Chapter 436
Jarred looked at the shattered pieces on the floor, the smile slowly fading from his face.
He didn’t deny it, nor did he admit it.
He just looked up at her, his voice calm. “There are some things you’re better off not knowing p>
In the late autumn evening, the entire city was submerged in a darkness thick as ink.
The heating in Sienna’s small apartment was blasting, and she was only wearing a thin cashmere sweater, yet her bare arms broke out in subtle shivers.
It wasn’t from the cold.
She stared fixedly at the man in front of her, the surging chill in her heart overriding all warmth.
Jarred stepped sideways to the kitchen counter. His long fingers gripped the soup ladle, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Steam wafted from the edge of the porcelain bowl, but when he brought it over and set it in front of her, his fingertips were colder than the bowl itself.
“Drink the soup first,” he said, his voice as grating as sandpaper on glass. “Your stomach isn’t well p>
Jarred had always been reckless and arrogant, accustomed to doing whatever he pleased.
Even when caught in the crosshairs of public opinion, his eyes always carried a hint of careless laziness and control.
But right now, his deep eyes, which were usually full of affectionate smiles, had shed all their warmth.
All that was left was a distinct, unyielding calmness—a coldness that was unfamiliar and piercing.
This was a side of him Sienna had never seen before.
In front of her, he had always been indulgent, accommodating, willing to drop his guard and show his vulnerabilities.
But at this moment, his restraint was almost cruel.
Sienna stood frozen in place. After a few seconds of blankness, a mocking curve slowly formed on her lips.
“So, you really tampered with my car p>
The air instantly stagnated.
Jarred stayed silent for a long time, so long that the warmth in the air completely dissipated.
His long fingers unconsciously curled inward, and his brows furrowed slightly.
That gesture was all too familiar to Sienna; he always did that whenever he was conflicted.
Finally, he spoke, every word sounding like a heavily weighed excuse.
“When I found you, you and your man were already unconscious in the car. In that car, there was no Silas, and certainly no so-called evidence p>
His voice was deep and steady, devoid of much emotion.
But his clenched jawline had already betrayed the turmoil hidden beneath.
“Oh?” Sienna dragged out the syllable, crossing her arms over her chest So you think I knocked myself out? Or did Alister and I just go on a collective sleepwalking trip p>
The man maintained his flat, emotionless tone.
But the aura radiating from him had already plummeted, heavy and oppressive.
Like the dark clouds right before a torrential downpour, it pressed down so heavily it made it hard to breathe.
Even from a few steps away, Sienna could clearly sense his suppressed anger and helplessness.
It felt like the agony of being misunderstood, yet unable to defend oneself.
“Think whatever you want p>
He forced down the complicated emotions surging in his throat, hiding the darkness in his eyes. His tore was almost resigned carrying only a faint, barely noticeable trace of accommodation.
“But before you lose your temper, finish the soup p>
Saying that, he turned around and walked steadily toward the kitchen, intending to serve her another bowl of hot soup.
No one knew that this pot of soothing soup was the result of him canceling all his social engagements and standing watch over the stove for two solid hours.
Even if she didn’t appreciate it one bit, his instinctive first priority would always be his fear of her going hungry or being cold.
Sienna stared at his tall, rigid back, a suffocating feeling instantly spreading through her entire body.
She couldn’t understand him.
The whole world knew he protected Celeste, showing favoritism to her at every turn.
Yet here he was, constantly trying to suck up to her.
He allowed the scandals to run rampant while putting on a front of gentle, fake accommodation.
Could it really just be to stop her from going after Celeste?