Chapter\u00a030<\/p>\n
Sydney\u00a0stiffened\u00a0briefly as\u00a0she\u00a0walked\u00a0behind\u00a0him.\u00a0When\u00a0Alan\u00a0glanced\u00a0back,\u00a0she\u00a0relaxed.<\/p>\n
Alan\u00a0let\u00a0them\u00a0enter\u00a0but\u00a0called\u00a0after\u00a0her,\u00a0\u201cIf\u00a0it\u00a0gets\u00a0awkward,\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0ask\u00a0that\u00a0fellow\u00a0to\u00a0leave\u00a0and\u00a0skip\u00a0dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u00a0fine.\u201d\u00a0Sydney\u00a0had\u00a0braced\u00a0herself\u00a0ever since\u00a0running\u00a0into\u00a0him\u00a0in\u00a0Storia\u00a0a\u00a0few\u00a0days\u00a0ago.\u00a0If\u00a0she\u00a0could\u00a0meet\u00a0him\u00a0abroad,\u00a0encountering\u00a0him\u00a0here\u00a0did\u00a0not\u00a0surprise\u00a0her.\u00a0He\u00a0had\u00a0grown\u00a0powerful\u00a0and\u00a0aloof.\u00a0There\u00a0was\u00a0no\u00a0need\u00a0for\u00a0her\u00a0to\u00a0force\u00a0her\u00a0mentor\u00a0to\u00a0save\u00a0face.<\/p>\n
Seeing\u00a0her\u00a0calm,\u00a0Alan\u00a0patted\u00a0her\u00a0shoulder.\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0good.\u00a0After\u00a0all,\u00a0you\u00a0are.\u00a0siblings.\u00a0And\u00a0he\u00a0may\u00a0carry\u00a0his\u00a0own\u00a0unspoken\u00a0burden\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlan,\u00a0let\u2019s\u00a0go\u00a0in,\u201d\u00a0Sydney\u00a0said\u00a0softly,\u00a0cutting\u00a0him\u00a0off.<\/p>\n
Over\u00a0the\u00a0years,\u00a0she\u00a0had heard similar\u00a0excuses\u00a0from\u00a0others.\u00a0If\u00a0he\u00a0truly\u00a0had\u00a0unspoken<\/p>\n
burdens,\u00a0why\u00a0not\u00a0confide\u00a0in her\u00a0instead\u00a0of\u00a0casting\u00a0her\u00a0aside\u00a0like\u00a0trash?<\/p>\n
Eloise\u00a0was\u00a0right.\u00a0He\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0privileged\u00a0golden\u00a0boy\u00a0who\u00a0had\u00a0treated\u00a0her\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0pet.\u00a0It had\u00a0been\u00a0fun\u00a0until\u00a0it\u00a0became\u00a0a\u00a0burden.<\/p>\n
Alan\u00a0understood\u00a0her\u00a0feelings\u00a0and\u00a0didn\u2019t press\u00a0further.\u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s\u00a0go<\/p>\n
in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before\u00a0she\u00a0stepped\u00a0inside,\u00a0the\u00a0atmosphere\u00a0seemed\u00a0relaxed.\u00a0In\u00a0the\u00a0study,\u00a0Marcus\u00a0chatted\u00a0comfortably\u00a0with\u00a0Julian,\u00a0who\u00a0Eliana\u00a0had\u00a0introduced.<\/p>\n
\u201cSyd.\u201d\u00a0Marcus\u00a0waved\u00a0as\u00a0she\u00a0entered.\u00a0\u201cThis is\u00a0Julian\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Sterling\u00a0family.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0the\u00a0CEO\u00a0we\u00a0met\u00a0in\u00a0Storia\u00a0a\u00a0few\u00a0days\u00a0ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0man\u00a0stood\u00a0tall\u00a0and\u00a0composed,\u00a0his\u00a0black\u00a0eyes\u00a0cold\u00a0and\u00a0emotionless.\u00a0Golden\u00a0rays\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0setting\u00a0sun\u00a0softened\u00a0his\u00a0aura,\u00a0but\u00a0he\u00a0remained\u00a0distantly\u00a0noble.<\/p>\n
Sydney\u00a0brushed\u00a0her\u00a0fingertips\u00a0along\u00a0her\u00a0palm\u00a0and\u00a0greeted\u00a0him\u00a0calmly,\u00a0\u201cMr.\u00a0Sterling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis\u00a0is\u00a0Sydney\u00a0Wilson,\u00a0my\u00a0junior\u00a0from\u00a0university.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0incredibly\u00a0gifted.\u201d\u00a0Marcus\u00a0spoke\u00a0proudly\u00a0and, perhaps\u00a0wary\u00a0of\u00a0Julian\u00a0underestimating\u00a0her,\u00a0added,\u00a0\u201cAlthough\u00a0I\u00a0call\u00a0her\u00a0my<\/p>\n
1\/3<\/p>\n
5:50\u00a0AM\u00a0Sun\u00a024\u00a0Aug<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a030<\/p>\n
junior,\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0basically\u00a0like\u00a0my\u00a0own\u00a0sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
88%<\/p>\n
+15\u00a0BONUS<\/p>\n
As\u00a0successor\u00a0to\u00a0Shephard\u00a0Pharmaceuticals,\u00a0Marcus\u2018\u00a0words\u00a0carried\u00a0weight.\u00a0It\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0discreet\u00a0reassurance\u00a0of\u00a0Sydney\u2019s\u00a0standing.<\/p>\n
Julian\u00a0lifted\u00a0his\u00a0brow wryly\u00a0and\u00a0repeated\u00a0the\u00a0word\u00a0with\u00a0mock\u00a0politeness,\u00a0\u201cSister\u2026\u00a0Nice\u00a0to\u00a0meet\u00a0you.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u00a0whispered\u00a0\u201cSister\u201d\u00a0felt\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0taunt.<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s\u00a0voice\u00a0turned\u00a0cold\u00a0as\u00a0she\u00a0set\u00a0the\u00a0boundary.\u00a0\u201cMr.\u00a0Sterling,\u00a0no\u00a0need for\u00a0jest.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u00a0was\u00a0usually\u00a0gentle,\u00a0but\u00a0not\u00a0tonight.<\/p>\n
Sensing\u00a0the\u00a0tension,\u00a0Marcus\u00a0opened his\u00a0mouth,\u00a0but\u00a0Alan\u00a0spoke\u00a0first.\u00a0\u201cCome\u00a0now.\u00a0Dinner\u2019s\u00a0ready.\u00a0Try\u00a0my\u00a0wife\u2019s\u00a0cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turning\u00a0to\u00a0Julian,\u00a0Alan\u00a0added\u00a0coolly,\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0been\u00a0years\u00a0since\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0come\u00a0to eat\u00a0here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0remark\u00a0carried clear\u00a0reproach.\u00a0At\u00a0Julian\u2019s\u00a0level,\u00a0no\u00a0one\u00a0spoke\u00a0like\u00a0that\u00a0unless\u00a0sincere.<\/p>\n
Marcus\u00a0tensed,\u00a0but\u00a0Julian\u00a0replied\u00a0with\u00a0a\u00a0faint\u00a0smile,\u00a0\u201cWorried\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0be\u00a0sent\u00a0away\u00a0again?\u201d<\/p>\n
Alan\u00a0looked\u00a0at\u00a0him\u00a0firmly.\u00a0\u201cSounds\u00a0like\u00a0you\u00a0know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll\u00a0right,\u00a0dinner\u2019s\u00a0ready,\u201d\u00a0Eliana\u00a0interjected,\u00a0bringing\u00a0dishes\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0long\u00a0table.<\/p>\n
Sydney\u00a0retrieved\u00a0plates\u00a0and\u00a0utensils\u00a0and helped\u00a0pour\u00a0wine into\u00a0glasses.\u00a0Though\u00a0a\u00a0doctor,\u00a0Alan\u00a0appreciated\u00a0a\u00a0thoughtful\u00a0sip\u00a0now\u00a0and\u00a0then.<\/p>\n
Seated\u00a0beside\u00a0his\u00a0wife,\u00a0Sydney\u00a0found\u00a0herself\u00a0directly\u00a0opposite\u00a0Julian.<\/p>\n
Alan\u00a0and\u00a0his\u00a0wife\u00a0had\u00a0never\u00a0approved\u00a0of\u00a0Sydney\u2019s\u00a0marriage.\u00a0They\u00a0had\u00a0watched\u00a0her\u00a0grow\u00a0up,\u00a0ignored\u00a0by\u00a0Caleb.\u00a0Naturally,\u00a0they\u00a0celebrated\u00a0when\u00a0word\u00a0reached\u00a0them\u00a0that\u00a0she\u00a0had\u00a0filed\u00a0for<\/p>\n
divorce.<\/p>\n
Eliana\u00a0raised\u00a0her\u00a0glass\u00a0to\u00a0Sydney\u00a0and said\u00a0warmly,\u00a0\u201cI\u00a0heard\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0divorcing.\u00a0We\u00a0think\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0making\u00a0the\u00a0right\u00a0choice.\u00a0Better\u00a0days\u00a0lie\u00a0ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
2\/3<\/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 30 Chapter\u00a030 Sydney\u00a0stiffened\u00a0briefly as\u00a0she\u00a0walked\u00a0behind\u00a0him.\u00a0When\u00a0Alan\u00a0glanced\u00a0back,\u00a0she\u00a0relaxed. Alan\u00a0let\u00a0them\u00a0enter\u00a0but\u00a0called\u00a0after\u00a0her,\u00a0\u201cIf\u00a0it\u00a0gets\u00a0awkward,\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0ask\u00a0that\u00a0fellow\u00a0to\u00a0leave\u00a0and\u00a0skip\u00a0dinner.\u201d […]<\/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-22013","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\/22013","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=22013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22013\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}