Chapter 526\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time Sydney stepped out of the Hampton estate, dusk had already fallen over the city. The evening wind slipped through her coat collar cold enough to raise goosebumps along her\u00a0<\/p>\n
neck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian opened the car door for her. She ducked inside quickly, handing her keys to Elliot on the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDrive mine back to Delta Mansion,\u201d she said before closing the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as Julian settled into the driver\u2019s seat, Sydney turned to him, the question already forming. \u201cWhy did you suddenly go public about your relationship with Eloise?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their feud was nothing new-it had been festering for years. Yet out of nowhere, he had torn off the Sterlings\u2019 last shred of pretense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian toyed with her fingers, his gaze dark and unreadable. \u201cWhy do you think?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Because of me.\u2019 That was Sydney\u2019s first thought. If not for her, he could have exposed Eloise long ago. He had led the family for years. If he had wanted to cut ties, he would have done it already.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thus, she asked softly, half-testing, half-hoping, \u201cBecause of me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He raised an eyebrow, a low laugh rumbling from his chest. \u201cBecause the shares in her name were successfully transferred to mine this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Simple. Efficient. Ruthless. He could afford to burn bridges now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d Sydney pulled her hand back and turned toward the window, face blank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, she scolded herself. \u2018Serves me right for thinking it was something romantic.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian watched her sulk, amusement flickering in his eyes. He tugged gently on her sleeve.\u201d You\u2019re angry?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d She wasn\u2019t angry-just embarrassed and mortified by how foolishly sentimental she had been.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He chuckled under his breath helplessly. \u201cMs. Wilson, it was because of you. There, satisfied?\u201d The truth was, it was exactly that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That day, he had rushed to the hospital not out of business urgency but because of her-to pressure Eloise into signing the documents before she changed her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Between Sydney and Eloise, he would always choose Sydney. It was better to secure the shares early so he could cut ties cleanly whenever he wished.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s lips twitched despite herself, though her tone stayed cool. \u201cYeah, right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear.\u201d He leaned in slightly and drawled, \u201cIf you don\u2019t believe me, ask the dog. The dog believes me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her ears twitched before she could stop them. He caught it-the tiny flick that always betrayed her amusement. Even with her back turned and her voice steady, her body gave her\u00a0<\/p>\n
away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s the dog?\u201d she snapped, spinning around to glare at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMe. I\u2019m the dog.\u201d He surrendered instantly, hands raised. But the grin tugging at his mouth wouldn\u2019t fade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching her puff up like that filled his chest with warmth and joy-something dangerously close to peace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For two nights straight, Sydney slept soundly at Delta Mansion. Each morning, waking beside Julian, she felt a soft, surreal dissonance, as if she\u2019d slipped into a dream too gentle to be real.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took a few quiet minutes each day to remember that it was, in fact, reality. And once it sank in, she always found herself whispering silent thanks-for the universe\u2019s second chance, for finding their way back to each other, for becoming once again what they were meant to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next morning after breakfast, Sydney drove toward Jeremiah\u2019s home. Her heart felt uneasy the entire way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time she parked and stepped out, a cold breeze brushed her back, and she realized belatedly that her palms were damp with sweat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was afraid that what she was about to learn might drive her and Julian apart again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She passed a McLaren arrogantly parked in the middle of the drive, paused at the iron gate, took a steadying breath, and pressed the doorbell\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took several minutes before someone answered. The housekeeper blinked in surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Wilson? You\u2019re quite early.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had arranged to meet Jeremiah at ten. It was barely nine. In her distraction, she had misremembered the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, am I interrupting?\u201d she asked, peering inside. \u201cIs Mr. Clifford busy with guests?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The housekeeper hesitated, then smiled. \u201cNo, not at all. Please, come in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney followed her to the sitting room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease have a seat, Dr. Wilson. Mr. Clifford will be down shortly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d Sydney sat politely, her gaze drifting toward the dining area.\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two sets of dishes were being cleared again-same as last time. But from what she could see, only the staff were there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid I interrupt him entertaining a friend?\u201d she asked lightly, as if making small talk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The housekeeper froze for a second before smiling again. \u201cOf course not. Mr. Clifford hasn\u2019t been back in the country for years. He doesn\u2019t really have visitors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I see.\u201d Sydney nodded and let it go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A few moments later, Jeremiah appeared, leaning on his cane.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Wilson, why are you here alone today?\u201d His tone was casual, but his eyes were sharp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus said he wanted to visit you, but something came up at the last minute.\u201d It was a smooth lie. She hadn\u2019t contacted Marcus at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was something she wanted to handle herself. Her past and origin were not things she wanted anyone else to know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me take your pulse first,\u201d she said softly. \u201cThen I\u2019ll adjust your prescription.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure you can focus?\u201d Jeremiah teased. \u201cDon\u2019t give me the wrong dosage while your mind\u2019s elsewhere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She understood the hint immediately. There was no point pretending.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Drawing a slow breath, Sydney met his eyes. \u201cMr. Clifford, I came today because I wanted to ask\u2026 Have you found out anything about my background?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jeremiah set aside his cane and poured her a glass of orange juice himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI gave you my word, and I meant it,\u201d he said calmly. \u201cWe\u2019ve uncovered almost everything now,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her heartbeat quickened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents,\u201d she asked carefully, hands tightening on her knees. \u201cWho are they?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u65e5\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 526 Chapter 526\u00a0 By the […]<\/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-22706","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\/22706","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=22706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22706\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}