Sydney\u2019s eyes shimmered with false hurt. \u201cPenelope, what are you talking about? I was upstairs just now, preparing a gift for Cal. Why blame me?\u201d<\/p>\n
At that moment, the Hampton family\u2019s butler, George Baker, entered and found chaos. His gaze swept the wrecked villa before settling on Penelope. \u201cMs. Penelope, Madam Hampton asked me to deliver a message. Since your parenting has clearly failed, she will have to discipline you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penelope\u2019s lips parted. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
George gestured politely. \u201cPlease kneel in the courtyard. Three hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGeorge\u2014\u201d Sydney began, but he stopped her with a gentle smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Sydney, no need to plead on her behalf,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve endured enough with the funeral. Please take care of your health.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney had wanted to ask if Dorothy had recovered enough to discuss the divorce at a better time. In the Hampton household, no matter how much power Caleb held at the company, Dorothy always controlled family matters.<\/p>\n
Despite her reluctance, Penelope knelt in the freezing snow.<\/p>\n
\u2018Serves her right,\u2019 Sydney thought, not sparing her a second glance as she headed upstairs.<\/p>\n
Nancy hesitated. \u201cMs. Wilson, what about the painting?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo worries. Someone will pick it up soon. It will be returned after restoration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney kept it simple. Of course, she wouldn\u2019t reveal that the painting hanging in the house was a fake. The real one was already at a friend\u2019s gallery, untouched and perfectly preserved.<\/p>\n
Benjamin Hampton\u2019s greatest wish had been for his art to be seen by many. Hiding it at home would have been a waste.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvil woman!\u201d Timothy screamed just as Sydney reached the stairs. \u201cI called Uncle Caleb! When he gets home, you\u2019re dead!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll be waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to divorce you! Then you\u2019ll be a used-up old hag nobody wants!\u201d Timothy shrieked.<\/p>\n
Sydney chuckled. \u201cHe won\u2019t listen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb and Penelope still needed her as a smokescreen.<\/p>\n
The moment they divorced, a man living under the same roof as his late brother\u2019s wife? Penelope\u2019s reputation would be ruined beyond repair. Caleb would never allow that.<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/p>\n
Caleb returned quickly. Penelope had knelt less than twenty minutes before he appeared.<\/p>\n
He stepped out of the car in a long black cashmere coat, tall and composed, radiating quiet authority. He rushed to Penelope, scooped her into his arms, and hurried her inside. He gently set her on the sofa and began applying medicine to her red, frozen knees. His concern was barely concealed in his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re an idiot. If they tell you to kneel, you actually kneel?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandma gave the order. What choice did I have?\u201d Penelope clutched his sleeve, eyes red and voice trembling. \u201cCal, can you please divorce her? She\u2019s terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb frowned. \u201cYou mean Sydney?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d Penelope bit her lip. \u201cYou know why Timmy destroyed Grandpa\u2019s painting? She egged him on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy\u2019s right!\u201d Timothy burst out, still tearful. \u201cUncle Caleb, Aunt Sydney said the monster that eats arms lives inside that painting!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way,\u201d Caleb interrupted, ruffling Timmy\u2019s hair gently. \u201cTimmy, maybe you misheard. Aunt Sydney has the kindest heart in the family. She told you she wasn\u2019t mad anymore, remember? She wouldn\u2019t scare you again. Besides\u2026 Grandpa adored her. She\u2019d never mess with his painting.\u201d<\/p>\n
That last remark was aimed squarely at Penelope.<\/p>\n
She stared at him, stunned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re saying Timmy and I made it up to frame her?\u201d Her voice cracked. \u201cCaleb! You\u2019ve changed!\u201d<\/p>\n
The accusation sparked something in him, but when he met her disappointed gaze, he swallowed his anger. \u201cPenny, I haven\u2019t changed. I\u2019ve always been this way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penelope held his gaze. \u201cThen tell me, can you swear on it? Swear you\u2019ve never had the slightest feeling for Sydney? That you\u2019ve never touched her, not even once?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb had always believed in honesty with her. But now, faced with the question, the words caught in his throat. \u201cI haven\u2019t touched her.\u201d<\/p>\n
He owed Sydney an apology.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t touched her.\u201d Sydney heard those words just as she came downstairs, one hand supporting her lower back, the other holding the gift box. He spoke without hesitation or a hint of guilt.<\/p>\n
She smiled bitterly and stepped forward. \u201cCal, Madam Sterling asked if you\u2019re free for the Sterling family banquet tomorrow night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eloise Doakes, also known as Madam Sterling, had been an old friend of Sydney\u2019s parents. After their accident, she had taken Sydney in. To outsiders, Sydney was already half a Sterling. Even after marrying into the Hampton family, the business ties between the two families remained strong.<\/p>\n
Hearing her, Caleb, perhaps still feeling guilty, agreed immediately. \u201cSure. I\u2019ll come pick you up tomorrow night. We\u2019ll go together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d Sydney glanced at the box in her hands, then at the mother and son beside him. She said nothing more and turned to leave.<\/p>\n
Tiffany had won a major case today and wanted to take Sydney shopping. But when she learned Sydney had injured her foot, they changed plans to dinner instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cSyd,\u201d Caleb called out suddenly, almost reflexively. \u201cWhat\u2019s in the box?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney turned back, wiggling the gift in her hand. \u201cA present.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA present? Whose birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was for our third wedding anniversary. I was going to give it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSyd, I\u2019m sorry\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She met his gaze with her usual clear, serene look and handed him the box. \u201cIt\u2019s fine. You\u2019ve been busy. Totally understandable to forget.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled sweetly. \u201cAnyway, your birthday\u2019s in a couple of weeks. You can consider this an early gift. Happy birthday in advance, Cal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018And happy divorce to me,\u2019 she added silently.<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 4 Chapter 4 Sydney\u2019s eyes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-when-love-is-gone-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21987\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}