Semua Bab Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Bab 181 - Bab 190

The unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed Sydney, and she no longer dared argue with him."Jules…" Her voice, softened by his kiss, came out tender and submissive.The hand Julian clamped at her waist went rigid, tendons and veins standing out beneath his skin, his grip charged with explosive tension."It hurts!" She hadn't expected that yielding would only make him tighten his hold.A moment ago, it had felt as though he wanted to crush her into himself.Julian snapped back to his senses. He released her and pressed a gentler kiss to her lips, his breath rough and uneven. "Sorry. Did I hurt you?"When he drew back and saw her lashes still damp from his kiss, he nearly lost control all over again."Shower." He tossed out the word and strode toward the guest bathroom.Sydney stared after him in a daze. Did he mean they would shower and then go to bed?The bathtub was nearly overflowing, so she hurried to shut off the tap.After a brief pause, realizing Julian had no intention of r

"What do you mean? Your dowry? All of it's supposed to go toward buying your brother a house?""Yeap." Tiffany rolled her eyes and cracked open a beer, gulping it down in fury. "They can dream on. And they even said, since I've been working three or four years already, plus being a lawyer is such a high-paying job, I must have plenty saved up. So of course, I should pitch in to buy my brother a house."Sydney licked her lips and reached out to pat her head. "Whether it's your body or your money, if you don't want to give, they can't take a thing from you."Beyond that, Sydney had little more to say. No matter how unreasonable they were, they were still Tiffany's family. Blood ties could not be cut with a single decision.Tiffany looked up at her. Normally so decisive, she now asked in a small voice, "What if they force me?"Sydney chuckled softly. "Then you've still got me. I'll protect you."She had more than enough money, enough to hire ten bodyguards for Tiffany if it ever cam

Sydney turned off the faucet and dabbed at the water on her sleeve with a tissue before going to open the door.Caleb stood there with a gentle expression and a set of clothes in his hands.She blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"Caleb smiled faintly and pinched her cheek. "Your husband isn't blind. I saw your clothes got stained. Hurry and change into these."He handed her the clothes. His tone carried a hint of teasing, something she had never heard from him before. He had also never referred to himself as her husband.Uneasy, Sydney closed the door. She had no idea what had gotten into him.After changing, she stepped out. Just as she was about to walk around the carved wooden screen that divided the corridor from the dining area, she heard voices. Caleb and Adeline were arguing.Adeline's tone was as soft and indulgent as always. "The biggest mistake I ever made was agreeing to your marriage with her. With her background, she was never worthy of you. If you divorce her,

On the other side of the city, in the garden, an old woman and a young man sat together in rare harmony.Julian picked up some food and placed it before Agatha. "Next New Year, I'll definitely bring her back for you to meet. Alright?""Eat your food." Agatha gave him a chiding glance. "After this, you still have to go to the old estate. Don't always be at odds with Eloise. She isn't as simple as you think."Julian inclined his head, fell silent for a while, then asked in a low voice, "Grandma, did you ever hate my grandfather?"Agatha froze. Deceived into becoming the other woman, she had lost even her own son, who was taken to the Sterling family's old estate and raised to call Eloise "mother."Now, even her biological grandson's official grandmother was still Eloise. To this day, Agatha remained someone who could never step into the light.She smiled faintly, serene and composed. "I did hate him. But now I don't feel anything at all. All I hope for is that you can start your ow

Caleb and Eloise shifted uncomfortably. Yet in the end, age lent cunning. As long as nothing was said aloud, the Eloise could still pretend nothing had happened.She beckoned to Sydney with a smile that never touched her eyes. "Come here, Syd. Why don't you tell everyone? Has the Sterling family treated you well or not?"She would not put Caleb on the spot, nor risk a direct clash with Julian. Sydney, as always, became the convenient target.Sydney had barely drawn breath to answer when Julian cut in, voice sharp with disdain, "Enough. That old trick of beating someone while forbidding them to cry out—you've been playing it on her since she was five. Aren't you tired of it yet?"He showed no restraint, striking her with words as merciless as a slap. In a single sentence, he exposed nearly 20 years of Sydney's life.Sydney had never been allowed to resist or weep. Only silence and obedience had spared her punishments that could have broken her.A flicker of unease crossed Charlott