She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 176

Hulda froze. It was true, she detested spicy food. But during her childhood at the Sterling estate, she had lived under Dobbs Sterling's draconian rule.

His philosophy was simple: never allow anyone to figure out your personal preferences.

Because of that, she wasn't allowed to have favorite foods, nor was she permitted to refuse things she disliked.

If she ever showed the slightest reaction at the dining table and Dobbs noticed, the punishment was swift and severe. Usually, it meant starving for three days with nothing but water.

After enduring that enough times, she perfected the art of masking her palate.

Later, after she was driven out of the Sterling household and married Herbert, she spent years suppressing her own tastes to cater to the Jewell family's culinary habits.

From start to finish, she had never been allowed to own her dietary preferences.

She didn't think a single soul in the world knew she hated spicy food. But somehow, Caspian knew.

Hulda turned her head, staring at him in disbelief.

The man's gaze was slightly lowered, his handsome face betraying zero emotion. He simply reached out and placed a dish of Chestnut Braised Pork right in front of her. Without a word, he picked up his glass of water and took a sip.

His head tilted back slightly, his sharp Adam's apple bobbing with the motion.

Hulda stared blankly at the pork. She loved sweet dishes, and Chestnut Braised Pork had always been her absolute favorite.

Back when she lived with the Sterlings, there was a chef in the main house who made an exquisite version of it. As a little girl, every time she saw that dish on the table, her heart would leap with joy.

But she was terrified of Dobbs finding out, knowing it would earn her a three-day fast.

So, every single time, she forced herself to swallow her craving. Over the years, as she grew up, her love and anticipation for the dish had slowly been ground away into nothing.

Looking at it now, her emotions were a tangled mess.

Caspian didn't just know what she hated—he knew exactly what she loved.

If this had happened a few years ago, she probably would have been moved to tears.

And now, their contributions were being erased with a single, flippant comment?

Yes, they had all come to genuinely respect Hulda's capabilities, but every single person in that room was an elite in their own right. If they ever left The Conrad Atherton Institute, tech companies would be caught in bidding wars to hire them.

How could the institute's entire future rest solely on her?

Hulda took in everyone's reactions, her expression turning unreadable.

Oblivious to the shift in the room, Harvey remained standing, holding his glass out, waiting for her to accept the toast.

Beside her, Caspian frowned. Seeing her reach for the glass, he was just about to intercept it when he heard her speak.

"I can drink to this."

She stood up and took the glass from Harvey's hand. Her beautiful eyes settled on Harvey first with a polite smile, before sweeping across the other researchers at the table.

"I'm young, and I'm a recent addition to the institute. In terms of seniority, I fall short of everyone sitting here. Moving forward, if I ever step out of line or fall short, I hope you all will bear with me."