Chapter 242
The night deepened, and the neon lights faded.
The Solstice Hill mansion was plunged into a deathly, dim silence.
Not a single light was on inside the massive luxury estate. The darkness brought a biting chill, suffocating every corner with an eerie, oppressive weight.
The moment Maloney landed, without even washing off the travel dust, he received an urgent call from the mansion’s housekeeper, Mrs. Bridges.
“Mr. Sterling, you finally turned your phone on p>
Mrs. Bridges’s voice was tight with anxiety. “Could you please come over? Jarred has locked himself in the study all day. He isn’t eating or drinking, and he won’t answer no matter how much I knock p>
The seasoned nanny had taken care of the three brothers since they were children. She was notoriously grounded; she would never disrupt them unless it was a genuine crisis.
Maloney’s stomach dropped. Without wasting a second, he drove straight to Solstice Hill.
The moment he stepped into the courtyard, the chill seeped into his bones.
The sprawling mansion felt lifeless, entirely stripped of its usual vibrancy, and so suffocating he could barely breathe.
Maloney unlocked the door with his fingerprint and navigated into the pitch-black foyer.
Mrs. Bridges hurried over. The woman in her sixties had red-rimmed eyes, visibly beside herself with worry.
“What exactly happened?” Maloney asked.
Mrs. Bridges shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure. I just know that the night before last, Ms. Carlyle and Madam had a confrontation outside. It sounded like things got physical, and they ended up at the police station p>
She paused, glancing at Maloney cautiously. Seeing his brow furrow, her voice grew even more strained.
“Jarred was fine when he left, but he came back in a terrible mood.
He went out on assignment early yesterday morning, and when he returned at noon today, he locked himself in the study.
He won’t answer me, and he refuses to eat. I didn’t dare force the door open, nor did I want to call the police. I had no other choice but to call you p>
Maloney gave a slight nod, gesturing for the housekeeper to step back, and headed up to the second floor alone.
The study door was locked from the inside.
Without a shred of hesitation, he kicked it open.
“Get out p>
The moment the door splintered open, a feral, furious roar tore through the room.
Unfazed, Maloney strode calmly into the space.
The study reeked of alcohol, the stench sharp and overwhelming.
Countless empty liquor bottles littered the floor, toppled and shattered in a chaotic mess.
By the floor-to-ceiling windows a short distance away.
Jarred sat slumped on the floor, his clothes completely disheveled.
His eyes were bloodshot. All his usual sharpness and arrogance had been entirely stripped away, leaving only a broken shell of a man.
Hearing the footsteps, Jarred dragged his gaze upward.
Recognizing the intruder, a mocking smirk twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Congratulations. You got exactly what you wanted p>
Maloney looked down at the younger brother who had idolized and relied on him the most since childhood.
When they were younger, Jarred had treated him as the gold standard för everything, even asking for his opinion before filling out his college applications.
But because of Sienna’s arrival, everyone mistakenly assumed that the two of them were in love.
Since then, the brothers had drifted apart. It had been four or five years since they had shared a moment alone to truly talk.
Standing amidst the wreckage, Maloney’s handsome face remained entirely composed. He spoke coolly, “If you genuinely want me to have my way, then don’t let her go. Don’t agree to the divorce p>
To Jarred’s ears, the words sounded like a blatant taunt.
The hostility in his eyes surged, and he let out a dark laugh. “Why pretend to be so noble? Sure, I took advantage of the situation back then But do you dare look me in the eye and say you didn’t drug her p>
Maloney flinched slightly, a flicker of unease crossing his eyes.
But just as quickly, it vanished.
Watching the fleeting crack in his brother’s composure, Jarred’s sneer deepened. “What’s wrong? You have the guts to do it, but not the spine to admit it p>
His thoughts drifted back to the night of Sienna’s eighteenth birthday.
Jarred had gone to bed early that night, only to hear a knock on his door while half-asleep.