She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 140

After Hulda made the executive decision to open the project to public bidding, she handed all the logistical prep over to Brandon Lowe. She had spent practically every waking hour in the lab finalizing the technical reboot for the press conference.

She had anticipated running into Herbert at the venue. If he was resourceful enough to scrounge up an invitation, he'd obviously be here.

So, seeing him standing there with Sylvie and his executives didn't surprise her in the slightest.

She shot him a cold, indifferent look and simply said, "Excuse me."

Her tone and demeanor were completely flat, as though they didn't share a decade of history and he was nothing more than a stranger blocking her path on the sidewalk.

But Herbert didn't budge. He stared down at her, his dark eyes stormy, his brow furrowed so tightly it could crush a diamond.

"Hulda, what the hell are you trying to pull?" The man's voice was a low, angry growl laced with exasperation and a final warning.

Hulda looked up, utterly baffled, meeting his furious glare. "I am trying to get you to move. You're blocking my path."

Herbert's eyes turned to ice. "Hulda, I've let it slide the last few times you showed up uninvited to cause a scene. But today? On a day this critical? You actually followed me here to humiliate me?"

He raised a hand, pointing sharply at the massive national seal above the Concourse entrance. "Do you have any idea where you are? Who gave you the nerve to pull a stunt here? Are you literally trying to get arrested?"

Then, he pointed toward the heavily armed security personnel manning the outer perimeter gates.

"He's right, Hulda," Sylvie chimed in, quickly scanning the approaching security guards before turning her condescending gaze back to Hulda. "This is the most prestigious tech summit in the region. Every single attendee has to pass a rigorous background check and sign a strict NDA. This isn't a shopping mall or a beach resort. They don't let people like you just wander in."

Hulda caught the implication instantly. Sylvie was proudly declaring that she had the status and credentials to pass a rigorous background check, while Hulda was just an uneducated housewife who didn't belong.

The fact that Sylvie invoked his son's future in this moment made Herbert look at her with deep admiration. "Look at yourself, Hulda. Do you even deserve to be called a mother? Sylvie cares more about Miles's future than you do! And you? All you know how to do is cause a public spectacle out of pathetic jealousy!"

The bespectacled manager and the other executives had initially hung back, unsure of what their boss was furiously whispering to the woman from the taxi.

But as the seconds ticked by, the manager grew frantic.

The conference was about to begin. The auditorium was undoubtedly already packed with the most brilliant minds in the industry, trading insider secrets and networking. He absolutely refused to miss a second of it.

Unable to wait any longer, he marched up. "Mr. Jewell, Ms. Sinclair, we really need to watch the time."

As he spoke, he finally caught a clear look at Hulda's face. His expression instantly twisted into a furious sneer. "Wait, aren't you that woman who keeps stalking Mr. Jewell?! Following him to the office and the resort wasn't enough, now you've followed him here? Have you absolutely no shame? Mr. Jewell is a married man!"