Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 325

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 325**

**Chapter 325**

Sydney’s heart raced, and she felt an icy chill spread through her body. The words hung in the air, heavy with implications. She had clearly stated that it was her place, her sanctuary. When had she ever referred to it as home?

The home they once shared had been reduced to splinters years ago, shattered by the very hands that once held her close. Now, she stood in a space that was unequivocally hers, a refuge she no longer feared losing to the whims of another.

As the silence stretched, she turned her head slowly, her eyes locking onto the figure of the man leaning against the doorframe of apartment 2202. He observed her from a distance, his presence both unsettling and familiar.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I only said you’re living in my place,” she replied, her tone clipped and resolute.

‘Don’t twist my words,’ she chided internally, feeling the familiar rush of frustration bubbling beneath her calm exterior.

Julian raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of curiosity dancing in his dark eyes. “And where did you get this place?” His voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it, as if he were probing for weakness.

“From the divorce settlement,” Sydney stated, her candor unyielding as ever.

At this revelation, Julian motioned for her to step closer. As she approached, a smirk crept onto the corners of his thin lips. “Two apartments together. That’s what? Half a small target?”

Sydney furrowed her brow, confusion flickering across her features. “Roughly,” she replied, unsure of his implication.

In this affluent district, every inch of space was valued like treasure. One apartment alone could fetch a price in the seven figures. Together, their combined worth easily approached that half a “small target” he had referenced.

Julian arched an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eye. “The Hampton family’s a bit stingy, huh?”

Sydney shook her head, her resolve firm. She and Caleb had signed a prenup, a document that safeguarded his shares and the assets of Hampton Corp. She felt fortunate to walk away with two apartments and an additional million squeezed from Adeline, a figure that represented her newfound independence.

That million was merely her means of expression, her outlet for the years of confinement.

Julian’s expression hardened, his features tightening. “So you think I’m like you and Caleb? I’d marry just to mess around afterward?”

Something in her tone had struck a nerve, and his voice turned icy. “Are you actually sitting there hoping I get married, just so you can blackmail me for one last payout?”

“Not really.” Sydney rubbed her nose, trying to deflect the tension. “I’m not.”

In a sudden movement, his hand shot out, gripping her cheeks and forcing her to meet his intense gaze. “You’d better not be.”

His dark eyes glinted with a mix of challenge and warning. “Let me make something clear. I have no intention of marrying anyone else. So stop scheming. If you’ve got energy to spare, use it on the project.”

‘What a modern-day Scrooge,’ she thought, exasperated. ‘Even off the clock, he’s still preaching about devotion to work.’

Sydney attempted to swat his hand away, but he remained unyielding. Instead, his grip shifted from gentle to firm, playfully pinching her cheeks as if her face were a stress ball, a reminder of their complex entanglement.