Lahat ng Kabanata ng Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Kabanata 761 - Kabanata 770

Callum had an excellent sense of boundaries. He never asked overly personal questions or tried to force familiarity.After a few sips of coffee, he seemed more at ease. He looked at Diana with a calm, steady gaze. "Ms. Hutton, there's something I've thought over carefully, and in the end, I decided you have a right to know."Diana met his eyes. "Go on.""Last night, Mr. Kingston invited my father to dinner, and he brought you up during the meal." Callum's tone remained even, as though he were simply recounting something that had nothing to do with him. "He said the two of you had just had a misunderstanding, that you'd make up soon, and that he hoped the Sandhill family wouldn't interfere."Those last few words held no trace of mockery, only a hint of helplessness.Diana's fingers tightened slightly around her cup, but her expression remained unchanged. "He said that to your father himself?"Callum nodded. "My father called me afterward and told me to use my own judgment. I thoug

When Raymond arrived in Norchester, a light snow was falling."Who's in charge of this project on Jillson Group's side?" Raymond asked from the back seat as he flipped through the project materials his assistant had handed him."Hugo Kingston. Executive Vice President of the Jillson Group and the sole heir to the Jillson family," the assistant replied. "Herbert Jillson, Hugo's grandfather, handled it personally before this. Having Hugo take over now is probably meant to give him some experience."Raymond paused mid-page. "Hugo? The Kingston family's younger son?""That's right."Raymond raised an eyebrow. "All right. Let's meet him first."The Hutton and Kingston families had been close for generations. As a child, Hugo had visited the Hutton estate several times and had always gotten along well with Diana.Raymond, however, did not know him well. He only remembered that the young man had rarely spoken, a complete contrast to the outgoing Leon.The assistant arranged their meet

Stanley's eyes blazed with anger the moment he heard those words.He lunged forward, jabbing a finger at Tiffany's face as he roared, "What the hell kind of thing is that to say?! He's your brother! Your own flesh and blood! You'd stand there and watch his hand get cut off before you'd pay? Are you even human?""Whether I'm human or not, you decided that more than 20 years ago." Tiffany met Stanley's glare. "If you really cared about him, why didn't you stop him before he got himself into debt?"Her words brought Stanley up short.A beat later, he shouted even louder, "He's your brother! So his debt is mine to pay?"Tiffany remained calm. In an even, measured voice, she asked, "Be honest with yourself. While he was growing up, did you ever teach him what it meant to take responsibility?"The question hit its mark. Stanley's face flushed crimson, and for a moment, he could not find a single word to say.Beside him, Mabel wiped away her tears. "Tiff, please. Do it for your mother'

Raymond and Tiffany walked out through the courtyard gate one after the other, guided by the faint light spilling from the house.Tiffany suddenly stopped and called after him. "Raymond."He turned to look at her. "Hm?""Thank you... for today.""No need to thank me.""I'm not just being polite," Tiffany said, her expression earnest. "I mean it."A deep winter wind howled through the alley, carrying a lingering sense of desolation.After a few seconds of silence, Raymond said, "Come on. Let's get in the car first."They left the alley and climbed into the black SUV parked ahead.Tiffany glanced at the time. She knew he must have come straight from the airport, and a faint, indescribable ache spread through her chest.Raymond turned on the heater. Once the cabin had warmed slightly, he turned to her. "I'll have someone keep watch. I won't let them come bother you again.""There's no need," Tiffany said. "I can handle it.""I know you can," Raymond replied without arguing. "B

Snow was falling over Norchester again that morning.Diana stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of her hotel room, watching sanitation workers below shovel the accumulated snow toward the curbs and expose the gray-blue asphalt beneath.Her phone buzzed twice on the nightstand. She crossed the room and picked it up. It was a message from Raymond.Raymond: [Diana, did you sign the contract?]She typed back: [Not yet. Going this morning.]Raymond replied almost instantly.Raymond: [Thanks for the trouble.]Diana slipped her phone into her pocket and headed to the bathroom to get ready.…At 9:30 a.m. that morning, Diana arrived at the Jillson Group's headquarters right on time.Nina followed beside her, a government document in hand, quietly briefing her on a few final details.Diana listened as they crossed the ground-floor lobby toward the elevator bank.When the elevator doors opened, several employees were already inside. The moment they saw her, they instinctively stepped