Chapter 102
It wasn’t until she turned eighteen and joined the Sterling family that she recognized Jarred at first glance.
But he had seemed to have no recollection of her whatsoever.
Before she could even ask, she learned from the staff that five years prior, Jarred had been the victim of a shocking kidnapping, disappearing for seventy-two agonizing hours.
He wasn’t found until the fourth day, abandoned on a mountain in the eastern suburbs.
No one knew what had happened during those seventy-two hours. All they knew was that his temperament had become wildly volatile afterward.
Throughout the entire Sterling household, Celeste was the only one allowed near him.
It was only after he enrolled in the police academy that his condition improved.
To protect Jarred, the Sterlings had completely suppressed the news, forbidding anyone from ever mentioning it.
Unwilling to trigger painful memories for him, Sienna kept her silence too.
A decade had passed, and the exact same scenario was playing out all over again.
Jarred’s fever refused to break, his wounds were dangerously inflamed, and his condition was rapidly deteriorating.
Sienna didn’t dare waste another second. She loosened his clothes and carefully fed him the liquid extracted from the feverfew herbs.
Then, she applied the comfrey poultice to his swollen wounds.
She looked around for gauze to bandage him, but her medical kit had been lost during her escape, leaving her empty-handed.
Sienna rifled through Jarred’s emergency pack, finding only tools and no medical supplies.
With no other option, she tore strips from his shirt and carefully bound his wounds.
By the time she finished, the sun had risen.
Staying trapped on the mountain was a death sentence. His infection was severe; without proper antibiotics, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Sienna gritted her teeth, hastily pulled his clothes back onto his frame, and hoisted him onto her back.
She began the grueling trek down the mountain, half-carrying, half-dragging him along.
Looking around in the daylight, she realized she didn’t recognize this part of the woods at all.
Fortunately, the sun was up, and she knew the rally point was to the west.
If she walked in the opposite direction of the sun, she should be able to find her way out.
After hiking for a while, she caught the faint sound of the man murmuring against her ear.
A surge of hope hit Sienna, and she quickly called out, “Jarred? Are you awake? Jarred p>
The man on her back gave no response.
It seemed the fever had made him delirious, trapped in a restless dream.
Sienna strained her ears, trying to make out his words.
The first thing she heard was a soft, Celeste p>
A suffocating chill wrapped around Sienna’s heart.
Soon after, his faint voice drifted from over her shoulder again. “Why wasn’t it you p>
His voice was so soft it was nearly drowned out by her footsteps, but she heard it clearly.
Why wasn’t it you.
Why wasn’t the woman carrying him Celeste?
A lump formed in Sienna’s throat. She couldn’t help but scoff, turning her head slightly to look at him.
His eyes were squeezed shut, his brow furrowed, his face flushed red from the fever. He was clearly still lost in his delirium.
“That’s right, I’m not your precious Celeste,” she let out a mocking laugh. “I’d like to know that myself. Why is it that she never has to deal with these disasters, but I’m always the one catching the bad luck p>
The moment she finished speaking, he murmured again.
Sienna’s footsteps faltered.
A sudden wave of curiosity washed over her. What exactly was he dreaming about?
Before she could ask, her foot slipped on a patch of loose dirt, and she lost her balance completely.
Sienna clamped her eyes shut in despair.
The next second, a large hand clamped down hard on her wrist.
The grip was incredibly strong, violently yanking her back from the edge of the plunge.
Sienna dangled in midair, her back slamming against the sheer cliff face. Loose rocks tumbled into the abyss, their impact echoing long after they disappeared.
Trembling with terror, she looked up.
The man who had been unconscious just moments ago was suddenly awake.
He was hanging over the edge of the cliff, relying on his last ounce of strength. His face was as pale as paper, his lips devoid of color, and cold sweat dripped down his sharp jawline.
Only the hand gripping hers held on with desperate, absolute power.
“Jarred Sienna gasped out, her whole body shaking with the shock of narrowly escaping death.