Chapter 30

Rosalie fully expected Julian to react as Edward did—to reprimand her for being rude and ill-mannered, and accuse her of being sharp-tongued and disrespectful. After all, for the past year, Julian had made no secret of his loathing for her. But with his grandfather Isaac pressuring him, he hadn't been able to do much about it. Now that he finally had the perfect opportunity, Rosalie assumed he would seize it and attack her without restraint.

She never imagined that Julian would instead take her side and defend her. Rosalie was stunned. Across from her, Edward, Helena, and Claudia were even more dumbfounded. They thought Rosalie was shameless, but Julian's actions proved even more outrageous.

“Julian, you also think I’m just a burden, the stepchild that no one wants?” Helena’s voice trembled, her eyes reddening.

She thought bitterly, ‘I don’t care what Rosalie says about me. She’s just a pathetic wretch who lost her mother. Once Dad fully takes control of Talley Group, that bitch will be thrown out like trash.’ But to Helena, Julian’s opinion mattered. She didn’t want him to see her as a joke, an unwanted outsider.

Chapter 31

Julian barely glanced at Helena before retracting his gaze, showing no interest in her theatrics. Edward’s heart ached at the sight of his favorite daughter so wounded. His anger flared—Julian had humiliated Helena under Edward’s roof, and that was unacceptable.

Helena had always been fragile, born prematurely and struggling with health issues. Her heart had never fully developed; she had congenital heart disease. These struggles had shaped her life, making her weaker than others. Furthermore, because Edward needed to maintain his image, she had spent over a decade living under the title of “stepdaughter” instead of being openly acknowledged as his own child. He always felt guilty about that. Seeing Helena suffer now hurt him more than if he had taken the blow himself.

“Julian,” Edward said sharply, his voice tinged with fury, “no matter what, Helena is still your sister-in-law. How could you say something like that?”

The faint smirk on Julian’s lips vanished. His indifferent gaze turned sharp as he looked at Edward, his eyes narrowing.