Byron was so enraged by his sister, Angel, that he almost slapped her, but Sylvia’s sudden entrance stopped him cold.
He slowly lowered his hand, snarling at her, “Get out! This has nothing to do with you!”
Sylvia bit her lip. “I came to see Angel. How is that not my business?”
As she spoke, she glanced at Angel. If Angel wanted her to leave, she would walk out without another word.
Angel, surprised that Sylvia would stick up for her, seized the opportunity. “Byron, she’s right. Sylvia and I have something urgent to discuss. I have to go!”
Seeing Angel’s complete lack of remorse and her willingness to side with Sylvia only fueled Byron’s anger.
“Angel, are you trying to test me?” he said in a dangerously low voice. “Do you want to face the family’s punishment?”
The mention of their family’s harsh discipline sent a shiver down Angel’s spine. The thought of it was terrifying.
She shot a pleading look at Sylvia, though she knew it was hopeless. Even when they were married, Byron never listened to a word Sylvia said.
Sylvia’s gaze fell to the photos scattered on the floor. She picked one up, and the reason for Byron’s fury became instantly clear.
Any brother would be furious to see his sister in photos like these.
“Why are you yelling at her, Byron?” Sylvia said, her voice turning to ice. “Do you honestly think she feels good about this? Have you even for a second considered how she must be feeling? Or are you just trying to push her over the edge?”
Tears welled up in Angel’s eyes at Sylvia’s words, but she was too scared to make a sound. She just stood there, watching her brother.
Sylvia was right, but confronting Byron like this would only make him angrier.
Byron stared daggers at Sylvia. ‘The nerve of this woman,’ he thought. Who did she think she was, interfering in his family’s business?
He pointed to the door, his voice a low growl. “Get. Out.”
“Say that again?” Sylvia challenged, meeting his glare without flinching.
This arrogant man was trying to pull the same old routine on her.
The rage in Byron’s eyes was about to boil over. He could easily say it again. Did she think he was afraid of her?
But as he opened his mouth, the words caught in his throat. He clenched his jaw, swallowing his fury.
He told himself he was only holding back because she had once saved his life.
T
Angel was speechless. She thought she was done for, that her brother’s wrath would now be turned on her. But to her astonishment, Byron fell silent.
She looked at Sylvia in disbelief.
Had Byron actually listened to Sylvia? That was something she had never seen before.
Sylvia took a deep breath and turned to Angel. /‘Who took these pictures?”
Angel hesitated, her face flushing with a mix of shame and anger. “Julian,” she admitted. “He tricked me! We already broke up, and now he’s using these to get money from my brother.”
35
Sylvia nodded grimly. It was just as she’d suspected. That pretty boy Julian screamed trouble from the start.
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Chapter 85
Byron, since this happened to your sister, you, as her brother, should be trying to help her tolve the problem, nët uandis
said.
Byron scoffed. “And what makes you think I haven’t done anything? My men are already on Julian. As soon as we have all of Angelo Photos find out exactly what happens when you cross the Blair family.”
“For God’s sake, Byrnn, will you ever change?” Sylvia cut him off, annoyed. “Your first instinct is always to destroy someone! Don’t worry aboutit ri handle this. Those photos won’t get out, and he will face the legal consequences for his actions.”
Angel’s eyes widened. Sylvia was challenging her brother again!
Angel frantically tried to signal Sylvia to stop before Byron completely lost his temper.
Then she would be the one to pay the price.
But a strange quiet fell over the office.
Byron, forcing down his anger, ‘didn’t explode.
He irritably loosened his tie and grumbled at Sylvia, “Fine. You handle it. But when you fail, you come to me. And you’d better be careful. Julian isn’t some pushover.”
As much as her interference annoyed him, a deeper part of him felt a flicker of satisfaction. It meant she still cared about the Blair family.
‘She still sees herself as one of us,‘ he thought, and his mood improved considerably.
Angel stared, her jaw practically on the floor. Sylvia had completely defanged her notoriously bad–tempered brother. Not only had he backed down repeatedly, but he was actually worried about Sylvia’s safety.
Sylvia just glanced at Byron, sensing he was off in his own world again. She gave a curt nod and walked to the door.
She looked back at Angel. “What are you still standing here for? Waiting for him to yell at you again? Let’s go.”
Angel glanced nervously at Byron. “Byron… can I go now?”
Byron gave a dismissive wave and returned to his desk, burying his face in a file.
Angel practically ran out of the office. If Sylvia hadn’t shown up, she knew she wouldn’t have gotten off so easy.
She hesitated, then looked at Sylvia, who had followed her out. “Uh… thank you,” she mumbled.
“Don’t worry about it. Just remember this when I need a favor from you someday.” Sylvia said.
Sylvia didn’t mention the custody battle for Zack. Seeing how terrified Angel was of Byron, she knew it would be a difficult fight.
Sylvia had Angel get into her car, and they drove to the Four Seasons Hotel. She had seen Julian go inside with a woman earlier.
When Angel learned Julian was in the hotel, she marched to the front desk, ready to pull the “I’m a Blair” card to get his room number and give him a piece of her mind.
Sylvia cut her off. “I’ve already called the police. Let them handle it.”
Angel was still anxious. “But what if they arrest Julian and he denies everything? What if they just let him go? My photos…”
“Leave it to the police,” Sylvia said coolly. “If you get into it with a lowlife like Julian, you’ll only feed his ego and get dragged into an endless mess.”
Just then, several plainclothes officers strode into the lobby and flashed their badges at the front desk.
“We’re with Interpol,” one of them, a man with a distinct European accent, announced.
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Chapter 85
They were all clearly foreign.
They were friends of Sylvia’s from her time abroad, who happened to be in the country working a case with the embassy. Sytzia had called in a lo
The Interpol agent continued, “We‘
looking for a man named Julian Vance. He’s a person of interest in a major international case of financial frand
Major international financial fraud?
Angel, who had been listening from the side, was stunned. She swallowed hard. A charge that serious?
