Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 249

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 249**

**Chapter 249**

How could Sydney possibly assert that she had never harbored even the slightest suspicion? The truth was, when her parents had died, she had been just a child—barely five years old. At that tender age, she accepted everything the adults around her told her without question, believing their words were gospel.

Yet, as the years rolled on and she matured, those same haunting questions began to resurface, like relentless waves crashing upon the shore.

Anti-narcotics officers. Returning home from a mission. Killed in an “accident” along the way. Each of those phrases strung together felt like a jigsaw puzzle missing crucial pieces, never quite fitting right.

The men who had investigated the incident were not just strangers; they were her parents’ close colleagues, men she had grown up around, men she had trusted implicitly. At the funeral, she had watched them weep openly, their grief so palpable that it enveloped her like a heavy fog. In her innocence, she believed they had done everything within their power to uncover the truth.

This left her grappling with only two stark possibilities: either it had indeed been a tragic accident, or the enemy’s reach and methods were so insidious and powerful that they had left no trace for anyone to follow.

Sydney inhaled sharply, lifting her chin defiantly as she locked eyes with Caleb. “What are you trying to say?” she demanded, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling within her.

Caleb’s expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. “I’ve been searching for you,” he replied quietly. “In the process, I stumbled across fragments of what happened back then—clues surrounding your parents’ deaths.”

His words hardened as he continued, conviction ringing in every syllable. “I am certain their deaths were not an accident.”

To suspect something in the silence of her mind was one thing, but to hear it articulated aloud as a definitive statement struck her like a bolt of lightning.

Sydney felt herself sway slightly, her heart racing as her eyes remained locked onto his. “What clues?” she pressed, her breath hitching in her throat as she waited for his answer, terrified of missing a single word. No matter the cost, even if it meant facing the same fate, she was determined to avenge her parents.

Sydney didn’t outright refuse, her mind racing as she considered the implications. She recalled Julian’s return date and, after a thoughtful pause, replied, “Give me three days to think it over.”

In her heart, she understood that if her parents’ deaths were indeed shrouded in mystery, the truth would likely connect back to that notorious drug case from years ago. She couldn’t hope to uncover it alone.

If Caleb was able to trace these clues, then surely Julian, if he were willing, would dig deeper and faster.

She wanted to consult her brother first.

Caleb seemed to read her thoughts almost effortlessly. With a light chuckle, he teased, “Waiting for your brother to return so you can ask him for help first?”

The air between them was charged with unspoken possibilities, and Sydney felt a flicker of hope igniting within her.