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Alicia, his loyal assistant, stepped into the room. Her usually composed demeanor was tinged with a hint of urgency. "Young Master Aric, Lady Sylvia has requested a meeting with you."

Aric\'s eyebrows raised in interest. "Sylvia wants to meet me? Interesting. Did she say why?"

Alicia shook her head. "No, she didn\'t specify. But she seemed quite earnest."

Aric leaned back, a slow smile spreading across his face. "This is perfect timing. Tell her I\'ll meet her at the Moonlit Pavilion in the western gardens. Make sure no one else is around. I want this meeting to be private."

Alicia nodded, noting the location. "Understood, Young Master. I\'ll make the arrangements immediately."

As Alicia left to convey the message, Aric\'s mind began to race with possibilities. Sylvia\'s request to meet him was a golden opportunity, one he couldn\'t afford to miss. He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and letting his thoughts flow freely. There were multiple ways he could extract Villain Points from her, and each method had its own appeal.

First, there was the option of reducing her strength and making her a cripple. It was a ruthless strategy, one that would require careful manipulation and precise timing. Sylvia was no ordinary girl; she possessed a strong will and a determined spirit. Breaking her physically would not be easy, but it would yield a significant amount of Villain Points.

Then, there was the possibility of dismantling the powers supporting her. Sylvia\'s strength was not only in her own abilities but also in the alliances and connections she had built over the years. Her family\'s influence, their contracts, and their allies were all sources of her power. If he could isolate her, cut her off from these supports, it would leave her vulnerable and desperate.

This approach required cunning and a deep understanding of the political landscape, something Aric excelled in.

Finally, there was the option of crushing her self-esteem. This was perhaps the most subtle and insidious method. Sylvia was proud, confident, and used to being in control. Undermining her confidence, making her doubt herself and her worth, would be a slow but effective way to weaken her. Psychological manipulation was an art, and Aric was a master painter.

He chuckled softly to himself, a dark glint in his eyes. "Sylvia, Sylvia... you\'ve walked right into my trap," he mused. "You have no idea what you\'ve just set in motion."

Aric thought about Sylvia\'s personality in detail. She was a complex mix of strength and vulnerability, pride and insecurity. She had always been the jewel of her family, admired and respected by those around her. But beneath that confident exterior, Aric sensed a deep fear of failure, a fear of losing everything she held dear. It was this fear he planned to exploit.

"She\'s always been a fighter," he thought, a smirk playing on his lips. "But even the strongest fighters have their breaking points. All I need to do is find hers."

His mind flashed back to their previous interactions. Sylvia\'s fiery spirit had always intrigued him. She was not easily intimidated, and her sharp tongue had often matched his own. But now, with the tables turned and her position weakened, he saw an opportunity to bend her to his will.

"Her strength can be her greatest weakness," he murmured. "If I play this right, I can turn her own pride against her."

As he continued to ponder his strategy, he couldn\'t help but feel a thrill of excitement. The game was on, and the stakes were higher than ever. Sylvia\'s fate was now intertwined with his ambitions, and he was determined to come out on top.

He glanced at the clock, noting the time. "Alicia should be informing her right about now," he thought. "I need to be ready."

Aric stood up and straightened his robes, his expression turning serious. This meeting was crucial, and he couldn\'t afford any missteps. As he made his way to the Moonlit Pavilion, he rehearsed his lines, thinking through every possible scenario.

"Let the game begin," he thought, a predatory smile curling his lips.

Sylvia\'s plan was simple, yet fraught with complexity. She needed to appeal to Aric\'s sense of pride and ambition, to present herself not as a supplicant but as a valuable ally. She knew that showing vulnerability could be risky, but it might also evoke a sense of superiority in Aric, making him more receptive to her pleas.

"I have to be careful," she reminded herself. "One wrong move, and it could all be over."

She rehearsed her lines, practicing how she would present her case. She needed to convey sincerity, to make Aric see that aligning with her could be beneficial for both of them. Her family\'s business and political connections were valuable assets, ones that Aric could leverage to solidify his position even further.

"He needs to see me as an asset, not a liability," she thought. "I have to convince him that supporting me is in his best interest."

As she dressed for the meeting, choosing a modest yet elegant outfit, Sylvia\'s mind wandered to her father. His weary eyes, burdened with the weight of their family\'s declining fortunes, fueled her resolve. This wasn\'t just about her; it was about saving her family from ruin.

Sylvia glanced at the small jade pendant around her neck, a gift from her mother. It was a reminder of the love and support that had always surrounded her. "I won\'t let you down," she promised softly, touching the pendant.

With a final look in the mirror, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. It was time to face Aric, to confront the man who held her future in his hands. She left her chamber, her steps measured and determined, her mind focused on the task ahead.

As she walked through the corridors of her family estate, her thoughts turned inward once more. "Aric has always been calculating, always one step ahead. I need to be on my guard. If I show any weakness, he\'ll exploit it."

Yet beneath her steely exterior, a part of her still remembered the old Aric, the one who had once shown kindness and camaraderie. "Maybe," she mused, "there\'s a chance he still has a shred of that old self left. Maybe I can reach him."

Arriving at the designated meeting spot, Sylvia took a moment to compose herself. She could see the Moonlit Pavilion in the distance, a place that now seemed like a battlefield. Every step she took felt heavy, laden with the hopes and fears of her entire family.

"Stay calm, stay focused," she repeated to herself. "This is your chance to turn things around."

Sylvia entered the Moonlit Pavilion, her heart pounding with a mix of determination and fear. The weight of her family\'s fate rested heavily on her shoulders. She knew this meeting could determine their future, and the humiliation she had experienced in the past still haunted her. She had once been happy with the broken engagement to Aric, believing she had found true love with Jarod.

But now, with her family on the brink of ruin and Jarod defeated, she found herself longing for the stability and power that alliance could have brought.

As she stepped inside, Aric stood at the far end of the pavilion, his posture relaxed yet commanding, exuding an aura of power that was almost palpable. When he turned to face her, a smirk played on his lips. "Sylvia," he said, his voice smooth and mocking. "What a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Sylvia forced herself to stay calm, to not let his demeanor rattle her. "Aric," she began, her voice steady despite the tumult of emotions swirling within her. "I came to talk. Our families... our past... I believe we can help each other."

Aric raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Help each other? And what makes you think I need your help?"

Sylvia took a deep breath, summoning all her courage. "Your victory has solidified your position, but power is fleeting. Alliances can strengthen your hold and ensure your legacy. My family\'s connections, our influence... we can be valuable allies."

Aric laughed, a cold, dismissive sound that echoed through the pavilion. "Allies? Sylvia, your family is on the brink of ruin. What could you possibly offer me that I don\'t already have?"

Sylvia\'s resolve wavered, but she pressed on. "We have resources, connections that you might not yet possess. With our support, you could..."

Aric cut her off, his tone sharp. "Enough. Do you really think I need the support of a failing family? Look around you, Sylvia. I am the Holy Son, the future patriarch of the Lei family. I have everything I need."

Sylvia\'s eyes filled with desperation. "Aric, please. Think about the potential. Together, we could achieve so much more."

Aric stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "You come to me, pleading for help, yet you speak as if you\'re doing me a favor. Do you know how pathetic that sounds?"

Sylvia flinched at his words, the sting of humiliation cutting deep. "I\'m not here to beg," she said, though her voice trembled. "I\'m offering a partnership."

Aric\'s expression hardened, his eyes cold and unyielding. "A partnership? You overestimate your worth, Sylvia. Your family\'s fall is inevitable, and aligning with you would only drag me down."

Sylvia\'s composure began to crack, her desperation turning to anger. "Is this how you treat people who seek to support you? By belittling them?"

Aric\'s smirk returned, more cruel than before. "You still don\'t get it, do you? I don\'t need your support. And if you think for a moment that you have any leverage over me, you\'re sadly mistaken."

He leaned in closer, his voice a low, threatening whisper. "I could crush your family with a single word. You have nothing to offer me. Nothing."

Sylvia\'s eyes filled with tears, her last shred of hope slipping away. "Aric, please. I\'m only trying to save my family."

Aric straightened, his expression impassive. "Save your family? Then prove your worth. Show me that you\'re not just a desperate woman clinging to the remnants of a broken legacy."

He paused, his eyes glinting with a cold, harsh light. "Do you remember the past, Sylvia? I trusted you once. I thought you were different. But you betrayed me, falling for Jarod and trying to kill me. How can you expect me to trust you now?

How can you expect me to believe in your so-called partnership?"

Sylvia\'s face paled as memories of their past resurfaced, memories she had tried to bury. "Aric, I was wrong. I made mistakes, but I\'ve changed. Please, give me a chance to prove it."

Aric\'s gaze was unyielding, his voice like ice. "Prove it? You\'ve already shown me who you are, Sylvia. And it\'s not someone I can trust or rely on."

Sylvia\'s desperation grew, her voice pleading. "Aric, I know I betrayed you. I know I hurt you. But my family needs your help. Please, I\'m begging you. For the sake of what we once had, for the sake of our families\' future..."

Aric\'s cold smile deepened. "What we once had? Sylvia, you have a selective memory. You betrayed me for Jarod when you thought he was the better option. And now that he\'s defeated, you come crawling back to me. How convenient."

Sylvia\'s tears flowed freely now, her voice choked with emotion. "Aric, I was a fool. I didn\'t see your worth. I was blinded by Jarod\'s promises. But now I see the truth. Please, give me another chance."

Aric\'s eyes bore into hers, unrelenting. "Another chance? You want another chance after you threw me away like I was nothing? After you tried to kill me? No, Sylvia. You\'re not worthy of my trust or my alliance."

He leaned closer, his voice dripping with disdain. "But if you want to be of use to me, there is one thing you can do. I need a bed-warming maid. Someone to serve me, to remind me of how far you\'ve fallen. If you agree to that, then maybe I\'ll consider sparing your family. But don\'t think for a moment that this means I trust you or value you.

You\'re nothing to me now."

Sylvia\'s face contorted with a mix of anger and humiliation, her body trembling. "You... you can\'t be serious."

Aric\'s smile was cruel. "Oh, I\'m very serious. This is the only way you can be of use to me. Take it or leave it."