn''t catch on to how, right after the ident, Rupert started a big business venture with Kay.

Looking back, the clues were all there. Bridget had never mentioned the ident to her, and with Bridget''s two-faced personality-sweet in public, vicious in private —she would have jumped at the chance to rub Sylvia''s nose in it. But Sylvia had been too consumed by the image of Naomi''s broken body, unable to sleep, barely holding it together.

The only things keeping her going were her hatred for Bridget...and Ste.

But in the end, Ste died too.

It was only now Sylvia realized: her whole life had been built on one big lie. She took a deep breath, tore her gaze from the gray sky, and walked away.

The Parking Lot.

The car door was flung open. Reese clung to it, struggling to catch her breath. Rupert steadied her, pushing a handful of pills into her mouth.

A few momentster, color returned to Reese''s cheeks. She leaned against Rupert, reaching for him and hugging him tight.

"Sorry," she murmured, "I left my purse in your car and didn''t realize until I needed my meds."

"Want me to take you to the hospital?"

"No, please. I''ve spent enough time in hospitals. Just let me stay like this for a minute, okay?" Reese''s eyes were pleading.

Rupert nodded, settling into the backseat and letting her rest against him.

Reese breathed in his scent and closed her eyes,forted. She even nuzzled into his jacket, as if trying to memorize the feeling.

Until...

Rupert''s voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp. "How did you and Yves meet Ms. Winslet?"

Reese''s heart skipped a beat. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

No matter how hard she searched his face, she couldn''t read what he was thinking.

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how she met him."

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"Ms. Winslet invited you to dinner today. Do you know why?" Rupert''s voice had

dropped a few more degrees. Even the air seemed to freeze.

Reese''s pupils widened. She stared down at her hands, silent.

Just then, Rupert pulled away from her. The warmth and safety she''d felt vanished instantly.

A gust of cold wind blew through the open car door, chilling Reese to the bone.

Panicked, she grabbed Rupert''s

hand, nodding quickly. "My aunt said she''d found out something

interesting and wanted me toe see. I swear, I had no idea Sylvia and Yves were here talking about getting married. You have to believe me."  s

"Alright," Rupert said coolly, pulling his hand from hers.

Reese stared at her empty palm, biting her lip. "You seem awfully concerned about... Yves''s wedding."

"No," Rupert replied, leaning back

if he didn''t care at all, though his clenched fist told a different story. "If I''m doing business with someone, need to know who I''m dealing with.  s

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Reese moved closer. "Yves might look rough, but he''s a good guy. If he and Sylvia really like each other—"

"You should head home. It''s cold out," Rupert cut her off. Clearly, he didn''t want to talk about it anymore.

Reese hesitated, then managed a small smile. "Alright."

Rupert got out of the car.

Reese rolled down the window and called after him, "Hey, Rupert! The wedding dresses I picked out just arrived. Will youe with me to check them out?"