Caleb rubbed his fingers together, frowning. “She just panicked at that moment.”
“Was it really panic, or was it premeditated? Haven’t you already figured that out?”
Sydney marveled at his refusal to face the truth. She held his gaze, calm and steady, until he finally exhaled and looked away. “Syd, I know she crossed the line. I’ll make it up to you on her behalf-”
He hadn’t even finished before the phone on the table buzzed.
Sydney didn’t need to check the screen. The look on his face told her exactly who it was–Penelope.
“Sorry, I need to take this.”
Sydney smiled faintly. “Go ahead.”
He had brought her here to apologize, hadn’t even waited for the food to arrive, and already he was walking away to take a call from the person who started it all.
‘What a joke,‘ she thought.
“Ma’am? Miss?” The server had to call her twice before she blinked and looked up. A dish had already been
set in front of her.
“Hm? What is it?”
“Your companion must have left this pendant on the chair.”
The server held it out to her. “Could you keep it for him, so it doesn’t get lost?”
“Sure. Thanks.” She accepted it without thinking, but the moment her eyes landed on it, everything around her dropped away. Her mind went blank.
This was her pendant. It was identical to the one stolen from her years ago at the orphanage.
She had searched for it over the years, but she hadn’t stayed long back then. She couldn’t remember the name of the girl who had taken it. By the time she returned, the orphanage was gone.
She had wanted to look, but there had been nowhere to start.
And now, without warning, it was back in her hands.
Before she could process what was happening, someone snatched the pendant from her. She lunged for it on instinct, her fingers grasping at empty air.
She hadn’t been able to fight back as a child. However, she wasn’t a child anymore. This was the one thing her parents had left her, and she wasn’t going to lose it gain.
“Give it back!”
“Give it back?” Caleb gave her a confused look. “Penny’s had this since she was little. I can’t just hand it
over.”
Sydney took a breath, steadying herself. “It belongs to Penelope?”
“Yeah.”
1/3
Chapter 98
+15 BONUS
Thinking she was simply upset, Caleb dropped a piece of cod onto her plate with a shrug. “There’s a charity auction in a few days. Come with me. You can pick out whatever you want. It’ll be my way of apologizing, okay?”
She barely heard him. Her thoughts were locked on the pendant.
“Can I see it again?” she asked. Her eyes were fixed on it.
“See it? Sure,” he said and placed it in her palm.
She took it gently, and fingers brushed the inside.
Soon, she saw it. Her nickname. It was etched into the metal in her father’s careful handwriting.
This pendant had carried all her parents‘ hopes for her. A peaceful life. For their precious girl to grow up safe and sound.
There was no doubt. This was hers. Not Penelope’s.
In fact, Penelope was probably the same girl who had bullied her back at the orphanage–the one who had stolen this pendant. Now, years later, she had set her sights on her husband, tried to steal her job, and wanted to insert herself in her project.
Penelope had spent a lifetime trying to take what didn’t belong to her.
Still gently rubbing her thumb over the engraving, Sydney looked up with a chuckle. “Oh? Her nickname’s Precious too?”
2/3
