Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 247

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 247**

**Chapter 247**

A warning hung thick in the air, palpable and charged. Adeline remained silent, but Caleb knew all too well that the truth was just a phone call away, waiting to be unearthed.

She was his mother, a woman who had navigated the tempest of his emotions for years, and now, as tension crackled between them, she steeled herself, ready to confront the storm. “It was done before New Year’s,” she finally uttered, her voice wavering slightly yet resolute.

“Before New Year’s?” Caleb echoed, his jaw tightening to the point where it felt as if he might shatter his own teeth. The coldness in his voice was unmistakable, a chilling wind that swept through the room. “At Grandmar’s birthday party, I explicitly told you not to interfere in my marriage with Syd, didn’t I?”

A heavy silence enveloped them, and Adeline inhaled sharply, her next words spilling forth in a torrent of defiance, like the jagged remnants of a shattered vase. “The papers were already processed by then.”

In that moment, the realization struck Caleb like a lightning bolt. His so-called “good mother” had invaded the sanctity of his private life with an insidious thoroughness he had never anticipated.

A harsh laugh erupted from his chest, bitter and mocking. “Your web of connections is far more extensive than I ever imagined,” he spat, disbelief mingling with outrage.

“What are you going to do?” Adeline’s voice quivered, a note of panic threading through her words. “Cal, I am your mother! Would you truly turn against me for a woman?”

Caleb held the reins of Hampton Corp. tightly in his grasp, while Dorothy, with her effortless charm, continued to weave the family’s social tapestry.

Adeline’s remaining power lay in her scattered connections, fragile threads that could easily be severed. If Caleb chose to cut those ties, she would be left with nothing but the hollow title of Mrs. Hampton, a title that felt increasingly meaningless.

He glanced toward the tall window, his gaze drifting to the living room, where memories of his childhood lingered like ghosts. “You were the one who first intruded into my private life,” he replied, his voice steady but laced with accusation.

“How is that my fault?” Adeline’s anger ignited, flames of frustration dancing in her eyes.

How could she have foreseen that her son would become a steadfast protector of Penelope, all the while stubbornly clinging to his marriage with Sydney? Could she have predicted that Sydney, once a benefactor, would now be a source of conflict?

“If you hadn’t entangled yourself so deeply with your sister-in-law—if I hadn’t feared you would divorce Sydney behind my back just to marry Penelope, creating the scandal of a younger brother marrying his widowed sister-in-law—would I have resorted to such drastic measures?”

“No need,” Sydney replied, shaking her head. Determined not to waste the food, she lifted the delicate porcelain bowl to her lips and drank deeply.

After a night devoid of sleep and a day drained of energy, all she felt was exhaustion. Yet, the first spoonful of soup revealed the depths of her hunger, a reminder of the sustenance she desperately needed.

She ate quickly, urgency driving her movements. As she set the bowl down, the light dimmed, overshadowed by the imposing figure leaning over her.

Caleb reached for a napkin from the table, his voice dropping to an uncharacteristically gentle tone as he dabbed the corners of her lips. “Why the rush? It’s not good for your stomach,” he murmured, his demeanor softening as if the world outside had faded away.

He was gentle, as if the weight of their recent conflicts had evaporated, leaving only this moment between them.

Sydney leaned back, instinctively avoiding his touch, her voice cutting through the air with clarity. “You must have your answer by now. Can I leave?”

“You can’t,” he replied, the finality in his tone leaving no room for negotiation.