Chapter 534\u00a0<\/p>\n
After hanging up, Sydney sat back at her desk, her heart still hammering against her ribs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A few minutes later, Tiffany pushed open the door and found her sitting there, red-eared and flustered, trying to steady her breathing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Tiffany asked with a teasing grin. \u201cDid Mr. Sterling say something sweet to you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney rubbed her nose and pretended to look busy. \u201cNothing. Go take your shower. I already laid out your pajamas in the bathroom.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing her shy reaction, Tiffany decided not to pry. Whatever tension had lingered earlier was clearly gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once Tiffany disappeared into the bathroom, Sydney replayed the phone call in her mind-the one line that made her heart skip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI miss you too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just that simple sentence from someone as composed and restrained as Julian was enough to make her blush again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she hadn\u2019t expected what followed. His voice had dropped, low and husky, carrying a heat that made her fingertips tremble. \u201cMy body misses you too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For several seconds, her mind had gone blank. Then, realizing what he\u2019d said, she panicked and hung up on him right there in the cold wind, fumbling like a teenager.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018What body? Who wants that part to miss me? Shameless man.\u2019 Even thinking about it now made her cheeks burn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Sydney woke the next morning, Tiffany was already propped against the headboard, scrolling through her phone. The clock read just before eight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re up early. Got work?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tiffany shot her a deadpan look. \u201cLet me guess. He wakes up early too?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney thought about it. Actually, he did. Every morning she woke to find his quiet, warm gaze already on her. He seemed to enjoy watching her sleep with a faint smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She nodded. \u201cI guess he does. Why?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tiffany groaned and pinched her cheek. \u201cBecause you\u2019ve turned into a violent sleeper! You were boxing in your sleep last night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At five in the morning, a stray fist had landed squarely on her chest, jerking her awake with\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
her heart pounding and her will to live gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s eyes went wide. \u201cI hit you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think? I nearly went from a C-cup to a flat A.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sydney burst out laughing and grabbed her friend\u2019s arm, rubbing her head against it like a guilty kitten. \u201cI\u2019m sorry! Thank goodness your C\u2019s survived. Otherwise, I\u2019d owe you for life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, alright.\u201d Tiffany ruffled her hair and climbed out of bed, chuckling. \u201cI can take a punch or two. Poor Julian, though. No wonder he ran off overseas right after you moved in. Maybe he\u2019s still recovering from the trauma.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you dare!\u201d Sydney hurled a pillow at her, cutting her off mid-sentence. \u201cGo wash already!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Sydney\u2019s laughter faded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Wait. I haven\u2019t actually hit Julian in my sleep before, right? Have I? No way.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
up\u00a0<\/p>\n
If she had, someone with his temper would have said something or \u201cdisciplined\u201d her by now. He wouldn\u2019t have just let it slide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time the two women went downstairs, Agatha-light sleeper that she was-had already returned from her morning walk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After breakfast, Sydney spotted Elliot passing through the living room and stopped him. \u201d Elliot, did you book Julian\u2019s return flight?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d hung up too quickly last night and forgotten to ask what time he\u2019d be back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Elliot replied, pausing politely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen\u2019s he landing?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s no delay, around eleven tomorrow night.\u201d He hesitated, then added, \u201cMr. Sterling said it\u2019s getting cold, and since you\u2019re pregnant, you shouldn\u2019t go to the airport. He doesn\u2019t want you out that late.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGot it.\u201d Sydney nodded. She hadn\u2019t planned to go anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was right. Her health and the baby came first. It was better to stay home, rest, and nap before he arrived.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, at Hutton Corp.\u2019s branch headquarters\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tension thickened the air in the CEO\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Diana sat poised, her hair sleekly pinned back. With a calm hand, she slid the laptop across the desk toward Leon. \u201cYou might want to give me a reasonable explanation for this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the screen was a paused frame from a security recording.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Frowning, Leon clicked play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The video showed the banquet hall-the night of Albus\u2019 birthday celebration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
D\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 534 Chapter 534\u00a0 After hanging […]<\/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-22714","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\/22714","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=22714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22714\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}