Chapter 106
Jarred jumping down after her.
Him using his body to shield her from the impact.
She had actually thought p>
She had stayed by his side while he was comatose with a fever, tending to him tirelessly all night.
She had hauled him on her back, trekking through the treacherous mud, which was the only reason she had slipped off the cliff in the first place.
When he woke up, he hadn’t offered a single word of gratitude. He hadn’t asked if she was okay. He hadn’t even spared her a glance before turning his back to play the hero for his precious true love.
He had abandoned her at the bottom of a desolate ravine, leaving her for dead.
And here she was, ridiculously believing he had passed out somewhere, searching for him like a lunatic from noon until now p>
He had explicitly promised not to let her go.
Sienna lowered her eyes, realizing her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
Seven years of knowing him, five years of marriage, and that solemn vow he had made was now nothing but a sick joke.
Sienna clenched her fists so hard her nails pierced the skin, drawing blood, yet she felt nothing. The suffocating wave of despair and hatred surging in her chest had never been so potent.
“Dr. Sloan?” Caleb’s voice snapped her back to reality. “Are you okay? You look awful p>
Sienna shook her head, forcing a weak smile. “I’m fine p>
Caleb gave her a worried look before adding, “By the way, I heard from the villagers that when Captain Sterling was carrying Dr. Carlyle down, her leg was in terrible shape. She kept crying out in pain, and the Captain was beside himself with panic. He didn’t let go of her the entire way p>
He chuckled lightly. “I always had a feeling he treated her differently. Now it’s obvious. They’re a couple, right? Such a perfect match p>
Sienna closed her eyes, swallowing the bitter lump in her throat.
Jarred’s blatant favoritism toward Celeste had always been painfully obvious.
It wasn’t that she didn’t know; she had just been lying to herself, clinging desperately to whatever pathetic shreds of their marriage remained.
Only now did she realize how utterly foolish she had been.
Seeing her go quiet, Caleb dropped the subject. “The command center sent an emergency evacuation vehicle to transport the wounded to the hospital in batches.
You’re pretty banged up, you should head down and get checked out.
The disaster is under control now, so the main rescue teams and medical staff can get through. You don’t need to push yourself so hard anymore p>
Sienna nodded.
The two of them began making their way down the mountain together.
After a few steps, Sienna suddenly asked, “Chief, that villager who came to get me for a medical emergency last night—do you know him p>
Caleb thought for a moment and scoffed. “You mean Zeke Stark? I don’t know him well. He’s from the next village over, but he hangs around with Leo Dunn from our village all the time p>
Noticing his expression, Sienna gave a slight smile. “What? Are they some kind of notorious thugs? You seem to despise them p>
He curled his lip in contempt. “I wouldn’t call them gangsters, just deadbeats. A bunch of idle losers who never do an honest day’s work. If he hadn’t come bragging last night, I never would have guessed a woman would actually agree to marry him p>
Sienna’s lips curved slightly, a cold glint flashing through her eyes.
Leo Dunn was likely one of the men in that mob from last night.
The villagers clearly had no idea about their criminal records. Either they were very discreet, or someone powerful was backing them up.
Arriving back at the rally point, Sienna spotted an emergency evacuation vehicle parked at the base of the mountain.
A crowd had gathered around it. Lynn Zeller and the rescue captain were standing at the front, arguing with a few villagers. The atmosphere was incredibly tense.
Caleb helped Sienna over, quickening his pace. “What’s going on? Why aren’t you loading the injured instead of blocking the road p>
The rescue captain gave him an awkward look, then glanced down at the vehicle, lowering his voice. “Dr. Carlyle has a severe leg injury. Captain Sterling ordered the evacuation vehicle to take her to the hospital immediately. The rest of the wounded have to wait for the next transport p>