This\u00a0felt\u00a0utterly\u00a0foreign\u00a0to\u00a0Caleb,\u00a0as\u00a0if\u00a0control\u00a0had\u00a0slipped\u00a0from\u00a0his\u00a0grasp.\u00a0He\u00a0stared\u00a0unblinking\u00a0at\u00a0Sydney\u00a0and\u00a0thought,\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0fleeting\u00a0moment,\u00a0that\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0admitted\u00a0it,\u00a0he\u00a0might\u00a0as\u00a0well crush\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
Instead,\u00a0she\u00a0lowered\u00a0her\u00a0gaze\u00a0and\u00a0replied\u00a0quietly,\u00a0\u201cWeren\u2019t\u00a0you\u00a0using\u00a0me\u00a0too?\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u00a0was\u00a0mutual.\u00a0Each\u00a0had\u00a0gained\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0other.<\/p>\n
He\u00a0seized\u00a0her\u00a0jaw,\u00a0forcing\u00a0her\u00a0eyes\u00a0upward.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll\u00a0ask\u00a0you\u00a0one\u00a0more\u00a0time.\u00a0Think\u00a0carefully\u00a0before\u00a0you\u00a0answer.\u00a0You\u00a0spent\u00a0this\u00a0marriage\u00a0using\u00a0me,\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0you?\u201d<\/p>\n
His\u00a0grip\u00a0twisted\u00a0her\u00a0jaw\u00a0toward\u00a0dislocation.\u00a0Her\u00a0eyes\u00a0flushed\u00a0red,\u00a0and\u00a0reason\u00a0bled\u00a0away.\u00a0Still,\u00a0she\u00a0answered without\u00a0wavering,\u00a0\u201cYes.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0true.\u00a0You,\u00a0Caleb\u2013you\u00a0betrayed\u00a0this\u00a0marriage!\u00a0What\u00a0made\u00a0you\u00a0think\u00a0you\u00a0had\u00a0the\u00a0right\u00a0to\u00a0question\u00a0me\u00a0so\u00a0freely?\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u00a0question\u00a0had\u00a0burned\u00a0in\u00a0her\u00a0chest\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0start.\u00a0At\u00a0first,\u00a0she\u00a0had\u00a0considered\u00a0entrusting\u00a0her\u00a0future\u00a0to\u00a0him.\u00a0She\u00a0had\u00a0wanted\u00a0his\u00a0affection,\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0the\u00a0obedient\u00a0wife,\u00a0the\u00a0proud\u00a0daughter\u2013in\u2013law\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Hampton\u00a0family.\u00a0She\u00a0had\u00a0not\u00a0abandoned\u00a0those\u00a0hopes\u00a0lightly.<\/p>\n
Now\u00a0his\u00a0hold\u00a0only\u00a0tightened.\u00a0The\u00a0urge\u00a0to\u00a0crush\u00a0her\u00a0pulsed\u00a0through\u00a0him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve\u00a0explained\u00a0it\u00a0to\u00a0you\u00a0a\u00a0thousand\u00a0times!\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0growled.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0said\u00a0my\u00a0wife\u00a0is\u00a0irreplaceable\u00a0and\u00a0you\u00a0will\u00a0always\u00a0be\u00a0the\u00a0Hampton\u00a0family\u2019s\u00a0daughter\u2013in\u2013law!\u00a0Sydney,\u00a0how\u00a0can\u00a0you\u00a0not\u00a0understand\u00a0that?\u201d<\/p>\n
His\u00a0voice\u00a0softened,\u00a0almost\u00a0merciful,\u00a0and\u00a0Sydney\u00a0nearly\u00a0laughed.<\/p>\n
When\u00a0her\u00a0silence\u00a0lingered,\u00a0Caleb\u00a0mistook\u00a0it\u00a0for\u00a0regret.\u00a0He\u00a0released\u00a0her\u00a0jaw\u00a0with\u00a0reluctance.\u00a0Confrontation\u00a0disgusted\u00a0him,\u00a0so\u00a0he\u00a0gentled\u00a0his\u00a0tone.\u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s\u00a0pretend\u00a0tonight\u00a0never\u00a0happened.\u00a0Penny\u00a0also\u00a0wants\u00a0in\u00a0on\u00a0Sterling\u00a0Corp.\u2019s\u00a0project.\u00a0You\u2019re\u00a0the\u00a0team\u00a0lead\u00a0and\u00a0can\u00a0bring\u00a0a\u00a0member\u00a0if\u00a0you\u00a0wish.\u00a0Make\u00a0this\u00a0your\u00a0gesture\u00a0of\u00a0goodwill.\u00a0Apologize\u00a0properly\u2013for\u00a0her\u00a0sake\u00a0and\u00a0Timmy\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0offer\u00a0caught\u00a0Sydney\u00a0off\u00a0guard.\u00a0Clarity\u00a0returned\u00a0to\u00a0her\u00a0voice.\u00a0\u201cIn\u00a0terms\u00a0of\u00a0credentials\u00a0and\u00a0ability,\u00a0Penelope\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0qualified\u00a0for\u00a0that\u00a0project.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney\u00a0had\u00a0studied\u00a0under\u00a0an\u00a0expert\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0field\u00a0for\u00a015\u00a0years,\u00a0inherited\u00a0his\u00a0teachings\u00a0fully,\u00a0practiced\u00a0for\u00a0three\u00a0years,\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0helped\u00a0develop\u00a0medicines.<\/p>\n
What\u00a0did\u00a0Penelope\u00a0have?<\/p>\n
\u201cPenny\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0top\u00a0graduate\u00a0from\u00a0Jouleston\u00a0University,\u201d\u00a0Caleb\u00a0said,\u00a0frowning.\u00a0\u201cShe\u2019s\u00a0also\u00a0your\u00a0senior.\u00a0You\u00a0only\u00a0have\u00a0a\u00a0bachelor\u2019s.\u00a0Why should\u00a0she\u00a0be\u00a0beneath\u00a0you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s\u00a0eyes\u00a0stayed\u00a0cold.\u00a0\u201cIf\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0unhappy,\u00a0call\u00a0the\u00a0police.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSydney!\u201d\u00a0His\u00a0patience\u00a0faded.\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t\u00a0make\u00a0me\u00a0regret\u00a0my\u00a0decision\u00a0from\u00a0all\u00a0those\u00a0years\u00a0ago!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u00a0decision?\u201d\u00a0A\u00a0shadow\u00a0of\u00a0sadness\u00a0crossed\u00a0her\u00a0eyes.\u00a0\u201cTo\u00a0marry\u00a0me?\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u00a0had\u00a0regretted\u00a0it\u00a0first.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0his\u00a0silence,\u00a0she\u00a0smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen\u00a0regret\u00a0it.\u201d\u00a0She\u00a0spun\u00a0on\u00a0her\u00a0heel,\u00a0strode\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0elevator\u00a0lobby,\u00a0and\u00a0ran\u00a0straight\u00a0into\u00a0Julian,\u00a0who\u00a0stood\u00a0two\u00a0steps\u00a0away\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0other\u00a0door.<\/p>\n
1\/2<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a082<\/p>\n
+15\u00a0BONUS<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly,\u00a0he\u00a0must\u00a0have\u00a0heard\u00a0at\u00a0least\u00a0part\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0exchange.<\/p>\n
Her\u00a0anger\u00a0flared.\u00a0\u201cMr.\u00a0Sterling,\u00a0you\u00a0enjoy\u00a0eavesdropping,\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u00a0shrugged,\u00a0unbothered.\u00a0One\u00a0hand\u00a0rested\u00a0in\u00a0his\u00a0pocket\u00a0as\u00a0his\u00a0gaze\u00a0swept\u00a0over\u00a0her\u00a0from\u00a0head\u00a0to\u00a0toe.\u00a0Then,\u00a0he\u00a0asked\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0smooth,\u00a0aloof\u00a0tone,\u00a0\u201cHow\u00a0about\u00a0you?\u00a0Do\u00a0you\u00a0regret\u00a0it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a083<\/p>\n
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she\u2019s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.<\/p>\n
When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 82 This\u00a0felt\u00a0utterly\u00a0foreign\u00a0to\u00a0Caleb,\u00a0as\u00a0if\u00a0control\u00a0had\u00a0slipped\u00a0from\u00a0his\u00a0grasp.\u00a0He\u00a0stared\u00a0unblinking\u00a0at\u00a0Sydney\u00a0and\u00a0thought,\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0fleeting\u00a0moment,\u00a0that\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0admitted\u00a0it,\u00a0he\u00a0might\u00a0as\u00a0well crush\u00a0her. Instead,\u00a0she\u00a0lowered\u00a0her\u00a0gaze\u00a0and\u00a0replied\u00a0quietly,\u00a0\u201cWeren\u2019t\u00a0you\u00a0using\u00a0me\u00a0too?\u201d It\u00a0was\u00a0mutual.\u00a0Each\u00a0had\u00a0gained\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0other. […]<\/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-22065","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\/22065","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=22065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22065\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}