Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 497

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia**
**Novel 497**

**Chapter 497**

Initially, Sydney was under the impression that Agatha had mistakenly wandered into her apartment, perhaps having seen the door ajar across the hallway and assuming it was her own. After all, Agatha seldom paid her a visit, and given her age, it was only natural for her memory to falter occasionally.

However, Julian’s light chuckle pulled her from her thoughts. “Her memory’s perfectly intact,” he remarked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Sydney blinked, momentarily disoriented. ‘Wait! They know each other?’ The realization struck her like a sudden wave, leaving her momentarily speechless.

Before she could voice her confusion, Agatha’s face softened into a warm smile, her voice rich with affection. “Oh, I didn’t get it wrong at all! Isn’t it amusing? My grandson lives just across from you! You two must have crossed paths already…”

Her voice trailed off, her gaze drifting down to the sight of their fingers entwined—a gesture that spoke volumes of intimacy. Agatha’s eyes widened in surprise, and she stammered, “You… You two…” Her expression flickered between shock and joy, as if she were caught in a delightful whirlwind.

“You were the one who kept insisting I meet her, weren’t you?” Julian asked, his tone light yet curious, one eyebrow raised in playful challenge. “I just took the initiative. I hope I didn’t embarrass you?”

A smirk danced on his lips, and there was a boyish pride in his demeanor that Sydney found both charming and perplexing.

Meanwhile, Sydney was utterly bewildered.

What on earth was unfolding before her? How could Julian possibly be close enough to Agatha for her to play matchmaker? With his status, who would dare to introduce women to him?

Her thoughts spiraled, each revelation knotting her mind further.

Agatha, however, quickly regained her composure. She playfully smacked Julian’s shoulder, a blend of reprimand and laughter in her gesture. “You little rascal! Finally, someone shows interest in you, and you didn’t even think to tell me? I’ve been losing sleep over your love life for months!”

Her greatest fear had always loomed large in her heart. She understood all too well the dynamics of affluent families—greedy, insatiable, treating marriage as if it were merely a business transaction.

Until Julian found someone to settle down with, she had harbored a constant worry that the world’s corruption would reach him too, and one day he might bring home a granddaughter-in-law she couldn’t bear to accept.

But now, at long last, there was a glimmer of hope. And Sydney was the very person Agatha had hoped for from the very beginning. The weight that had pressed down on her heart for so long began to lift, replaced by a rush of elation.

This was her third shock in less than ten minutes. She began to wonder if the pregnancy brain had indeed struck early. Why did everything feel so impossibly tangled?

Agatha shot Julian a mock glare, then served Sydney a plate brimming with food, placing it gently before her. “Don’t mind him; he’s being mysterious on purpose.”

Then, her tone softened, “Do you remember the story I shared with you before? About my past?”

Sydney paused, her mind racing, before the pieces began to fall into place. She looked between them, her eyes widening in realization.

The child Agatha had spoken of—the one taken away to be raised by the legitimate wife—had to be Julian’s father. This meant Agatha was, in fact, Julian’s biological grandmother.

Suddenly, everything clicked into focus. It all made sense—why Eloise had always treated Julian and Victor so differently, why the air between Eloise and Julian had consistently crackled with tension, sharp and volatile.

Without conscious thought, Sydney tightened her grip on Julian’s hand, her heart racing as she glanced up at him. Perhaps his life had been far more complicated than she had ever imagined.

Agatha seemed to sense the shift in Sydney’s understanding. She placed a chicken wing onto Sydney’s plate and asked, a hint of uncertainty lacing her voice, “Our family… well, the Sterling family is a bit complicated. You don’t mind, do you?”