Chapter 152: Once Doormat Now Untouchable
Chapter 152 Once it was confirmed that Penelope was an imposter , Caleb would not just cut ties . He would make her pay every last one of her debts . The thought of the real Precious , somewhere out there , possibly suffering all these years , made him want to strangle Penelope with his bare hands . It was his fault too . Back then , he had been too desperate to find Precious . The moment he saw that pendant around Penelope's neck , he had let his guard down , careless enough not to question it further . Sydney clenched her palm .
Without Penelope in the picture , she would almost have no excuse left to continue this cold war with him . But she had not forgotten her suspicion . Looking directly at Caleb , she seized the moment . " Why was Penelope so afraid of you discovering the pendant wasn't hers ? " Caleb fell silent . He had no way to explain . Their relationship was already fragile . If he admitted he had been searching for another woman all this time , the tenuous tie between them might snap completely . Sometimes , he did not even understand himself . His heart was still tangled with Precious .
Yet he could not accept Sydney's insistence that they should live separate lives . The thought of her standing beside another man made his chest tighten painfully , like someone squeezing his heart , until even breathing became a struggle . He studied her clear , delicate features and , for his own selfish reasons , brushed it off . " Maybe she was afraid I'd blame her for something . " Sydney did not believe it for a second . " Just that ? " Last time , Penelope had been ruthless enough to frame her by shoving her own child down the stairs .
How could someone like that fear nothing more than a pendant ? Caleb had always defended Penelope without question . " Yes . Just that . " He nodded , then quickly changed the topic . " Come on , I'll help you move back . " Only if she returned home could he feel at ease . Never mind that their divorce papers were already signed . Even without them , she would never live under the same roof with him again . " Caleb , I am not moving back- " Before she could finish , Caleb's phone vibrated sharply . He pulled it out , glanced at the screen , and stepped aside to answer . " Speak . " " Mr.
Hampton , I tracked down the former director from the orphanage , " Gordon said , cutting straight to the point . " According to her memory , Ms. Monroe's father was never a police officer . He was a gambler . One night , drunk , he beat his wife to death . He was sentenced for it , and that is how Ms. Monroe ended up in the orphanage . Ms. Monroe must have lied to you before . " 1/2 Before Gordon could finish , Caleb's expression darkened . He gripped the phone so tightly that his knuckles stood out , as if he might crush it .
He remembered the first time he met Penelope , the moment he saw that pendant . He had rushed forward , eager , asking if she remembered him and how she had once saved him and his family . She had looked startled at first , then nodded quickly . But looking back , the signs had been there from the start . He had assumed she was slow to react . In truth , she had had no idea what he had been talking about . Yet he had trusted her blindly , just because of a pendant . Caleb narrowed his eyes and smiled coldly . " Good . Get back to Jouleston immediately .
" From where she stood , Sydney could not hear his words . But for the first time , she saw that chilling cruelty in his eyes , an expression sharp enough to freeze one's blood . She did not know exactly what had happened , only that it involved Penelope . Only Penelope could throw his emotions into such chaos . He hung up and strode toward her , steps quick and firm . " I have something urgent to take care of . " " Alright , " Sydney said , her voice calm and steady as always .