Semua Bab Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Bab 371 - Bab 380

The moment Sydney spoke, Adeline exploded. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll ask Alan what kind of student he raised, divorced and still clinging like a ghost!"Before, Sydney had feared threats like that. She weighed every move and measured every word because people like Adeline could upend her life and the lives of those around her.Now Sydney did not flinch. She laughed. "Go ahead. When you do, I'll make sure the Hampton family's dirty laundry is public by tonight."Threats? Who was really afraid? The Hamptons were hardly spotless; they had plenty to hide.Adeline's fury boiled over. She slapped the car seat, barked at the driver to speed up, and shouted, "Just you wait!"Sydney had not expected "wait" to mean this.…Within ten minutes, Adeline stood outside Sydney's home flanked by bodyguards, clearly intent on teaching her a "lesson.""Your precious drug may never make it to market. Do you really think you can fight me head-on?" Adeline sneered, confident in her numbers

In the end, they did meet again.Sydney had seen him thousands of times in that marital home—days upon days of waiting, only to be disappointed again and again. Her childhood wish had come true, only for him to crush it with his own hands.Caleb blamed no one else, not even Penelope. The only person he held accountable was himself.Why had he believed so blindly? Why had he clung to that pendant, convincing himself it proved Penelope was the girl from his memories, even when her character didn't match? He had made excuses for her, indulging her without restraint.When he found that little glass bottle last night, regret had nearly driven him mad.Sydney's lashes lowered. Her gaze lingered on the bottle, still carefully preserved, and for a fleeting moment, she drifted away in thought.Yes, she remembered. She remembered how deeply she had once longed to see him again. But she was not that girl anymore. She had grown up. She was no longer the carefree child shielded by her parents

Before Sydney could finish her sentence, the data finally came through. She and Marcus bent over the screen together, and in each other's eyes they saw the same look—relief and exhilaration mingled in perfect balance.The drug's approval for market release was virtually guaranteed.Marcus grinned. "Once this project launches, your value will almost rival Mr. Sterling's."Sydney gave a small laugh. "That's impossible."The gap between her and Julian was enormous. No matter how successful her drug became, it could never compete with his vast fortune. But that didn't matter. Reaching her own dream was already more than enough.Before either of them could continue, Marcus' phone rang. He stepped to the window to answer, then returned wearing a slightly sheepish expression. "Something came up at home. I might need your help.""What kind of help?" Sydney asked without hesitation. "You've already done so much for me. If I can help you, of course I will. Don't feel awkward about it."Ye

Julian's brow tightened. "Let her be. If she still falls for that, there's nothing I can do."'If she hadn't fallen for it back then, Caleb would never have deceived her so completely.' The thought made Julian's irritation flare.Before Elliot could respond, Julian pushed back his chair and said curtly, "Get the car. We're going to Haven."…When Sydney left the Shepard residence, Jeremiah offered to drive her home, but she declined without hesitation.Returning alone, she found Caleb waiting outside her apartment with a thermal food container."Nancy heard I'm living downstairs now, so she cooked some of your favorites and asked me to bring them up," he explained.During their three years of marriage, Nancy had been the one who looked after Sydney the most.Sydney glanced at the size of the container. She and Tiffany could never finish that much food. Out of courtesy, she asked, "Have you eaten yet? Want to join us?""Can I?" A flicker of hope lit Caleb's eyes. But instead of

Once again, Sydney grasped what it truly meant to deal with a capitalist. Six billion? The interest alone came to 12,000,000 a month.'Installments? Installments, my ass!' She would be paying interest until the day she died.Julian didn't even blink. He nodded solemnly, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. "This doesn't even count as overcharging. It's all within the legal limit."He even had the gall to lecture her about it.Sydney nearly choked. "So when does the interest start counting?"His hand drifted lazily over her waist as he tossed the question back. "Depends. When do you plan on breaking the contract?"She had walked right into his trap.With a sharp inhale, Sydney gave up. "T-Then… let's wait a little longer."At the very least, she needed to hold off until the drug reached the market. Once she had real money in hand, she could think about paying him back.Julian leaned back and studied her with slow amusement. "And what about Caleb?""I only had a