Chapter 696
But those items were dangerously heavy with meaning, and Sienna knew exactly what accepting them implied.
Her fingers curled inward, making no move to take them.
Catching the defensive resistance in her eyes, Jarred felt a sting of regret and immediately softened his tone.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m not trying to force anything on you. It’s just for your safety.
The situation is too volatile, and I won’t have peace of mind for a single second you’re out of my sight.
These give you a guaranteed way out if everything goes wrong. That’s all p>
As if terrified she would still reject them, he quickly added.
“If it bothers you, just give them back to me once the dust settles p>
He spoke with complete sincerity, stripping away all his usual possessive intensity, leaving only genuine care.
Sienna stared at him in silence. Seeing the careful, apprehensive way he accommodated her stirred a complicated knot in her chest.
After a long moment, she gave a slight nod and reached out, accepting the phone and the bangle.
“Alright, thank you p>
The moment their fingers brushed, the guarded tension in Jarred’s eyes vanished, replaced by a soft, fractured light.
Even this fleeting moment of acceptance was a long-overdue blessing to him.
True to his special forces background, Jarred’s driving was flawless.
The car sped smoothly through the streets.
Aside from him, a few trusted confidants, and Sienna herself, no one knew their destination.
The vehicle finally rolled to a stop in front of a secluded, time-worn estate.
Jarred looked up at the quiet, classic architecture, heavy with the weight of years, and paused.
This was… The Sloan Estate.
He followed Sienna out of the car, carefully helping the unconscious Silas into the courtyard, and asked in confusion.
“Didn’t you say the Sloan Estate was sold off when you and your grandfather moved to the Capital p>
Walking ahead of him, Sienna ran her fingertips lightly over the cool wooden railing of the porch. Her eyes swept over the familiar landscape of the yard as she replied nonchalantly.
“It was p>
But she had bought it back later.
She didn’t bother to explain the rest to him.
Looking at the soft nostalgia on her face, Jarred suddenly understood the unspoken weight behind her simple answer.
He didn’t press the issue, quietly following her deeper into the property.
The entire house was spotless, the hardwood furniture perfectly preserved.
There was no trace of the musty scent that usually accompanied abandoned homes. The plants were neatly pruned, and every abject was exactly where it belonged.
It had clearly been meticulously maintained over the years, never left to rot.
Passing through the courtyard, they entered a familiar study.
Sienna reached up and pressed a hidden latch concealed seamlessly on the side of the maseivie bookshelf.
The heavy, solid wood bookcase slowly slid open with a low hum.
The wall parted to reveal a dark, deep entrance, with a flight of stairs descending into the shadows.
It looked exactly like a hidden bunker.
Jarred stood frozen.
The sight of that reinforced metal door sent a violent tremor through his chest.
He stared at the threshold and instinctively asked, “Did you build this p>
“No,” Sienna said, stepping into the darkness, her voice airy. “My grandmother left it p>
This was the real reason she had paid a fortune to buy back the property at all costs.
Back when her grandfather fell gravely ill, they had no choice but to liquidate their assets.
Later, after she married Jarred and had some financial breathing room.
She rushed to buy it back before the new owners could demolish it.
Sienna was the last of the Sloans.
This place held her grandmother’s life’s work in research, and all her parents’ belongings.
It also held the only remaining warmth and memories of her childhood.
Everything she couldn’t bear to leave behind was right here.
She simply couldn’t let it go.