جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 320

Theodore pressed his fingers to his brow, a dull ache pounding behind his temples.James walked forward, crouched before his mother, and spoke gently. "Mom, I just called Ray. He said Ms. Wilson grew up in the Sterling family, so she can't be the one you're thinking of. But if you like her, I'll make sure she visits more often when she has time, alright?"Florence's tears slowed. "Really?"James nodded. "Of course. It's true."…By the time the party drew to a close, Sydney and the others were getting ready to leave.Seeing how late it was, Marcus said, "Tiffany's already had a few drinks and went to wait in the car. You two head back first. I'll take Alan home.""Alright."They parted ways in the elevator. Sydney's car was parked in the open lot, and Marcus' in the underground garage.When Sydney reached her car and unlocked the door, she noticed a familiar tall figure striding toward her. His tie hung loose, the top two buttons of his shirt undone. He looked relaxed, yet som

Sydney's expression stayed calm. The phone kept ringing without pause, so she simply ended the call and set it aside.She looked at Tiffany. "Eat up.""But if you don't answer, won't they get furious?" Tiffany said uneasily.She remembered too well how the Sterling family used to bully her friend.When Sydney first returned to Eloise's household, she had tried fighting back. It hadn't worked. That old witch seemed to hate her with a vengeance. Every bit of resistance only made her retaliation crueler.Sydney poured more milk into Tiffany's bowl. Her brows softened, her tone bright. "Tiff, at least for now, they won't dare act rashly.""Why?" Tiffany asked, puzzled. "Sure, there was a celebration party, but the medicine hasn't even hit the market yet."Sydney's phone shrilled again—call after call, relentless, as if they wouldn't stop unless she answered."I need to head out soon, to the Huttons," she said, rejecting each call without hesitation. Then she paused, remembering Tif

James lifted his brow slightly as he explained to Sydney, "My mother saw you yesterday and felt an instant affinity."Sydney smiled. "When I saw your mother, I also felt a sense of closeness."There was none of that stifling air of aristocracy about Florence. She carried herself with grace and dignity, yet remained approachable despite her reserved manner.James assumed Sydney's words were polite reciprocity and led her inside. "Mom, Dr. Wilson is here."Sydney stepped into the living room. "Mr. and Madam Hutton."This time, Florence's expression was not as withdrawn as the day before. She even pressed her lips into a faint smile. "Dr. Wilson, I'll be troubling you.""It's as it should be." Sydney stepped forward. "Shall we begin?"Florence nodded. "All right."At her agreement, Sydney turned to James. "Which floor is the room?""Second floor."Theodore guided his wife toward the elevator, and they went up together.Once inside the room, after Theodore helped Florence onto t

That was not entirely wrong. But Jason could not help voicing his concern. "If it really is a powerful family from another city, won't offending them cause trouble for us?"He had always been cautious by nature.Eloise, however, was used to standing above others as the head of the Sterling family. She snorted disdainfully. "Even if your guess is right, tell me, how many families are there that we can't afford to offend? The only one close enough is the Hutton family from Brimcrest City, and they're the only ones we must avoid crossing."As for the rest, why would they oppose the Sterling family for the sake of someone like Sydney?"The Sterlings could not afford to offend the Huttons. By the same logic, the other families dared not offend the Sterlings either.Recently, there had been no word of the Huttons visiting Jouleston. How could it be such a coincidence that this villa belonged to them?Jason nodded slightly. "You're right…""Then why aren't you dragging her into the car

Other than Julian, Eloise had never been humiliated so openly by someone from the younger generation.She ground her teeth as she shot Sydney a venomous glare, her face pale. "What have you been saying about our family? Why does everyone think we mistreat you day after day?"James cut in, his tone polite but edged. "Madam Sterling, when your behavior is already so plain, do you really think the outside world won't notice?"The words struck like a slap. As he spoke, he stepped forward, positioning himself between Eloise and Sydney so she couldn't turn her anger on the girl.Sydney stared at the tall figure shielding her, momentarily dazed. The scene reminded her of when she was six or seven, when Julian had stood in front of her in much the same way and blocked her from harm before leading her back into the courtyard.Now, though, James felt more like an older brother—the kind of brother she used to envy her playmates for having. Back then, she often wished for a sibling, someone w