Chapter 213

Sylvia's POV The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Frostline Enterprises as I stepped out of the elevator. As I rounded the corner toward my office, I nearly collided with Serene. She was carrying a small box of personal items, her expression uncharacteristically subdued. "Serene?" I asked, immediately noticing something was different about her. "Sylvia," she acknowledged, her voice lacking its usual barbed edge. "I was hoping to catch you before I left." My brow furrowed. "Left? What do you mean?" Serene gestured toward the box in her arms. "I'm taking some time away from the company. I've enrolled in a business management program at Howling Peaks University." I blinked, certain I'd misheard. "You're going back to school?" "Don't look so shocked," she said with a small smile that held no malice. "After everything that happened at the tribunal... I realized something." She took a deep breath. "I've been competing with you for years, but I never bothered to ac