Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 240

**Chapter 240**

Caleb’s tall, unwavering figure seemed to falter for a moment, his throat constricting as if the very words he had just heard were a noose tightening around him. When he finally managed to utter a response, his voice emerged hoarse and shaky, laden with disbelief. “What… What did you just say?” His heart raced, pounding in his chest like a drum, each beat echoing the weight of the revelation.

Next to him, Penelope had absorbed Gordon’s words with startling clarity. She felt as though the ground had shifted beneath her feet, leaving her utterly unmoored. ‘No. This cannot be happening! Caleb discovering the truth at this precise moment? What can I possibly do? Why is it that Sydney always manages to evade death? Why does this insufferable woman always survive?! No! Not this time. I refuse to let it happen.’

A bitter jealousy gnawed at Penelope’s insides, a ravenous beast that would not be satiated. Her eyes darted to Scott, silently imploring him to act. Just one shot. One bullet, and Sydney would be erased from their lives. Everything would finally fall into place, peace would be restored.

But Scott was not a simpleton. The moment he comprehended who Sydney truly was, he had resolved long ago that he would never be the one to end her life. Deceiving Penelope out of her wealth was more than sufficient for him.

Caleb stood there, immobilized, until he turned—slowly, painfully, as if the very act of facing Sydney was a monumental task. He was too terrified to meet her eyes, fearing the truth reflected there.

On the other end of the line, Gordon’s voice came through with a steady insistence that cut through the tension. “They erased almost every trace of the adoption back then, but I personally confirmed it. Ms. Wilson is the girl you’ve been searching for. The timing of her arrival into the Sterling family aligns perfectly with the records from the orphanage.”

The phone slipped from Caleb’s grasp, clattering against the concrete floor.

The one he had pursued for years—the girl he had vowed to find—had been right beside him all along. His wife. The woman he had overlooked, dismissed, and wounded was the very person he had sworn never to forget.

A sharp pain lanced through his chest, a physical manifestation of the realization that clawed at him. He forced himself to meet her gaze, only to find it cold, composed, and filled with utter disappointment.

She was nothing like the little girl who had once tugged at his sleeve, her voice a desperate plea, “Don’t ever forget me.”

And it was he who had transformed her into this stranger before him.

The anguish pierced through him like a knife, leaving his hands trembling uncontrollably at his sides. Then, in a moment of sheer desperation, he snapped. Like a man possessed, he surged forward and bellowed, “Let her go!”

Scott froze for just a heartbeat—just long enough for Caleb to seize the opportunity. Caleb swung his leg with precision, striking Scott’s gun arm and shattering his grip. In a fluid motion, he wrenched the weapon free and yanked Sydney behind him, using his body as a shield.

Sydney had no time to process the sudden urgency of his actions. As soon as the ropes fell away, she staggered upright, but the pain from her bloodied wrists and cramped legs made her falter. Her knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

“Don’t be afraid.” Caleb enveloped her in his arms, holding her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world, a fragile gem he had almost lost.

“I’ll get you out of here. I promise.” His voice was fierce, unwavering, his grip unyielding. “I will never leave you behind again.”

Sydney blinked, dazed by the intensity of his words. Was there a tremor in his voice, a suppressed sob lurking beneath the surface of his fury?

Clutching her tightly, Caleb charged toward the exit, his heart racing with hope. But as they reached the doors, his heart plummeted. The iron gate was locked from the outside.

How could they possibly have the audacity to do this?

The flames closed in around them, and Caleb’s mind raced as he realized he had lost sight of Gordon amidst the chaos.