Chapter 533\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s question cut straight to the point.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the other end of the line, Julian\u2019s cold eyes darkened, dangerous for a heartbeat, but not toward her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The fact that she could ask so plainly instead of sulking actually pleased him. The fact that she sounded a little jealous pleased him even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A quiet laugh rumbled from his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, who\u2019s been whispering in your car?\u201d he drawled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leaning against the balcony railing, Sydney felt the tightness in her chest begin to loosen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t change the subject.\u201d Her voice steadied. \u201cJust answer me honestly. Did you, or did you not, accompany another woman to a prenatal checkup?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian didn\u2019t deflect. He didn\u2019t even pause. \u201cI did.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s breath caught. She trusted him-she knew she did-but hearing him confirm it still hurt. A dull ache spread through her chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t even know who the woman was. Maybe someone from the years they\u2019d spent apart. Someone important enough for him to fly halfway across the world for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hurt, confusion, and jealousy tangled together. It was impossible to sort them out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t wrong for him to have female friends. It wasn\u2019t even wrong to help one. Maybe it was nothing more than that-a friend in trouble, and he happened to be there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney wanted to believe that. She really did. But \u201cprenatal checkup\u201d hit too close to home. Maybe it was hormones. Maybe insecurity. Either way, her chest tightened again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as her thoughts began to spiral, his unhurried voice came through. \u201cShe\u2019s my cousin. Something happened, and my aunt was worried. I came to help.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d The word slipped out before she could stop it. \u201cYour cousin?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a second, her mind went blank. Eloise had always forbidden him from contacting his mother\u2019s family. Over the years, that branch had drifted so far away she\u2019d nearly forgotten he even had cousins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Julian must have heard her bewildered edge her voice carried because he gave a short, amused huff. \u201cWhat did you think? That I\u2019ve got a secret lover abroad? Or a soulmate so precious I\u2019d fly across continents to hold her hand at a checkup?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her cheeks warmed instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow was I supposed to know?\u201d she muttered. \u201cYou didn\u2019t say anything beforehand. And\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
what happened to your cousin? Is she alright?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright might be pushing it,\u201d he said. \u201cBut she\u2019s still full of fight, at least.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pinched the bridge of his nose, faintly exasperated. \u201cAs for the rest, I\u2019ll tell you when I\u2019m back, if she\u2019s comfortable sharing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney understood the subtext. It was personal. Something he couldn\u2019t discuss.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t tell you in advance because it\u2019s her private matter,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cBut next time, I\u2019ll let you know beforehand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018So no one can twist the story again,\u2019 he thought darkly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The night air had turned cool, but Sydney didn\u2019t feel it. She said softly, \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have jumped to conclusions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should.\u201d His voice dropped low, smooth as silk brushing her ear. \u201cIf you get jealous, it means you care. I like that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Heat rushed to her face again. Why did he always know exactly how to fluster her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney pressed a cool hand to her cheek and forced her tone to sound even. \u201cAnyway, I\u2019ll forward you the number that sent the photo. Whoever did it clearly had bad intentions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright,\u201d he said. \u201cI should be back in Jouleston the day after tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither hung up. The silence between them stretched-two people breathing on opposite sides of the world, perfectly in sync.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long pause, Sydney fidgeted, tightening her grip on the phone. \u201cThen, I\u2019ll hang up now\u00a0<\/p>\n
11\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t get the chance. His low, coaxing voice came first. \u201cDon\u2019t I get to ask if you missed me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her heart gave a small, helpless stumble.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The warmth that had just faded returned in a rush, flooding her from head to toe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course she missed him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hence, she said it simply, honestly, without hesitation. \u201cI do. I miss you so much, Julian.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Especially now, more than ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
cape 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 533 Chapter 533\u00a0 Sydney\u2019s question […]<\/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-22713","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\/22713","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=22713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22713\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}