Chapter 20
“I’m keeping attitude,” Sadie said flatly.
As she heard those words, everything she’d wanted to say–the
frustration she’d bottled up–just dissolved.
It felt pointless.
She used to cry, to explain herself over and over again. But no
one ever truly listened.
She wasn’t going to spend this life riding an emotional roller
coaster for the sake of her brothers.
No more explanations. No more trying to win them over.
Silently, she began gathering the textbooks off the coffee table,
tucking them one by one into her bag.
She looked down at the 1
packed bag and said softly, “If
there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my room.”
Jeremy sat on the sofa, rubbing his temples, looking like he had
a headache. “Sadie, if you’re willing to rejoin the team, we’ll let
the past go.”
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Sadie almost laughed.
The things she had done in her previous life? What a joke.
Without even turning around, she walked upstairs. Every step
was steady and sure.
Frustrated, Jeremy lit a cigarette.
The butler walked over quietly. “Mr. Douglas, if Ms. Douglas
doesn’t want to join, let it be. At least we still have Ms. Houston.”
Jeremy frowned. “It’s not the same.”
The butler hesitated, then said, “Forgive me for speaking out of
turn, but… none of you have been home these past few days.
And since Ms. Douglas returned, she hasn’t asked about you
even once. She’s… cold. So cold, it’s hard to watch.”
Jeremy didn’t respond. He stubbed out his cigarette and left the
house, driving off–probably back to the training camp.
Upstairs, Sadie had heard the car pull away.
She stood by the window and watched him leave.
‘Off to train again, I guess.
She took a shower, then sat back down to review her mistake
Chapter 20
journal one more time.
She needed to work harder–she needed to leave this place.
Before she knew it, the sky had lightened. She’d accidentally
stayed up all night.
Panicked, she stuffed everything into her bag, grabbed a sandwich from the dining room, and rushed out the door.
Jeremy was the first to come downstairs.
He caught a glimpse of her retreating figure and frowned. “She’s
up this early?”
A housekeeper replied, “Ms. Douglas has been taking the bus to school on her own all week. Ever since Monday–when Ms.
Houston was talking with you about the team and made you all
a little late–Ms. Douglas’s refused to ride with the driver.”
Jeremy’s expression grew complicated.
Malik came downstairs and scoffed. “Seriously? All this because
she was almost late? So dramatic. Who is she trying to impress?”
Rhett yawned. “Jeremy, she’s just trying to guilt–trip you. You
cave now, and next time she’ll push even harder.”
Jeremy didn’t say anything.
Chapter 20
Truth was, he felt like Sadie did need to be taught a lesson.
They’d given her plenty of chances–she was the one who didn’t
appreciate them.
Not far away, Lorena had heard every word. A glint of
satisfaction flickered in her eyes.
She bounced downstairs, full of cheer. “Jeremy, Malik, Rhett-
morning! Let’s have breakfast together!”
Seeing her bright and bubbly demeanor lifted Jeremy’s mood.
‘At least one little sister doesn’t go off track, he thought.
At school, Sadie struggled to stay awake. She’d been up all night
studying.
But during class, she was laser–focused, afraid of missing even a
single concept.
During class, the teacher suddenly called on Lorena to answer a
question. She stumbled over her words for a while but couldn’t
give a clear answer.
The teacher let out a sigh. “Lorena, you’ve been distracted lately.
You haven’t grasped the material we’ve been reviewing–this is
going to hurt you on the exam.”
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Lorena blushed and lowered her head. “Sorry. It won’t happen
again.”
One of her little followers quickly chimed in, “Sadie’s been
studying really hard lately–she probably knows the answer!”
