Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable

' It's fine , ' Charlotte told herself . ' I still have plenty of time . ' As long as Julian kept no other woman by his side , she believed persistence would wear him down . Tiffany , drowsy from her medicine , had already returned to bed . The living room was empty . Sydney picked up her tablet , ready to retreat to her room and scroll mindlessly through variety shows . Just as she rose , her phone lit up with a message . Brother : [ Come eat . ] She had always saved Julian's contact as Brother . Even now , after he had dragged himself off her blacklist , she had forgotten to change it .

Sydney glanced at the clock . Charlotte had only gone inside five minutes ago . What was she supposed to do ? Go be a third wheel ? She typed back : [ Already ate . ] It was a lie . Tiffany was on a bland diet - no seafood , no seasoning - and Sydney had barely managed a few spoonfuls of soup with her . Julian's reply came instantly . Brother : [ Do I need to come get you ? ] Even through the screen , she felt the cold , unyielding edge in his tone . Afraid he might actually appear at her door , she dropped her tablet , grabbed her phone , and hurried out .

yourself in . ] It was the code for the door . For a moment , she froze as her mind leapt . Was it the same way Charlotte had gotten his code ? Was she just one of many women who knew it ? She forced the thought down , keyed in the numbers , and stepped inside ,

a black striped lounge set , his tall frame relaxed , two glasses of juice in his hands . He set one before her . Sydney pressed her lips together . " Thank you . " She unwrapped the disposable utensils and ate quietly , not meeting his eyes . 1/2 Julian lounged back and watched her for a long while . The corner of his mouth curved coldly . " You come all this way to eat , and this is the face I get ?

loss for words . She couldn't explain it . Ever since seeing Charlotte punch in his code earlier , a heavy , suffocating weight had pressed against her chest . Julian's brows drew tight , his dark eyes boring into her like he could strip away every thought . Sydney stayed silent . Suddenly , he rose , swept her off her chair , and set her on the table , forcing her to meet his eyes .