Chapter 189 Caleb and Eloise shifted uncomfortably. Yet in the end, age lent cunning. As long as nothing was said aloud, the Eloise could still pretend nothing had happened. She beckoned to Sydney with a smile that never touched her eyes. "Come here, Syd. Why don't you tell everyone? Has the Sterling family treated you well or not?" She would not put Caleb on the spot, nor risk a direct clash with Julian. Sydney, as always, became the convenient target. Sydney had barely drawn breath to answer when Julian cut in, voice sharp with disdain, "Enough.
That old trick of beating someone while forbidding them to cry out-you've been playing it on her since she was five. Aren't you tired of it yet?" He showed no restraint, striking her with words as merciless as a slap. In a single sentence, he exposed nearly 20 years of Sydney's life. Sydney had never been allowed to resist or weep. Only silence and obedience had spared her punishments that could have broken her. A flicker of unease crossed Charlotte's face. She had not realized Julian and Eloise stood on such hostile ground. "Your grandmother surely has her reasons," she offered weakly.
Julian clicked his tongue and berated her impatiently, "This is the Sterling family's New Year's dinner. Why are you even here?" He spared no one, cutting down every supposed tie ruthlessly. With one line, he dismissed Charlotte entirely. Eloise's expression soured as she had no graceful way to retreat. Just as the air threatened to snap, a cousin's child burst into tears. The adults seized on the distraction, smoothing things over as if nothing had happened. Not long after, a few younger cousins drifted to Julian's side.
For all his coldness toward Victor and Eloise, he could still soften for the children. When the feast began, three full tables crowded the dining hall. The room's generous size kept the gathering from feeling cramped. After the clash, Eloise held her tongue, and Sydney kept her head down, quietly eating. Between the clink of glasses and polite laughter, the evening even managed a fragile harmony. By the time the dishes cleared and the family rose from the tables, night had fallen completely. As always, Jason had prepared fireworks for the children.
The crowd spilled into the courtyard, and sparks soon lit the sky. Just as Sydney was about to slip away, Eloise called her back. "Syd, go upstairs to the study and fetch the gift I set aside." "Sure." Every year, the Sterlings exchanged gifts twice-once on New Year's Eve, again on New Year's morning. It was not about money but about ceremony. Jason had already drawn Caleb aside to discuss a project, leaving Sydney to climb the stairs alone. On the way to the study, she passed a small balcony. From the shadows, a hand seized her and yanked her inside.
Sydney gasped, but before she could cry out, warm lips claimed hers. The winter night carried his familiar scent. Outside, fireworks exploded one after another, masking the sound of Julian's kiss. Yet the courtyard below teemed with people. Anyone glancing up at the wrong moment would see Julian pressing his mouth to hers. 1/2 Her whole body locked. She tried to push him back, muffling against his lips, "There are so many people downstairs!" He didn't let go.
His tongue tangled with hers before he growled in her ear, "What did you promise me?" Her eyes blurred with tears, dazed by the force of his kiss. "What?" His grip tightened on her shoulder in silent warning. And then she remembered. "I only kept my distance because, with everyone watching, it would have looked strange otherwise," she whispered. In reply, Julian spum her and pinned her against the wall, their bodies pressed together. Heat radiated through the layers of fabric, scorching her skin. "So this is your punishment," he murmured against her mouth, 2/2