Chapter 115 "I don't let things slide even if I'm wrong." Julian's tone was mocking, yet each word landed with precision. "Tell me, why should I let someone off when I'm the one in the right?" The world had long called him an arrogant king of the underworld. Caleb hadn't expected him to be this ruthless-so ruthless that even their old brotherhood meant nothing. The standoff's tension thickened. Caleb shifted his gaze to the bedroom door. "Why don't we let Syd decide?" Inside, Sydney's hand rested on the doorknob. She had heard everything.
A faint, cold smile touched her lips as she opened the door and stepped out. Julian's expression eased slightly when he saw her. He ground out his cigarette, ready to beckon her closer, but she met his gaze and said quietly, flatly, "Let's just drop it." His brows snapped together. "What did you say?" His voice sounded calm as still water, yet his tone made her blood run cold. Her hands trembled, her face paling with each second. "I said, let it go." "Are you sure about that?" His relentless dark eyes pinned her. Her lashes quivered as she lowered her gaze.
"Yes." Julian let out a cold laugh and rose. His eyes stayed fixed on her so long that she almost crumpled under their weight. Finally, he spat the words, slow and dismissive. "Then don't ever think anyone owes you a damn thing again. You asked for every mess you end up in." He strode out, and his men followed without a word. Raymond had not expected it to end like this. He placed a small vial of medicine on the table. "Take one more dose before bed. By tomorrow, you should be almost fully recovered." Sydney accepted it.
"Thank you." She had met Raymond before and knew that among Julian's so-called friends, he was the closest. Yet he rarely came to the Sterling estate, especially while she still lived there. After he left, Sydney closed her eyes, drew a long breath, and waited for her strength to return. Then she prepared to leave. Caleb stepped forward, reaching to steady her. "Syd, let me thank you on Penny's-" She pulled back, stared straight at him, and said sharply, "Thank me? Isn't this exactly what you arranged?
She should be thanking you." She hadn't spoken it aloud before, but Adeline's repeated phone calls had jolted her awake. On the line, Adeline had tried every tactic-soft words, threats-warning her not to escalate. "Penny still carries the Hampton name. She's Timothy's birth mother. She can't afford scandal." Then came the threat: if Sydney caused trouble, Adeline would tell Eloise her divorce was finalized. It was almost laughable. She had nearly been defiled, yet she was the one being threatened. Caleb's brows tightened. "What do you mean by that?" Before Sydney could answer, his phone rang.
After hanging up, his frown deepened. He glanced at her, concerned. "You'll be okay getting home by yourself?" 1/2 'So fake,' she thought. Sydney's smile was brittle. "And if I said no, would you actually take me home?" Or would he, as before, dump her in some office and leave her there, forgotten? "Syd, I really do have work." His expression was earnest, yet he still tried to soothe her like a spoiled child. "The organizers will deliver the piece I bought tonight to Aurum Road in a couple of days. Remember to sign for it, alright?" "Got it," she said flatly. He seemed relieved.
Checking the time, he added, "Head home early. I'll go first." After he left, Sydney leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Pale, fragile, steeped in despair, she replayed Adeline's demands. Initially, she hadn't agreed. She had told Adeline to go ahead and inform Eloise. At worst, she would kneel for a few days. But Adeline's voice had turned cruel. "I heard she once killed your own dog. Now you're trying to seduce her most beloved grandson. When word reaches her, who do you think she'll harm this time? Maybe that best friend of yours, the lawyer?"