Chapter 520

Sylvia's vision blurred and twisted, like she'd walked straight into a thick London fog—nothing around her was clear anymore.

"What else did he say?" she managed to ask.

Kay looked her up and down, lips curling into a smirk. "He said if we threatened your mom, you'd cave. So... Sylvia, just accept your fate."

"You're just a pretty face in this world, no real power, no real say. In other words, you're just... a bargaining chip."

"You wouldn't want everyone seeing those little videos of your mom, would you? If that happens, it won't just be the Garcia family shutting her out—it'll be all of Kingstoria. She won't have a place anywhere."

Sylvia looked up at Kay, who was so smug and untouchable. A thin film of sadness crept into Sylvia's eyes.

"So, no matter what I do, you're never going to let me go, are you?"

Kay just smiled, which was answer enough.

After a moment, Kay raised her wine glass. "Sylvia, let me give you a little lesson -think of it as the price for threatening me."

Splash-

Kay hurled the red wine right into her own face, then let out a shrill scream.

Before Sylvia could even process what was happening, someone shoved an empty glass into her hand.

Suddenly, a voice thundered behind her.

"Sylvia! What on earth do you think you're doing?"

Tristan stormed over, flanked by Rupert and Reese.

Reese hurried to Kay's side, dabbing at the wine dripping down her face with a napkin.

"Aunt Kay, what are you doing here with Sylvia?”

Kay shot Sylvia a scornful look, sighing dramatically. "This girl heard I'm old friends with Mr. Edwin, and who knows who put her up to it—she came running to warn me off. I barely said a word and she just... well, never mind. I won't hold it against her."

Reese hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Sylvia.

Sylvia just stood there, stunned.

So, Kay had known all along that she'd overheard her conversation with Edwin. Everything she'd just said she was just luring Sylvia into a trap.

As Sylvia hesitated, a sudden whoosh sounded right beside her ear.

Tristan slapped her hard across the face.

He might've been getting on in years, but he still worked out every day-his hand was strong.

Sylvia staggered, catching herself on the table-only for Tristan to shove her hands down onto the edge of the hot fondue pot.

"Ah!" she gasped, wrenching her hands away, but the damage was done: her

palms were already turning red and angry from the burn.

Gritting her teeth, she glared at Tristan. “I'm a guest in this restaurant. What gives you the right to hit me? Is this how you treat your guests?"

"Oh, you want guest treatment?" Tristan barked. "Fine. Get the manager over here!"

The manager hustled over, head bowed respectfully.

"Mr. Rupert, Mr. Tristan, this area

doesn't have security cameras.

When we heard the commotion and er all we saw was Ms.

came over,

Lloyd lowering her wine glass."

s

He didn't say it outright, but his meaning was clear: they were pinning the wine incident on Sylvia.

Kay brushed at the stains on her clothes, her voice dripping with mock sympathy "Really Tristan, Rupert, there's no feed to mak a scene over me. I've seen firsthand just how well Mrs. Naomi raised her daughter." s ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ fіndnovel.net

"Aunt Kay, please don't say that," Reese said, her face pale, her breath

shaky. She leaned into Rupert for

support, then looked at Sylvia and

pleaded, "Sylvia, my aunt has a sharp tongue, but she doesn't mean

it fitst an accident cant you

just apologize? Let's not fight anymore, okay?" s

Reese was clearly worried Kay would press charges against Sylvia.

But if Sylvia apologized, she'd be admitting guilt and she couldn't do that.

She pressed her lips together, the burning pain in her hands sending sweat beading across her forehead.

Forcing herself upright, she met Rupert's eyes-dark as midnight, unreadable.

He stared back, cold and expressionless. "Listen to Reese. Apologize, and then leave the restaurant."

Sylvia froze, her gaze turning icy as she stared him down.