Chapter 72
Ruby cheered when Sylvia agreed she could go out and play. “Thanks, Mommy!” she yelled happily.
Without wasting a second, she grabbed Zack’s hand, and they scrambled into the back seat of Byron’s car.
Byron strode after them but paused before getting in, glancing back at the house. “You coming with us
He didn’t finish. His expression soured as Sylvia simply turned around, walked back inside, and shut the door firmly behind her.
‘Like I actually want her company,‘ Byron thought, his jaw..
tightening. ‘Whatever. He wasn’t desperate for her attention.
He got into the driver’s seat and headed towards the beach with the two kids.
Meanwhile, Sylvia made a quick call, confirmed a meeting spot, and drove off. She was meeting with a potential film crew–cinematographer, producer, production assistants, the works–for her new movie project, A Warming Town.
They agreed to meet at an outdoor café overlooking the water.
“So, you’re Ms. Sullivan,” the crew leader, a man named Tanner Voss, said a
as Sylvia sat down. He looked to be in his fifties, clearly a seasoned veteran who’d knocked around the film industry for years.
He sized Sylvia up with a knowing, almost skeptical look. “Zander Gage set this up. Mentioned you were one of the investors. Didn’t expect someone so… new to the scene. We haven’t heard your name around Silverton before.”
Sylvia offered a polite smile, choosing not to reveal her ‘Master Cameron‘ credentials; they wouldn’t believe her anyway, and it was clear they were already underestimating her because she looked young and unfamiliar.
“I’ve primarily worked internationally,” Sylvia explained smoothly. “This is my first film investment since returning to the country. I’m hoping for a smooth collaboration.”
She gestured for the waiter to bring coffee for the five crew members present and passed copies of her script across the table.
Tanner barely glanced at the script, pushing it aside casually. He leaned back with a sly smile. “Ms. Sullivan, perhaps we should discuss compensation
first?”
“What did you have in mind, Mr. Voss?” Sylvia asked, keeping her tone even.
Tanner didn’t beat around the bush. “For our entire crew to bring your film to life, handling everything from shooting to coordinating post–production, plus all our salaries… let’s say sixteen million. Seems fair for a top–tier job, doesn’t it?”
Sylvia’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘Sixteen million? Just for the crew?‘ They were clearly trying to take advantage of her perceived inexperience.
“Mr. Voss, isn’t that price rather steep?” she asked, trying hard to keep the irritation out of her voice. She needed a reliable team and didn’t want to rely on Zander for every little thing, but this felt like highway robbery.
“Sorry, Ms. Sullivan, the price is firm,” Tanner said flatly. “We can give you some time to consider. If it doesn’t work for you, we’ll just be on our way.”
With that, he and his colleagues picked up their coffee cups, pointedly ignoring her while they leisurely sipped.
Sylvia felt a knot of frustration. Paying that much was out of the question, but finding another competent crew with immediate availability would be a nightmare.
She took a sip of her coffee, her gaze drifting absently toward the street. Then she froze. Across the road, on the beach, was a familiar sight: Byron, playing with Zack and Ruby.
1/3
Chapter 72
The café was just steps away from the sand. Byron stood watching while Zack and Ruby, both barefoot, chased each other across the beach, laughing. and shrieking with joy. Sylvia frowned as she took in their outfits. What on earth was Byron thinking?
Under the bright sun, the handsome man and the two adorable children were all wearing identical white tracksuits and sunglasses, drawing quite a bit. of attention. Byron’s striking features combined with the children’s cherubic faces created an undeniably heartwarming, picture perfect scene.
Sylvia watched them, a wave of complicated emotions washing over her. They shared blood, yes, but seeing them dressed alike like this… they looked disturbingly like a real family.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Sylvia murmured to Tanner and his team, rising from her seat.
She walked briskly across the street onto the sand. “Ruby!” she called out, catching her daughter’s arm as Ruby ran laughing circles around Byron.
“Mommy! You came too? Are you here to find me?” Ruby asked, beaming up at her.
“No, sweetie, Tjust happened to have a meeting nearby,” Sylvia said, then looked up at Byron as he approached. Her tone sharpened considerably. “Why did you dress Ruby in a matching outfit with you two? She is not your daughter.”
Byron’s easygoing expression vanished, replaced by a slight frown.
inhiser
“I picked out the clothes, Sylvia. What’s the big deal? Don’t you think,” he added, a challenging glint in his eyes as he looked down at Ruby, “that she looks even more like my daughter wearing this?”
A jolt of pure panic shot through Sylvia. She knew he was probably just trying to provoke her, pushing her buttons as usual, but the casual remark hit far too close to the truth she desperately guarded.
Just then, Byron subtly gave Ruby a look.
Ruby immediately turned her big, pleading eyes on Sylvia, tugging at her hand. “Mommy, Byron is super nice! Can we play with him and Zack lots more from now on? Please?”
Sylvia shot Byron a cold, hard glare. “Cut the act, Byron. And stop putting ideas into Ruby’s head or coaching her on what to say. The answer is absolutely
not.”
Byron’s face hardened slightly. ‘So high and mighty!‘ he fumed internally. ‘How does she know I put her up to it? Couldn’t it have been that perceptive
little rascal Zack?‘
Zack, who had been watching the exchange quietly, stepped closer to Sylvia, his expression earnest and a little worried. “Mommy,” he asked tentatively, “are you in a bad mood?”
Sylvia just waved a hand dismissively, forcing a calmer tone. “You guys keep playing. Just remember, stay on the sand where I can see you. Don’t go near
the water.”
She turned abruptly and walked back towards the café, her mind racing.
Back at the table, Tanner Voss leaned forward again. “So, Ms. Sullivan, have you made up your mind? Agree to the sixteen million, and we can sign the contract right now.”
“Gentlemen, can we perhaps discuss this a little further?” Sylvia began, trying a weary smile. But as she looked up, she noticed Tanner and his colleagues weren’t looking at her. Their eyes were fixed, wide and almost mesmerized, on the café entrance.
Sylvia followed their gaze. Byron stood there. He’d followed her back. His expression was icy, radiating an unwelcome chill that seemed to drop the temperature in the café. He looked like an unwelcome specter.
“What are you doing here?” Sylvia hissed under her breath before she could stop herself.
But her question was drowned out as Tanner Voss and his entire team shot to their feet in perfect, almost comical unison. “Mr. Blair! Good afternoon, sir!” they chorused, their voices laced with newfound respect, or perhaps fear.
2/3
10 น
Chapter 72
Byron’s stern face remained impassive, his cool gaze sweeping over the suddenly deferential group. He had a vague recollection of them, they’d shot a commercial for the Blair Group years ago.
Tanner and his men certainly remembered Silverton’s infamous “Tyrant.” A costly mistake during that long ago shoot had incurred Byron’s legendary wrath, and his displeasure alone had nearly gotten them blacklisted from the entire industry. The fear was palpable and deeply ingrained.
Sylvia frowned, sensing the bizarre, tense shift in the atmosphere. She moved closer to Byron, keeping her voice low and urgent. “Why did you follow me? Look, you’re scaring them off. I’m trying to have a serious business meeting here, could you please just go?”
Tanner and the others stared, mouths slightly agape. Ms. Sullivan not only knew the Byron Blair, but she spoke to him like… that? The casual familiarity. the clear dismissal – it was astounding, almost unthinkable.
Byron’s expression darkened further. Kicking him out? In front of these people? Making him lose face like this? As if I enjoy following her around! He’d only come back because he was… concerned. Wasn’t he?
He instinctively started to turn away, ready to leave her to her frustrating meeting, then paused. He looked directly at Tanner Voss, his voice dropping several degrees colder, slicing through the tense air. “Are you,” he asked icily, “discussing a potential collaboration with my ex–wife?”
