Chapter 182 Julian had not expected Sydney to be so blunt. His brows lifted slightly, but before he could speak, her phone rang. It lay on the bed between them. Both glanced at the caller ID. It was Tiffany. At such a late hour, she would not be calling without reason. Sydney snatched up the phone. "Hello? Tiff, did something happen?" "I just got back." Tiffany's voice came muffled, thick with helplessness. "Why aren't you at home?" Sydney shot upright. "I'm at Julian's. I'll come right now." Julian's expression darkened. He pressed her shoulder firmly and held her in place.
"Who's more important, me or Tiffany?" It sounded like the question of a sulking schoolboy. Sydney exhaled, exasperated. "Do you want the truth?" His brow twitched. "Say it." "Right now, it's Tiffany." The instant she said it, his hand loosened. Sydney was fearful that Tiffany had run into trouble, so she hurried out. Julian watched her retreat, his shoulders tight, and his eyes betrayed a flicker of self-mockery. 'Right now, it's Tiffany... But before, it was me...' Once, he had been the little girl's entire world, the one he had raised. Not anymore.
When Sydney arrived home, she slipped into her slippers and spotted Tiffany sitting gloomily on the carpet. She hugged her knees, back pressed against the sofa, a picture of vulnerability. At the sound of movement, she looked up. Her eyes were swollen and red, yet she still found room for gossip. "Is there something going on between you and that brother of yours?" Sydney froze, then seized the chance to admit it. "I'm with him now." She left out the part about being his mistress.
If she said that, Tiffany would connect it to the last incident and might uncover the real reason she and Julian had become entangled. That would only burden her with guilt. Tiffany's lethargy vanished, and she sat up straighter, swearing, "Fuck! Julian's an animal, isn't he? You're his sister! Don't tell me he's been scheming all this time?" "Stop, stop." Barefoot, Sydney crossed the carpet, ripped open a bag of snacks, and sat down beside her. "We didn't even speak for eight years. How could he have had bad intentions back then?" "Who knows?
Maybe eight years ago he already..." Tiffany trailed off, realizing her thoughts had run too far. Eight years ago, Sydney had been only 16. Julian hardly seemed the type who preyed on young girls. Her mind leapt again, shifting tracks. "Wait. Three years ago, when he tried to stop you from marrying Caleb, was it because he liked you? And when you insisted on marrying anyway, he cut off contact for three years out of spite?" "Don't get carried away." Sydney stuffed a cookie into her mouth. "What do you think this is, a romance novel?
With melodramatic twists and turns?" 1/2 In real life, no one schemed and waited years for someone. Least of all Julian. He was arrogant, proud, and uncompromising. If he had truly loved her back then, his pride would have never let him take her back now. At most, what he felt was the fleeting whim of a rich heir. Munching on the cookie, Tiffany admitted she might have been overthinking. "Then, just now at his place, you two were..." Sydney felt her cheeks flush and quickly redirected the conversation. "Why did you suddenly come back?
Did your parents or your brother do something again?" "Don't even start." Tiffany's breathing turned sharp. "They set me up on a blind date. Said the guy could put up 150,000 dollars as dowry. With that, plus what they already have, and a bit from me, they think they can scrape together enough for a down payment on an apartment for my brother." 2/2