Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 264

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 264**

**Chapter 264**

For the very first time after sending a message, Caleb found himself unable to close the chat window. His fingers wrapped around his phone, a sense of anxious anticipation coursing through him as he awaited her response. The thought of Sydney turning to Julian for assistance with this delicate investigation gnawed at him. He couldn’t bear the idea of her seeking help from someone who might not understand the gravity of the situation.

The pieces of the puzzle they had pieced together so far painted a troubling picture; the Sterling family’s adoption of Sydney was steeped in suspicion. Their history was murky, a tapestry woven with threads of secrets. One thing Caleb was certain of, however, was that the Sterlings had no ties to drug trafficking. But that certainty was a thin veil over a web of uncertainty.

The Hampton and Sterling families had shared a close bond for generations, their histories meticulously documented in the annals of their community. Sydney’s identity was unique, a beacon of hope in a world that often overlooked the vulnerable. When she was adopted, the orphanage would have ensured her safety through verification with the police, a precaution that lent some credibility to the Sterlings’ intentions.

Yet, Caleb couldn’t shake the unsettling thought that even if the Sterlings weren’t directly involved in the drug trade, they might still have connections to a drug lord lurking in the shadows. The implications of that possibility sent a chill down his spine.

Until he could unearth the truth, Caleb was resolute in his decision to keep Julian out of the investigation. If, by some cruel twist of fate, Sydney’s parents’ deaths were indeed linked to the Sterling family, what assurance did he have that Julian wouldn’t destroy crucial evidence to shield them from scrutiny? The weight of that concern pressed heavily on his mind.

Beneath the surface of his thoughts, another fear simmered—if this opportunity to assist Sydney slipped through his fingers, the chasm between them would only widen, leaving him stranded on the other side of an unbridgeable divide.

Meanwhile, Sydney sat on the other end of the conversation, her brow furrowed as she mulled over Caleb’s messages. The worry that Caleb might act impulsively gnawed at her resolve, and she reluctantly decided to stay aligned with him for the time being.

Noticing her sudden silence, Julian broke the tension with an unusual directness. “What were you about to say just now?” he pressed, his curiosity piqued.

Sydney hadn’t anticipated Caleb’s threatening tone, and now the words caught in her throat, silencing her thoughts.

“Nothing,” she replied, attempting to keep her tone light, though the weight of the moment pressed down on her.

Her abrupt change in demeanor didn’t escape Julian’s notice. His gaze flickered toward her phone, catching only a fleeting glimpse of the contact name before she hastily tucked it away.

‘Caleb…’ The name stirred something dark within Julian, and a faint smirk crept across his lips. “You’ve been apart for so long, yet you can still manage to keep the conversation lively?”

It was a curious observation; they had hardly been separated, and yet she was already engaged in another conversation with him—one that seemed to flow effortlessly.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify