Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 338

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 338**

**Chapter 338**

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The moment the words tumbled from her lips, Sydney yanked her wrist free and stepped boldly into the room, as if the act itself could shield her from the weight of the conversation that loomed ahead.

Tiffany, deeply engrossed in her game, barely registered the shift in the atmosphere until she caught sight of Sydney standing there, the door still ajar behind her. Confusion flickered across her face, prompting her to set her phone down with a soft thud. “Why don’t you close the door?” she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and concern.

“Caleb’s coming over in a bit,” Sydney replied, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of tension.

It wasn’t as though she had meant to keep this from Tiffany; the truth had simply slipped her mind amid the chaos of her thoughts.

Tiffany’s interest piqued immediately. She abandoned her game, tossing the phone aside as if it had become a distraction from something far more pressing. “What’s he coming for?” she inquired, her brow furrowing with concern.

Sydney crossed the room, her heart heavy, and sank into the couch. She pressed a hand against the dull ache that had settled in her chest. “He’s been helping me look into…” Her voice trailed off, the words hanging in the air like a storm cloud. “The cause of my parents’ deaths.”

The gravity of Sydney’s revelation transformed Tiffany’s expression, her eyes widening in shock. Just as she was about to respond, a sharp knock echoed through the silence, and they both turned to see Caleb standing at the door.

Though they lived only a floor apart, it felt like an eternity since they had last crossed paths. Caleb stood there, clad in a crisp white shirt and tailored black trousers, exuding an air of composure that contrasted sharply with the weariness etched on his face. The spark that once radiated from him seemed to have dimmed, replaced by a haunting desolation that made Sydney’s heart ache for him.

He glanced down at the disposable slippers placed by the entryway, a clear indication of their expectation for him to change shoes, and bent down to comply, his movements deliberate and slow.

Once inside, he made his way to the living room, where he handed Sydney a folder. Each motion was careful, as if he feared that even the slightest misstep might shatter the fragile atmosphere.

A tightness gripped Sydney’s chest, and grief surged within her, sharp and stinging, as if she had been punched in the gut. The thought that her parents’ lives had been reduced to mere blood money was almost too much to bear.

Tiffany frowned, her brow creased in disbelief. “They waited half a year before spending it?”

“They were careful,” Caleb replied, his tone grim and measured. “The money was laundered through a lottery payout. Clean. Even if the police looked into it, they wouldn’t find anything solid.”

A sense of dread settled over Sydney. Whoever had orchestrated this tragedy had done so with chilling precision.

Drawing in a slow, shaky breath, she sought to ease the bitterness that clawed at her insides. “Then do you know who was behind it?” she asked, her voice steady but laced with an urgency that belied her calm exterior.

“The Sterling family.” Caleb’s answer came without hesitation, as if he had steeled himself for this moment long before stepping through the door.