Once doormat Now Untouchable Novel

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Chapter 626

Julian glanced at Sydney and saw that her expression remained

perfectly calm, without the slightest hint of guilt. He let out a

soft laugh. "Grandma knew, but | didn't?”

Sydney focused on her muffin, her face unflushed and her

heartbeat steady. "I told you."

"When did you tell me?" He paused, then frowned. "Don't tell me

it was while | was asleep.”

Sydney said nothing. She could hardly admit that it had indeed

been while he was asleep. Or rather, not exactly asleep.

That time, she had finished explaining everything. Unfortunately,

this man had been deprived for far too long and lost all restraint.

He had not listened to a single word. Worse, he had convinced

himself that she was asking him to treat the child as his own.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" When she continued to ignore

him, Julian prepared to press further. His gaze flicked to her

slightly reddened ears, and something clicked. His brow

twitched as he was about to speak.

Agatha set a hot muffin onto his plate. "Even eating can't shut

your mouth."

She motioned for the maids to place more dishes in front of

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Sydney and continued her scolding, "She finally gets to eat in

peace after all these days. Can't you wait until she's full before

talking?"

Agatha felt that Sydney had clearly lost weight recently and

wished that she could eat well and sleep well from now on. Yet

Julian kept talking without pause.

Agatha could not understand what was wrong with this brat. He

was usually quiet as a clam. In front of Sydney, he had suddenly

turned into a chatterbox. Before, she worried that he was too

reserved to please a woman. Now she only felt that he talked far

too much.

Sydney could not help smiling at the sight of the normally

decisive Mr. Sterling obediently accepting a scolding. She even

chimed in, “Exactly. Grandma is right."

Julian shot her a sideways glance and conceded. "Fine. You're

her biological granddaughter now, and I'm just a live-in husband."

"You can't be a live-in husband. You're too talkative," Agatha

replied without thinking, completely sincere.

Sydney was sipping her soup and nearly choked. She nodded

again. "That's right. Grandma's spot on."

Julian looked into her smiling eyes and felt a warmth roll

through his chest. The brightness in his gaze softened into pure

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indulgence.

He pulled a tissue to wipe the corner of her mouth and said

helplessly, "Fence-sitter."

At the Hampton estate, the atmosphere was nothing like Delta

Mansion.

It was tense.

When Caleb came downstairs, he saw Adeline venting her anger

on the service staff. The moment she spotted him, her temper

flared. "Do you know what the Huttons did? It must be because |

didn't go to propose yesterday. They got angry and directly sent

Penny to the Wolfens!"

She had already gone to the hotel where the Huttons’ charity

gala was held the day before.

At the entrance, she had run into Caleb and Julian. Caleb had

suddenly lost his mind and forcibly sent her back home.

Now it was done. The engagement was completely ruined.

Caleb looked as though he had not slept all night. His

expression remained flat as he said lightly, "That's good."

“What's good about it?" Adeline was livid, her chest heaving. She

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clenched her teeth. "I know you look down on her now, but she's,

still the Huttons' long-lost youngest daughter.”

“She has nothing to do with the Huttons." Caleb's tone stayed

even, without a ripple. He walked to the dining table and picked

up his coffee.

It was unbearably bitter.

In a daze, memories surfaced. Every time she saw him like this,

Sydney would patiently remind him, "Cal, drinking coffee on an

empty stomach hurts your stomach. Eat something first.”

He had watched her grow up. After marriage, she had been

attentive and thoughtful in every detail. Until yesterday, he had

still clung to a sliver of hope that he might bring her back

someday.

But last night, when he saw her curled obediently in Julian's

arms, her eyes filled with trust, a chill had crept over him.

She had never looked at him that way. She had never trusted

him like that.

Perhaps the words she had blurted out before had not been

spoken in anger at all. Perhaps those three years of marriage

had been, for her as much as for him, nothing more than a

matter of forced circumstance.

Both of them had been cornered.

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Adeline froze, then came back to herself. "You mean she's not a

Hutton heiress at all?"

"Yes.

“Good Lord!" Adeline let out a long breath, still shaken. "Thank

goodness. Thank goodness."

Otherwise, after finally sending Sydney away, her son would

have ended up marrying someone with an even worse

background.

After calming herself, she still refused to let it go. "Then what

about the Huttons' real youngest daughter? Have they found her

or not?"

Seeing that his mother would not stop until she hit a wall, Caleb

grew impatient. "| don't know."