Chapter 1175 A Heartfelt Gratitude
Chapter 1175 A Heartfelt Gratitude
The Old Madam's body stiffened as she responded with an awkward smile, "I'm good. It's merely a bout of dizziness. I just need to take a nap. It's not the first time. There's no need to go through the fuss of calling a doctor."
'No kidding. A doctor would find I was lying,' she thought.
With a sneer, Julien approached and stopped behind the two old ladies. "How so? The doctor is on our payroll here. If a few minutes of travel is considered trouble, then we're paying him for nothing. Since we employ him, he is obliged to attend to his employer at any time, any place, and under any circumstances. Otherwise, it's negligence on his part, and I have every right to dismiss him. Is that what you're suggesting, Grandma?"
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"I heard that our family doctor is a close relative of Felicia." Aware of what his grandmother was going to say, Julien interrupted her and turned to look at Felicia.
Julien's piercing gaze made Felicia feel guilty, and she bowed her head.
She knew why Julien had brought up the family doctor and their relationship at such a time.
He was using the doctor's job as leverage to force them into revealing the truth.
Julien truly lived up to his reputation as a titan of commerce. He aimed straight for people's vulnerabilities to achieve his goals.
The Flint family and the Flint Corporation were fortunate to have such a leader.
However, for those who were caught in the crossfire of his schemes, they weren't so lucky.
Felicia groaned inwardly.
Old Madam was livid. She spun around and pointed at Julien. "You ungrateful wretch! What are you up to by bringing this up? Are you trying to break Felicia's heart?"
Julien shrugged innocently. "What are you talking about? Why would I do that? I just suggested a new job opportunity for her relative."
"Whether it's a job opportunity or something else, you know the answer." Old Madam huffed, refusing to buy into his excuse.
Sydney felt that Julien was crossing the line and stood up to intervene.
But before she could say a word, Julien added, "Alright, just kidding. I didn't intend to do anything to the doctors. However, whether they will continue to enjoy my favor in the future is something I'll have to reconsider. After all, everyone knows how much I detest deception. So, are you still unwilling to tell me the truth?"
Old Madam scowled at him, itching to give him a piece of her mind.
But she was held back by Felicia.
Felicia sighed and looked at Julien. "Alright, I'll tell you everything. But please don't get angry."
Julien's expression softened. "I won't, and I'm sorry for threatening you. I hope you'll understand my position, Felicia. Being kept in the dark is an awful feeling."
Felicia waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay. I can totally understand, and I know that even if I didn't say anything, you wouldn't fire my relatives. You would still value them because it was me who lied to you, not them. You won't punish others for my mistakes. Having watched you grow up
since childhood, I know you well enough to be certain of that. So, I knew you were just trying to threaten me."
Julien chuckled. "Well, you are right."
Both Old Madam and Sydney were relieved to hear that.
Sydney, in particular, had been fearing that Julien might really resort to intimidation to extract answers from Felicia.
Felicia was not only a long-standing friend of the Old Madam but also a family member in the house.
If Julien were to threaten Felicia, it would not only be a slight to Old Madam but also a stab into Felicia's heart.
Sydney had feared that such an act could drive a wedge between the three of them.
Thankfully, her worries were unfounded.
Sydney exhaled softly, her tension dissipating as she settled back into her seat.
In fact, Old Madam knew that Julien's words were merely bluster and held no real intent behind them.
Yet, they still left a sour taste in her mouth.
Felicia, noticing Old Madam's displeasure toward Julien, offered a comforting smile and said, "Old Madam, don't be too hard on Mr. Julien. In truth, we are also at fault here. We may have had his best interests at heart, but we failed to consider whether he could accept it. Moreover, we deliberately concealed the ingredients in his soup. This is our fault."
Old Madam sighed resignedly and cast a glance at Felicia. "You always take his side."
Felicia smiled and laid her eyes back on Julien. "The soup is good for your health. It can strengthen a man's body."
"Strengthen a man's body?" The corners of Julien's eyes and mouth twitched.
Felicia nodded. "Yeah."
Julien's temples began to twitch. "Do you think I need something like that? Do you and my grandma think I'm weak?"
'Thinking that I'm weak, you cooked a bowl of nourishing soup for me.'
Behind him, Sydney was also surprised.
She couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Realizing that it might hurt Julien's pride, she quickly covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth. In the end, she didn't dismiss the idea of continuing to watch the fun.
Although she stifled her laugh, she began to snicker.
Julien heard it and felt a wave of frustration wash over him. His hand clenched and unclenched in his pocket several times before he fought back the urge to look back.
Felicia could tell from his darkened expression that he was not happy, though she didn't know the full extent of his frustration.
Old Madam sighed and started to consider whether she was wrong in preparing the soup.
"Mr. Julien, you misunderstood. We never regard you as weak. We simply wanted to provide you with tonics. We're concerned about your health as you age. And who says tonics are only for those in poor health? It's always beneficial to take them. Waiting until one's health deteriorates might be too late, and the tonics might not work effectively," Felicia explained.
Sydney grinned behind her hand and nodded.
She agreed with Felicia's words.
Julien took several deep breaths, barely suppressing the urge to hit the roof. He looked at Felicia and Old Madam, forcing a smile. "I am truly grateful for your concern."
The bitterness in his tone was unmistakable.
Felicia awkwardly waved her hand and smiled. "Mr. Julien, we..."
"It's good you understand our good intentions." Old Madam pulled Felicia back and accepted Julien's gratitude.