Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable

Chapter 528 When James saw how calm and composed Sydney looked, he couldn't help but ask in a gentle, brotherly tone, "You've really let it go?" He wasn't even sure why he asked. Maybe he didn't want her pretending to be fine if she wasn't. Or maybe, deep down, he wanted her to admit she was still hurting. If she did, he'd find a way to stop that marriage himself. Sydney heard the sincerity in his voice and smiled. "I've really let it go." And she meant it. Her life was peaceful now, far more than she had ever dared to hope for. Why waste her energy caring about other people's choices?

If she and Caleb stayed friends, fine. If not, that was fine too. Some things were better left behind. Of course, she wasn't generous enough to stay friends in the scenario he married Penelope. Those two had already disgusted her enough, especially Penelope, who had tried to ruin her again and again. Seeing her so steady, James finally relaxed and gestured toward the plate in front of her. "Do you like this flavor?" Sydney almost gave the polite, automatic answer: "I like it." However, something about his quiet attentiveness made her pause.

"Do you want the truth?" she asked playfully, her eyes bright. James smirked, and for a moment, he felt the strange urge to ruffle her hair. "The truth." Just then, his assistant entered with a stack of files. The man froze at the sight of the famously stoic executive looking at someone with unmistakable softness in his eyes. A chill ran down his spine. 'What the hell. Did I just see Mr. Hutton smile?' When the assistant left, Sydney took a small bite of cake and grinned. "I love mango when it's just fruit.

into other foods, not so much." Even so, she kept eating, spoonful by spoonful, until her plate was clean. When several quiet seconds passed without a reply, she glanced up. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." James blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. However, the longer he looked at her, the more her expression blurred into another face-one buried deep in memory. "James," a childish voice echoed in his mind. "I like

Her answer was quick and certain. James rubbed his hands together unconsciously. "Then you really are alike." He remembered how, back at Seraph Villa, the maids always served her juice with a slice of cheesecake-his sister's favorite, too. It was no wonder his mother and Diana had always treated Sydney so kindly. They surely loved her for who she was. But maybe, deep down, they were also drawn to the faint echoes of Vee in her. Sydney smiled but said nothing

a call. It rang twice before Diana answered, her voice crisp and cool. "Speak." "Diana," James said, his tone