Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 273

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**Chapter 273**

A gentle smile graced Sydney’s lips, a flicker of warmth in her eyes. “It’s fine,” she reassured him, her voice steady. “You can’t truly see into the depths of people’s hearts. Until something significant occurs, no one can ever be entirely certain.”

She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle in the air around them, before she ventured further, “Did they ever reveal who orchestrated this?”

Deep down, a nagging suspicion tugged at her thoughts, pointing towards Penelope. Yet, the logic behind it felt shaky. After all, Penelope had been poised to gain from their efforts; why would she willingly undermine the very data she hoped to profit from?

Henry’s response was curt, almost dismissive. “No one,” he stated firmly, but then, sensing the ambiguity in his words, he quickly clarified, “I mean, no one was behind it.”

A shadow of shame crept into his voice, thickening the air with unspoken truths. “Those two men… they simply resented you for your youth. At first, Wallace had no intention of siding with Hugh. But when he realized that showering you with compliments didn’t win him any favor…”

Henry’s voice trailed off, the unsaid words hanging heavily in the silence. The disdain they had expressed was more than mere jealousy; it was a deep-seated anger that a woman had dared to rise above them.

Noticing the furrow of Sydney’s brow, Henry attempted to lighten the mood. With a smile that seemed to brighten the dim room, he added, “But look on the bright side! There’s one less worry for us. Penelope won’t be able to interfere with our results.”

Sydney’s curiosity piqued. “What do you mean by that?”

Wasn’t their joint research project backed by the government?

Henry raised a finger, gesturing upward as if to emphasize his point. “Mr. Sterling wasn’t going to let that happen. He made the call himself—no joint research, not at all. He stated plainly that our team is capable enough to handle this on our own.”

Sydney felt a wave of relief wash over her; this was news Henry had clearly welcomed.

Penelope, with her cunning schemes and insatiable thirst for recognition, had always been a thorn in their side. She had never contributed anything of substance, merely waiting for the chance to bask in the glow of others’ hard work. The world of research was already a formidable landscape, and the last thing they needed was to fend off opportunistic vultures.

For a moment, Sydney stood frozen, caught off guard by the revelation. She hadn’t anticipated Julian, despite being buried in his own work, would take such a decisive stance.