Semua Bab Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Bab 251 - Bab 260

"They just reported that Ms. Wilson hasn't left at all." Peter's voice carried a bite of irritation. "Mr. Sterling, do you think Ms. Wilson has gone soft over love again?"Elliot wished he could mute him on the spot. Why did Peter always have to talk?Julian's lips curved. "Call her.""Huh?" Peter blinked, pointing at himself. "Me?"That couldn't be right. She was Ms. Wilson—his superior.At the side, Elliot had already pulled out his phone. "I'll call her right now.""Speakerphone," Julian said.Sydney never kept her ringer loud. Combined with how deeply she slept, the sound barely stirred her. She thought she heard something, but her eyelids refused to lift. She didn't know someone else was already inside the locked room.Caleb slipped the key into his pocket. Afraid the vibrations would wake her, he walked to the bed in silence. As he reached for the phone to stop the sound, his eyes caught the caller ID.It was Elliot.Caleb knew the man worked under Julian. With Julian's

Sydney never liked waking in a house draped in gloom. Darkness unsettled her. She preferred every light blazing, every corner bright.But this was not her home. She quickened her pace down the stairs."Syd." Caleb's voice drifted from the living room, warm and gentle, yet edged with something unfamiliar. It was an emotion she couldn't name.Sydney looked over. Caleb sat quietly on the sofa, the amber in his eyes dulled to faint fragments. His frame seemed steeped in loneliness. But when he met her gaze, those tender, clear eyes brightened again.He rose and walked toward her. His voice rasped, rough from a sleepless night. "You must be hungry. Eat before you go."His glance fell to her hand resting on her stomach."All right." Hunger gnawed too sharply to ignore.Nancy, relieved by Sydney's agreement, hurried out of the kitchen with steaming dishes. "Mr. Hampton cooked all these himself for you. Try them while they're hot."She moved briskly, and within moments, the table fille

As she spoke, Sydney's gaze shifted to the bodyguards in the courtyard, tall and unmoving as a wall. Her tone hardened. "I'll stay here for now. But you're not setting foot in my room. Not once."She couldn't afford to provoke him again. She needed another way. Pushing Caleb now would only make him worse.Julian must have left men behind in Jouleston. If she kept Caleb calm, she could find her chance to leave.Caleb had come prepared with a list of arguments, but her easy agreement caught him off guard. His expression softened, he smiled faintly. "All right. Whatever you say, I'll agree."The words had barely left his lips when Sydney extended her hand. He blinked. "What?""The key." Her tone was quiet but firm. "My room key. Give it to me."It was a habit Victor had forced on her years ago. Even when she locked a door from the inside, she would loop a strand of hair across the knob. The strand wouldn't move with a breeze, but it would fall if anyone tried to turn the handle.Sh

Seeing Sydney flare up because of him, Caleb smiled faintly. Her cheeks burned with anger, her eyes bright and alive.He knew she resisted him with everything she had, yet he couldn't stop wanting to draw closer. Whatever he could do to make amends would never balance the harm he had done.He pressed his lips together, cut her off, and said, "Julian is back. Didn't you want his help investigating your parents' deaths? At noon, he'll be at the same restaurant where I'm meeting Bruce. You can ask him face to face."'Back already?' she thought suspiciously.Sydney fixed him a sharp gaze. "Are you lying to me again?"Julian had said four days. By her count, three remained.Caleb sighed at the doubt in her eyes. "You'll see for yourself. The Lindstrom family booked the private room. Word's already out. It's about Charlotte's marriage to Julian."Her nails grazed her palm, and her voice dropped. "Got it."'So he returned early. Too busy arranging a marriage to return my calls. Or did

The photos showed Sydney in Caleb's arms.Julian's brow furrowed so tightly it looked as if he could crush a mosquito between them. He stayed silent for a long time before saying coldly, "What could possibly be wrong with her? She's doing just fine. Her only problem is that she should see a doctor for her lovesick brain."Caleb only had to crook a finger, and she came running back.At those words, Elliot knew better than to push further. Anything he said now would only stoke the fire. He shifted the topic instead. "What about those kidnappers?""The evidence is solid. Hand them over to the police."A chill came from the back seat.Elliot tried again. "And the rest? We're not following up?""Follow up on what?" Julian's voice sharpened. "Whoever likes meddling can meddle."Elliot fell silent. If it was truly just meddling, why had his employer flown halfway around the world without stopping to get back here?…Sydney's bombshell left the private room in silence.Bruce and the