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Chapter 199

Author: Lean
Julian's hand slipped lower on her waist, brushing against damp heat.

Sydney's eyes snapped open, and she shoved him away in panic. "No!"

Even though she had long anticipated the possibility of them going all the way someday, she could not accept it right here. Deep down, she was still, perhaps, a traditional woman. Even as someone's lover, she had hoped her first time would be private, safe. Not here, where anyone could push the door open at any second.

Her voice trembled.

Julian drew his hand back, his voice rough, as if scraped over gravel. "Not here?"

"Mm." She nodded, gripped the cold marble doorknob, and added quickly, "I'm going back to the room."

Without waiting for him, she slipped out, rushed to the bathroom to fix her smudged lipstick, and hurried back to the private room. Her heartbeat had not settled even as she pushed the door open.

If she had known Julian craved risk, the thrill of doing reckless things in public, she might have thought twice back then. She would
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  • Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable   Chapter 202

    At those words, Eloise held Penelope's gaze for a long moment before speaking with calm composure. "Then I'd like to see exactly how you plan to help me.""You know Sydney is participating in Sterling Corp.'s cancer drug research project, don't you?"Eloise's expression remained unreadable, so Penelope continued, "Once the project succeeds, your family won't be able to control her so easily. As a researcher on a national-level project, her influence will multiply a thousandfold compared to now. No matter how powerful the Sterlings are, if they tried to move against Sydney, it would stir up trouble.""She doesn't have the ability to develop anything," Eloise sneered with disdain.Sydney had grown up under her watchful eyes. The only thing remotely outstanding about her was her academics. Every year, Jouleston University had thousands of graduates, yet only one or two truly made a name for themselves.Sydney had been tightly controlled from childhood, her opportunities cut off. She

  • Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable   Chapter 201

    Sydney arched her brow and smiled sweetly. "A bet's a bet."Caleb studied her delicate, lively features, and his gaze softened further.…At the Sterling estate, Penelope stepped out of the car, and a maid guided her toward the reception hall.The Sterling family's antique grandeur carried the weight of a century-old lineage, far heavier than that of the Hamptons.With each step, Penelope could not suppress her silent lament. 'Why must the gap between people be so vast? Why was I born to crawl in the mud?'"Madam, Ms. Monroe, the one Ms. Mayer mentioned on the phone yesterday, has arrived," the maid announced.At the doorway, Jason stopped her briefly. Only after a voice inside offered a flat acknowledgment did he gesture for her to enter.Inside the hall, Eloise held a teacup, her sharp, calculating gaze sweeping over Penelope. Her presence felt far more formidable than Dorothy's. The Hampton matriarch, at least most of the time, could still appear kind.Penelope's breath tig

  • Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable   Chapter 200

    The air froze for a moment.Julian gave Charlotte a sidelong glance, as if she had just told a joke. "When has my reputation ever been good?"In the Sterling family, he was the unfilial grandson who defied elders. Outside, people trembled at the mere sight of him. What "good reputation" did he have to lose?Charlotte choked on her words. "Then what about her reputation? Don't you care about that?""I do." That was why he had never considered making their relationship public before Sydney's divorce was finalized.Charlotte pressed, "But if this keeps going, sooner or later her name will be—"Julian cut her off, his gaze cold and sharp, "Then you'd better not say a word."It was a reminder and a warning. He always seemed this detached, this frosty. Yet when his eyes landed on her, Charlotte's heart seized."I… I know." Her carefully manicured nails dug into her palms.He turned as if to leave. Charlotte stared at his tall frame and, despite herself, blurted, "Is it just a fling?

  • Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable   Chapter 199

    Julian's hand slipped lower on her waist, brushing against damp heat.Sydney's eyes snapped open, and she shoved him away in panic. "No!"Even though she had long anticipated the possibility of them going all the way someday, she could not accept it right here. Deep down, she was still, perhaps, a traditional woman. Even as someone's lover, she had hoped her first time would be private, safe. Not here, where anyone could push the door open at any second.Her voice trembled.Julian drew his hand back, his voice rough, as if scraped over gravel. "Not here?""Mm." She nodded, gripped the cold marble doorknob, and added quickly, "I'm going back to the room."Without waiting for him, she slipped out, rushed to the bathroom to fix her smudged lipstick, and hurried back to the private room. Her heartbeat had not settled even as she pushed the door open.If she had known Julian craved risk, the thrill of doing reckless things in public, she might have thought twice back then. She would

  • Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable   Chapter 198

    To outsiders, the question seemed perfectly ordinary—no more unusual than asking a child whether they preferred their father or their mother. However, Sydney and Julian's relationship was anything but ordinary, which made the question far from simple.Yet both Julian and Caleb turned to her, just as everyone else had, waiting for her answer.Sydney offered a small smile and spoke the truth. "Neither of them is all that important."Her reply drew laughter from the group, though no one seemed surprised. After all, Julian had abandoned her for eight years, and Caleb had ignored her for three, too obsessed with Penelope to even notice her.It was six of one, half a dozen of the other.A few more rounds passed before someone suggested switching to poker. The private room had two tables separated by a folding screen, keeping the atmosphere lively without tipping into chaos.At one table, Julian, Caleb, Bruce, and Tiffany played while Sydney stayed close to Tiffany, quietly watching.S

  • Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable   Chapter 197

    It almost seemed as if Julian were deliberately clarifying things for Sydney, spelling out exactly what kind of relationship he did not share with Charlotte.Tiffany leaned close and whispered in Sydney's ear, "Gotta admit, your boyfriend clears up rumors fast. Doesn't even give you a chance to misread him."Sydney almost told her the truth but held her tongue.Even so, despite Julian sparing Charlotte's feelings, she remained in the private room. The atmosphere grew subtle and heavy.Julian lounged on the sofa and pretended to be oblivious. His eyes flicked briefly toward Tiffany beside Sydney, then dropped to his phone, and he idly texted as though nothing mattered.Sydney did not dare sit near Caleb. Instead, she pulled Tiffany with her and claimed a seat in another corner.Eventually, Bruce suggested they liven things up with a round of Truth or Dare.They stuck to the simplest rules: spin the bottle, and whoever it landed on answered a question or completed a dare. No trick

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