Chapter 1179 Dallin's Mishap
Chapter 1179 Dallin's Mishap
Old Madam had merely suggested that he should seize the moment and soothe Sydney.
She had thought that, at most, he would appease Sydney with honeyed words.
But her grandson surpassed her expectations and embraced Sydney outright.
This action was far more potent than any honeyed words.
She realized then that her thinking was still rooted in the old ways.
But it didn't matter, as long as her grandson was not bound by such conservatism.
Old Madam watched the couple in their embrace, her face breaking into a grin.
Felicia, though clueless about the reason behind Old Madam's mirth, mirrored her joy and felt a sense of relief.
Across from them, Sydney finally came to her senses, trying to push him away.
Her effort was feeble, nowhere near the force Julien had used when he had kissed her earlier.
With Old Madam and Felicia present, she was too mortified to exert any real strength against Julien.
All she could do was pat his back, signaling him to release her.
His unexpected embrace in front of Old Madam and Felicia left her feeling somewhat flustered.
However, despite Sydney's subtle hint, Julien showed no intention of letting go. He held onto her tightly, causing Sydney to stiffen.
Left with no choice, she leaned into his ear and whispered, "What are you doing? Let go of me. Grandma and Felicia are watching."
"No," he responded firmly. His large hand remained wrapped around her waist while his other hand gently stroked her hair. "You don't need to feel out of place; you have a family too. I am your family, and my family is naturally yours as well. Don't you remember? You were the one who said you wanted grandma to treat you as a real granddaughter. So, you can treat her as your real grandmother. We are your family."
When Sydney heard that, her attempts to free herself from his hold ceased abruptly.
"You read my thoughts?" She widened her eyes in surprise.
Julien chuckled. "The look in your eyes gave you away. It was so transparent and hard for me to ignore."
Sydney nestled her head on his shoulder and smiled. "You know me so well. It feels like I have no secrets from you."
"Isn't that perfect? It shows our honesty with each other, doesn't it?" Julien stroked her soft hair.
Sydney laughed again. "You're right."
At that point, she had forgotten about Old Madam and Felicia. Just moments ago, she had felt awkward being so intimate with Julien in their presence.
But Julien's words touched her, and she lost herself in the warmth of his embrace, oblivious to everything else.
Standing there, Old Madam and Felicia watched the couple's affectionate display with amusement.
"What do you think Julien said to Sydney? She seems completely smitten," Old Madam asked, looking up at Felicia.
Felicia shook her head. "I don't know for sure. I guess it's something romantic and pleasing to the ear."
Old Madam nodded. "Maybe so."
"Old Madam." Just then, a familiar voice echoed through the hall.
It was none other than Erika, who was assigned by Julien to look after Sydney during her time of blindness.
Erika came in, greeted Old Madam, and then smiled at Julien and Sydney.
Erika's arrival jolted Sydney back to reality. She glanced at Old Madam and Felicia, their eyes twinkling with amusement. A blush crept up her cheeks as she hastily pushed Julien away and took a seat.
Julien, still basking in the glow of their reconciliation, looked taken aback as his joy was abruptly cut short.
He hadn't held Sydney long enough. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
"Erika, is lunch ready?" Old Madam asked with a smile.
Erika nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Old Madam."
"Okay. Set the table. We're going over right away," Old Madam said.
Erika then left with the order.
Old Madam, assisted by Felicia, rose from her seat. "Syd, let's go for lunch."
She extended a hand toward Sydney.
Sydney quickly got up and went over to support her.
Side by side, the three left the hall for the dining room.
Julien was left behind and forgotten once again.
He suspected that they did it on purpose.
With a bitter smile on his face, he shook his head, put his hands into his pockets, and followed behind them.
After lunch, Sydney and Julien said goodbye to Old Madam.
They still had work to do and could not stay there forever. In fact, they had managed to carve out some time for the visit.
Old Madam agreed reluctantly, knowing how busy they were.
Sydney promised to visit her often, which finally cheered her up.
Zach was waiting outside the gate, with Julien's custom Maybach parked beside him.
He greeted them before opening the door to the backseat.
Sydney got into the car, followed by Julien.
Once they were settled in the car, Zach slid into the driver's seat.
"Mr. Flint," he began excitedly as he closed the car door and buckled his seatbelt, "I have some great news for you."
Julien, with a disinterested air, adjusted his cuffs and asked, "What's the great news?"
Sydney, her curiosity piqued, set her bag aside and turned her attention to Zach.
Since it was impolite to talk to them with his back toward them and Julien didn't urge him to drive, Zach unbuckled his seatbelt and swiveled around to face them.
"Here is the thing. Our informant on Dallin has just reported that someone put a sack over his head and roughed him up," he said, his eyes glowing with excitement. "I'm not sure who Dallin managed to offend to warrant such a retaliation. The method may seem juvenile and simplistic, but it's undeniably effective. Dallin must be seething with humiliation. He's never been treated so disrespectfully before. It's an affront to his very character. Whoever orchestrated this is a genius."
He slapped his thigh and laughed out loud.
Sydney had expected the good news to be something else entirely.
She was pleased by Zach's praise but also slightly irked by his insinuation that her method was juvenile and simplistic.
Her lips formed a pout of displeasure.
Julien noticed her discontent, and a flicker of thought passed through his eyes before he redirected his attention back to Zach. "You're saying Dallin was hit by someone?"
"Exactly!" Zach confirmed, his face flushed with exhilaration. "I couldn't believe it myself until I saw the photos of Dallin post-beating. It doesn't matter who did it; what matters is that Dallin's downfall is
our gain. Seeing him in such a pitiful state is immensely satisfying. Mr. Flint, would you like to see the photos?"