Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 175

“Well, would you look at that? Your girlfriend actually showed up?”

Bruce and his two buddies all turned toward the bathroom at once. When Sydney stepped out, surprise and something closer to disappointment flickered across their faces.

She forced a smile, nerves fraying, and greeted them individually. “Bruce…”

“Syd,” Bruce said as if it were perfectly ordinary for her to be there. “So you and your brother finally made up?”

Her mind scrambled for a plausible explanation. His phrasing handed her a lifeline. She nodded quickly. “Yeah. That’s right.”

“Syd’s here already?” Caleb’s voice cut across the room.

She looked to see him standing there. He had dressed casually for the friends–only gathering, but he still carried that air of clean–cut elegance. Beside him, shoulder to shoulder, was Penelope. It was the first time he had so openly brought her into his circle of friends–almost like an announcement.

Sydney smirked faintly. She did not mind. Soon, the divorce certificate would be in her hands.

“Yeah,” she said lightly. “I live across the hall. Came over to help Jules warm the place. That’s not a problem, right?”

The rare sound of her calling him Jules tugged at Julian’s mouth.

Raymond, quick to sense the undercurrent, stepped in smoothly. “Of course, not a problem.”

“Exactly,” Bruce chimed in, clearly delighted.

He had waited ages for her and Julian to reconcile. He leaned closer, gossip thick in his tone. “Syd, where’s your brother’s gal? Still in the room? Go call her out so we can all meet her.”

Heat surged across Sydney’s face. She shot a desperate glance at Julian. How could she explain there was no “gal, “that the lipstick on his mouth had been hers?

But Julian only met her eyes, leaned back, and watched her squirm with a leisurely, almost curious interest. It was as though he was entertained by her struggle to talk her way out of this.

Her heart thudded. Seeing no rescue coming, she grinned and blurted, “There’s no gal. He just got dumped.”

“What?” Bruce and the others gawked. “Didn’t he just start dating?”

Sydney misinterpreted and assumed they meant the woman Julian had supposedly broken up with.

“Yeah.” She spoke without thinking. “When I came over, he still had lipstick on his mouth. Must’ve been a breakup kiss.”

Peals of laughter rippled through the room. The idea that the untouchable Sterling heir had been dumped days into a relationship was delicious gossip.

A low, sharp–edged laugh rumbled from Julian’s chest. He pressed his tongue against his cheek and looked

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straight at her. “I’ve heard of a breakup screw. Where the hell did you dig up a breakup kiss?”

His voice slid with mockery. “Trendy, is it?”

The words made Sydney’s thoughts skid sideways. Her face burned.

Before she could even respond, the sharp–eyed Bruce’s gaze flicked deliberately to Julian’s waist. He slapped his hand against his thigh and said to Sydney, “No way your brother broke up. He and his girl are just fooling around, adding some spice.”

Confused, Sydney blinked. “Huh?”

Bruce jerked his chin toward Julian. “Look at that belt. Not his style at all. Definitely a gift. You know what it means when a woman gives a man a belt?”

Sydney’s stomach lurched. She recognized it–the one she had given Julian when she replaced his ruined suit. Her smile stiffened. “What does it mean?”

“Obviously they’re together,” Bruce crowed. “Who gives a man a belt unless they’re his girlfriend?”

The words sank like stones. Almost against her will, Sydney glanced at Julian. His eyes sparkled with amusement, no sign of rescue, only watching as if he enjoyed the spectacle.

Her throat tightened. She coughed lightly, feigning calm. “Oh, I see.”

Before she could deflect again, Penelope’s sharp, assessing gaze swept over her. Her eyes narrowed on Sydney’s lips. Then, with feigned innocence, she dropped a bomb. “Syd, your lipstick today… it’s exactly the same color as the one smudged on Mr. Sterling’s mouth earlier. Identical. Don’t tell me you’re the girlfriend he’s been hiding.”