Chapter 429
“You think I helped her fake her own death to escape?” he asked, his tone dripping with blatant amusement. “Darling, do you really think I’m that omnipotent p>
“It’s not about being omnipotent,” Sienna shot back, her voice laced with heavy disgust. “It’s about the fact that you have zero boundaries when it comes to Celeste p>
She knew Celeste too well, and she knew the man sitting next to her even better.
Celeste alone didn’t have the power to weave a web so flawless it could blindside everyone.
The only person with the resources, connections, power, and motive to pull this off was Jarred!
In stark contrast to her aggressive pressing, the man opposite her remained completely emotionless.
Jarred’s dark eyes locked onto hers for a few seconds before he finally spoke in a flat drawl, “They said she’s dead, which means she’s dead p>
That single sentence completely slammed the door on Sienna’s interrogation.
She knew then that no matter how hard she pushed, Jarred would only ever give her one answer.
He wouldn’t admit he knew, he wouldn’t admit he helped, and he certainly wouldn’t expose a single flaw in his armor.
He was perfectly content to let her test him a hundred times over, making absolutely sure she couldn’t grab hold of any leverage.
Jarred leaned forward slightly, dropping the lazy act as the distance between them practically vanished.
His warm breath brushed against her ear, his tone dipping into a husky, intimately seductive register.
“Darling, stop looking for reasons to stress yourself out. You hate her anyway, so who cares if she’s dead or alive, as long as she stays completely out of your sight p>
His voice was impossibly gentle, a masterful display of the flirtation that made countless women fall to their knees.
But to Sienna, right in this very moment, that gentleness was wildly repulsive.
He could be ice-cold to the entire world, yet he gave endless passes to the utterly calculated, manipulative Celeste.
Going so far as to help her pull a disappearing act, shielding all her toxic schemes and pathetic secrets from the light.
An icy chill crept over Sienna’s heart inch by inch, completely suffocating whatever romantic tension his proximity tried to spark.
She tilted her head slightly, dodging his breath. “Jarred, since you’re dead set on helping her pull off the ultimate scam, do me a favor and protect her till the very end.
A freezing smirk curled onto her lips. “And make sure you cover your own tracks perfectly. Because the second I catch a single slip-up p>
It won’t just be Celeste. I’ll throw every single person involved right behind bars p>
Sienna spoke with a steady, lethal rhythm, perfectly channeling her usual ruthless, unshakable core.
“When that day comes, I won’t give a single one of you a chance to flip the board p>
Jarred stared intently at her cold, defiant features, taking in the raw, unmasked defensive wall in her eyes as his brow furrowed deeply.
Before he could even react, the car door flew open, and Sienna shoved him hard right out of the seat.
Jarred stumbled, nearly crashing onto the pavement.
By the time he righted himself and looked up, the white Bentley Continental had already vanished at the intersection.
Thea Stanton worked fast.
Before Sienna had even pulled into her driveway, the files had already hit her inbox.
A second later, her phone started ringing.
Sienna answered it while walking up the stairs.
“Security logs show that a twelve-hour window of footage around Celeste time of death is completely gone. The hospitalis blaming a sudden system failure p>
Thea reported over the line, her voice clinically calm.
“The attending physician listed on her file is Silas Mercer. He signed the death certificate.
But this guy suddenly resigned last night, disconnected his phone, and cleared out his apartment. He essentially evaporated into thin air
Sienna scrolled through the emailed documents. “No other leads p>
“Just one. I managed to track down Silas Mercer’s assistant nurse, and she tipped me off on a very specific detail p>