All Chapters of Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Chapter 831 - Chapter 840

Diana picked up the cup in front of her and took a small sip before she smiled. "This is a commercial dispute between the Kingston Group and the Sterling Group. Mr. Kingston, have you come to the wrong person? I'm not privy to the details."Naturally, she had no intention of admitting anything. There was no sense in giving him another chance to stab her in the back.He could go to Albus and complain, for instance. Her grandfather would not be pleased to learn that she had agreed to his terms to his face, only to turn around and do as she pleased behind his back.She had no reason to widen the distance between herself and her own family. Then again, where she and her grandfather were concerned, a little more distance hardly mattered anymore."You're not privy to the details?" Her casual dismissal caught him off guard, and the words slipped out before he could stop them. "Everyone out there knows what Julian and Ray are to each other. He moves against the Kingston family at this exac

Leon pressed his lips together. "I did."Marvin's expression remained unchanged. "What did she say?"Leon sat across from him. After two seconds of silence, he said quietly, "She won't step in."Marvin stared at him for a moment, then let out a cold laugh. "She won't step in, or you never really intended to ask her properly?"Leon met his gaze. "Grandfather, I did ask her.""Ask?" Marvin repeated the word, his voice dropping. "And what did you bring with you when you went to ask? Sincerity, or those little schemes of yours?"Leon said nothing."Leon, do you think I don't know what you've been doing out there?" Marvin slammed a hand against the coffee table. "You know perfectly well how those photos ended up online."Leon's fingers stiffened slightly."I saw an old friend today. His son is on good terms with the Huttons." Marvin fixed his eyes on him. "The Huttons traced those photos back to their source, and the trail eventually led to you and that girl from the Kristoph famil

"Joyce Sterling." Sydney laughed softly. "Julian said that as long as she's happy and joyful, that's enough."Diana blinked in surprise, then laughed. "That's... rather plain of him.""Right? I thought it was way too casual too," Sydney muttered. "I spent ages thinking about it. I came up with several names, and he didn't like a single one."When it came to naming the baby, neither of them thought much of the other's choices.Diana didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. "So have you finally settled on one?""Not yet." Sydney sighed, though there wasn't the slightest hint of anxiety in her voice. "We still have time to decide after the baby is born."The two continued chatting at an easy pace. As they talked, Sydney asked about Florence's leg, how James' latest business trip was going, and whether Raymond was still pursuing Tiffany.It was clear that she kept all of them close to her heart.Diana answered each question in turn, occasionally asking how Sydney was feeling and remin

Marcus considered the question seriously. "I don't think there was ever an obvious break. The longest gap was probably when his health was poor and he didn't call for a month or two.""That... After that period, did he seem different at all?" Sydney tried to make the question sound casual."Different?" Marcus paused to think. "My parents did mention something once. They said his personality changed quite a bit after his health took a turn. He used to love talking, but afterward, he became much quieter. My mother thought maybe going through a serious illness had changed his outlook on life."Sydney lowered her lashes as the tension inside her tightened another notch. A change in personality would make sense if it were simply the sort of shift that followed a long illness. But if..."Oh, by the way," Marcus said as something seemed to occur to him, his tone brightening again. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?""It's nothing," Sydney said with an easy laugh, keeping her tone c

As Sydney's due date drew closer, Marcus cut her patient slots by nearly a third without a word of argument.It was not even 11:00 a.m. when the nurse came in to tell her that only two patients remained in the waiting area.Sydney nodded, but just as she was about to speak, the nurse added, "Oh, there's also a first-time patient asking for an extra slot..."Marcus had told the staff not to squeeze in extra patients for Sydney except under special circumstances. But the man at the front desk had gone ahead and ordered lunch for the nurses. They could hardly refuse it, and throwing it away would only waste food.Once you'd accepted someone's generosity, it was difficult to turn down their request.Sydney did not make an issue of it. "Add him, then."There was still plenty of time. Three more patients, and she would be finished before noon with enough time to get home for lunch.The nurse visibly relaxed. "Great. I'll go tell him."The next two patients were both follow-ups, so th