Chapter 148\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s ears burned red, hot enough to feel as if they might bleed. She stammered, \u201cI-I\u2019ll go to the bathroom myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d Julian caught her wrist and drew her closer, knotting his suit jacket neatly around her waist to hide the stain on her skirt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cT-Thank you,\u201d Sydney whispered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Alan and the others due back at any moment, this felt safer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her cheeks flushed as hot as her ears. Instead of heading straight to the bathroom, she detoured to her car. She always kept spare clothes in the trunk, though she hadn\u2019t expected to need them today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her disrupted sleep schedule had thrown her cycle off. Still, after checking her pulse yesterday, she had known it was near and packed pads in her bag just in case.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After cleaning up and changing, she stepped out of the bathroom and met Julian\u2019s dark, steady gaze. Awkwardness still clung to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Holding out the jacket, she said softly, \u201cI\u2019ll wash this and-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis one\u2019s pricier than the last,\u201d Julian cut in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018So merciless\u2026\u2019 The thought of losing another small fortune to her period made Sydney\u2019s head spin. She rubbed her stomach, ready to argue, when the jacket slipped from her hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something flickered in Julian\u2019s eyes as he reclaimed it. \u201cNever mind. I\u2019ll wash this one myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll\u2026 wash it yourself?\u201d The words escaped before she could stop them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They had lived under the same roof for nine years, and she had never once seen him do his own laundry. Besides, suits weren\u2019t meant for the machine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s grip tightened. His gaze flicked to the stain before he cleared his throat. \u201cI\u2019ll take it back and have it cleaned.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright then.\u201d She nodded just as Alan came in from the backyard with Marcus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alan set down his fishing rod and handed over the catch. \u201cI\u2019ll make you a soup so fresh it\u2019ll melt your tongue later. Least I can do after that century-old Sengra root you gave me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian slipped the jacket over his arm with practiced ease and a faint smile. \u201cThen I\u2019ll count myself lucky.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney blinked. \u201cCentury-old Sengra root?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rare herbs like that were always on her radar. The only one available lately had been the root at the last auction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alan grinned. \u201cThe very same one you regretted not winning to give me as a birthday gift at lunch today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney couldn\u2019t help glancing at Julian, confusion stirring. She had thought he bought it for Charlotte\u2019s father\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alan clapped Julian\u2019s shoulder. \u201cUp for a few games? Playing with Marcus is no fun. He always lets me win.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not just Marcus-most people gave way to Alan, whether out of respect or because they wanted something from him. Only with Julian did he find a true challenge, no matter the outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSure,\u201d Julian agreed without hesitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll help Eliana in the kitchen, then,\u201d Marcus offered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll go too-\u201cSydney began.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s voice cut across hers, \u201cIt\u2019s cold. Brew some tea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alan nodded. \u201cYou don\u2019t cook anyway, so don\u2019t get in the way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine\u2026\u201d She busied herself with the tea, though her mind kept circling back to Julian\u2019s words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did he mean it was cold and, because of her period, she shouldn\u2019t handle too much water? Or that it was cold, so she should prepare something warm for him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time they finished dinner, night had fallen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney was about to get into her car when Julian strode over, his long legs eating the distance. \u201cElliot\u2019s gone. I\u2019ll ride with you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026\u201d she began.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\u00a0<\/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 148 Chapter 148\u00a0 Sydney\u2019s ears […]<\/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-22130","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\/22130","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=22130"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22266,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22130\/revisions\/22266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}