Chapter 104 "It looks like you're eager to pick up the trash I threw away." Sydney's voice was light, almost lazy. She glanced at the pile of imported snacks Penelope had brought, then turned to the nurses. "Not wasting food is one of our fine traditions. Go ahead-eat, drink, don't let it go to waste." With that, she shoved her hands into her coat pockets and walked off. Back in her office, she picked up her phone and saw a message Charlotte had sent two hours earlier. Charlotte: [Syd, do you have time to grab lunch?] She checked the clock. It was already past one. She typed back honestly.
Sydney: [I just finished, only saw your message now.] Before she could draft a second text to suggest postponing, Charlotte's reply came instantly. Charlotte: [No worries, I'm right near your clinic anyway. Let's eat together.] Sydney could already guess Charlotte's intentions. Maybe it was better to lay things on the table. She grabbed her bag and headed to the cafe they had agreed on. At this hour, the place was quiet, with only a few scattered patrons. Charlotte waved her over from a window booth, smiling warmly.
As Sydney sat down, Charlotte deftly took her bag and teased, "Didn't know doctors had such irregular meals." "It's not that bad." Sydney wasn't used to such enthusiastic friendliness from someone she barely knew. But Charlotte had grown up dealing with people from every walk of life. Most treated her warmly, especially since she worked beside Julian. There was never any shortage of people eager to curry favor. Someone like Sydney, who met her enthusiasm with cool indifference repeatedly, was rare. It was practically unheard of. Still, Sydney was Julian's sister.
That alone was reason enough for Charlotte not to mind. She pushed the menu across the table. "I don't know what you like, so I waited. Take a look, order what you want." "Alright." Sydney accepted the menu. She had eaten here often since it was close to the clinic. Picking two dishes at random, she handed it back. Charlotte glanced at the order, then chuckled. "You really are Julian's sister. Same temperament, and now I see-even the same taste in food." Sydney took a sip of lemon water.
"When you've lived under the same roof, you can't help but pick up some similarities." It was not entirely true. When she had started growing taller at 10, she had lost a great deal of weight. On top of that, her picky appetite had made her look even thinner. Julian hadn't liked how scrawny she was. He would order the kitchen to prepare everything according to her taste. She craved sweet, sour, and spicy flavors-anything but bitter. And Julian, who had always preferred bland, light food, had been gradually reshaped by her habits. The dishes arrived quickly.
Charlotte placed the ones she thought Sydney liked in front of her, then, with a casual air, asked, "Syd, has Julian... ever had a girlfriend before?" Sydney froze for a beat, then shook her head. "I don't know." 1/2 In the past, he hadn't. But in the last 8 years, she had no idea. Nearly half her life had been spent without him in it. How could she possibly know who he had dated? "Really? Not even you know, huh?" Charlotte's expression darkened, but she quickly brightened again. "Then do you know if he likes someone?
He keeps a photo in his wallet, always so carefully..." For the first time, Sydney found the lemon water here unbearably sour. The taste lingered, seeping from her throat into her chest, and left a dull ache around her heart. "Ms. Lindstrom." She drew in a breath, tamping down the discomfort. "Honestly, I haven't been in touch with Julian for many years. If it weren't for this project, I wouldn't even be speaking to him now. As for whether he likes someone, or who that might be, I really don't know."