Chapter 418
Jarred stared into Sienna’s eyes, desperately searching for even a fragment of the affection he used to know.
But there was nothing there—only a bottomless, terrifyingly vast ocean of calm.
Refusing to waste another word, he simply hauled her hard against his chest, wrapping her in a crushing embrace.
His hold was violently possessive, yet laced with a pathetic, near-begging terror of losing her.
“Jarred!” Sienna thrashed violently against him. “Let go of me p>
No matter how hard she fought, the man’s arms were built like steel cables, caging her in with zero room for escape.
He dipped his head slightly, resting his heavy jaw against the curve of her shoulder.
“Once the investigation into Mrs. Bridges’s death is completely wrapped up, I will send her away immediately. Stop saying those things just to piss me off p>
His voice shed its lethal edge, taking on the raspy exhaustion of a man who had pushed himself to the brink of insanity.
“Darling, you know I hate hearing it p>
Did he seriously think that was why she was mad at him?
Sienna couldn’t suppress a cold, scoffing laugh.
“I’m not just going to say it. I’m going to say it every single day,” she gritted out, her voice a frozen blade. “If you don’t want to hear it, let me go this instant p>
“Promise you won’t purposefully anger me anymore, and I’ll let you go p>
His large hand began stroking her hair with unsettling gentleness, his tone shifting into what he clearly viewed as a magnanimous compromise.
Not a shred of compliance crossed Sienna’s eyes. “Get the hell away from me p>
The towering dam holding back Jarred’s emotions completely shattered, sweeping away whatever shreds of sanity he had left.
He dove down, kissing her violently once more.
This time, there was no slow buildup or calculated persuasion.
He dominated her mouth with overwhelming force, unleashing a torrential downpour of scorching heat and frantic passion.
It was as if he believed that if he just pushed hard enough, he could reignite the very things he desperately wanted to see inside her.
A massive hand clamped around the back of her head as his tongue aggressively parted her lips, saturated with unquestionable, absolute possessiveness.
Sienna’s entire body went rigid.
The absolute fury in her chest went nuclear. Curling her hands into tight fists, she rained brutal blows down on his broad shoulders and hard chest.
When hitting him didn’t work, she started kicking wildly.
She had never feared his dominance, and she certainly wasn’t going to surrender just because he tried to masquerade it as a passionate embrace.
But Jarred was far too cunning for: that. Having been on the receiving end of her wrath before, he wasn’t about to give her the opening to strike a critical hit
He ruthlessly stepped between her legs, pinning her entire lower body completely immobile against him.
The flames of Sienna’s rage skyrocketed beyond all suppression.
With zero hesitation, she chomped her teeth down mercilessly on his lip and tongue, violently forcing him to terminate the kiss.
Jarred pulled back slightly. The corner of his lip was split, a thin bead of crimson seeping through the broken skin.
Yet he merely dragged his tongue over the cut, tasting his own blood as if it were a rare delicacy.
He kept his nose brushed against the reddened corner of her mouth, an uncontrollable wildfire ravaging the pitch-black depths of his eyes.
With one hand still anchored punishingly on her jaw and the other locked securely around her waist, he had her fully subdued.
Crushing her helplessly into his chest, his voice was a raw, scalding rasp.
“I couldn’t control my temper today. I apologize, it’s just p>
He trailed off, his voice dropping to a low hush.
“Darling, I’d rather you go back to how you used to be. Insult me, talk down to me, bully me all you want.
I just don’t want to see this look on your face—like absolutely nothing I do matters to you anymore p>
Sienna’s chest heaved aggressively. Infuriated yet finding the situation utterly hilarious, her eyes swam with biting mockery.
“Do you honestly think the entire universe revolves around you? That everyone is supposed to fall to their knees and worship you for tossing. them a tiny scrap of your affection?
The very second she managed to wrench her hand free, she didn’t hesitate for a fraction of a second.
Bringing her hand back, she slapped him viciously across the face.
Smack p>
The sharp, deafening crack echoed through the deadly silent corridor.
“Jarred, don’t you dare push me too far p>
Jarred slowly lifted his gaze. Pressing his tongue against the stinging corner of his mouth, he licked away the metallic dampness.
Far from getting angry, he actually let out a low, dark chuckle. “I’m already pushing you p>
Pinching her chin, he forced her to maintain eye contact. His dark eyes were bottomless pools, overflowing with a toxic devotion that nobody else could ever comprehend.
“Darling, the truth is, anyone you don’t like, I can have them all sent away.