Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 416

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 416**

**Chapter 416**

Raymond stood there, momentarily paralyzed by disbelief. “No need? What do you mean by that? Are you saying we don’t need to keep searching?” His voice was laced with confusion and a hint of desperation, as if the very notion of stopping the search felt like relinquishing hope.

Diana maintained her calm demeanor, her voice steady and reassuring. “She’s with me,” she stated simply. “Her injuries aren’t serious, so there’s no reason for you to worry.”

Understanding that her younger brother had been tirelessly assisting in the search for Sydney, she felt no need to shield him from the truth.

“But it’s late,” she continued, her tone shifting slightly to convey urgency. “She needs rest. I’ll send you the address tomorrow.”

Just as Raymond had begun to feel a sense of relief wash over him, her final words sent a wave of panic crashing back over him.

Under Julian’s penetrating gaze, he found himself pleading, “Dearest sister, please, just give me the address now. I only want to see her, just one look. That’s all I’m asking for.”

The only response he received was the cold, disheartening beep of the call disconnecting.

Setting his phone down on the table with a thud, Raymond turned to Julian, his expression one of helplessness. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, Julian. I truly can’t. And besides, in Brimcrest, if my sister wants to hide someone, there’s simply nowhere she can’t.”

Diana wielded the Hutton family’s vast information network with an iron grip. Even James, known for his resourcefulness, had come up empty-handed in his quest for answers.

“That’s already enough,” Julian exhaled, a long, shaky breath escaping his lips as the tension in his body began to dissipate. His expression softened, yet a lingering tightness remained in his chest, a constant reminder of the harrowing possibilities that had haunted him throughout the day.

For 24 agonizing hours, he had been trapped in a whirlwind of what-ifs. Thankfully, none of those dark thoughts had materialized. As long as she was safe, that was all that mattered. And with Diana looking after her, he couldn’t imagine her being in better hands.

He rubbed his brow, the weight of the situation still heavy on his mind, as he answered the incoming call from Elliot.

“Mr. Sterling,” Elliot’s voice came through, steady yet urgent. “The hit-and-run driver has been apprehended. It seems the Huttons have intervened. They’re conducting an investigation through the night.”

“Good,” Julian replied, his voice low and unwavering. “Pull our men back. There’s no need to continue searching for Sydney.”

There, half-reclined on the bed, was the woman who had captured his heart for so long, her gaze tenderly fixed on her belly as if she were cradling a precious secret.

All the words he had rehearsed in his mind caught in his throat, tangled in a mix of shock and elation. Finally, he managed to stammer out just one question. “You… You’re pregnant?”

Their eyes locked, and Sydney felt her heart lurch in her chest. Her fingers tightened around the sheet beneath her as she stared into the dark, familiar eyes that had always held a piece of her heart. She couldn’t bring herself to deny it, even as a wave of uncertainty washed over her.

Julian knew her too intimately. He could see the flicker of apprehension in her eyes, and it sent a jolt of realization through him. “It was that night, wasn’t it?”

His eyes glistened with unshed tears. The woman he cherished above all else was carrying his child, a fact that both thrilled and terrified him.

In that moment, the usually composed Julian, who rarely allowed his emotions to surface, moved toward the bed, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum.

His lips trembled as he spoke, the weight of his words heavy with promise. “When you’re better, we’ll get married.”

**Chapter 417**