Chapter 154
Sienna met his gaze head-on.
His elongated, slightly downturned eyes were entirely devoid of emotion, dark as an endless night, impossible to read.
Suddenly, he let out a soft scoff, slipping effortlessly into his usual careless demeanor.
“Getting a young, gorgeous wife who’s also a money-making machine? Of course I’ve been perfectly content p>
Sienna stared at him, utter disbelief swimming in her eyes.
She could barely fathom those words coming out of his mouth.
Over the years, his scandals with Celeste had never ceased.
From renting out entire venues for her birthdays to playing the devoted companion at the hospital, every incident was public knowledge.
In front of the cameras, he played the fiercely loyal romantic, yet he had never offered Sienna a single ounce of genuine affection.
If he was so satisfied with her, why was he constantly tangled up with Celeste?
Arthur, however, seemed highly pleased with the answer. A long-lost smile appeared on his face as he raised an eyebrow at Sienna.
“So, you’re the one asking for the divorce? Tell me, sweetheart, what exactly is it about him that you’re dissatisfied with p>
“Dad!” Helena tried to interject again, but Arthur silenced her with a single glare.
Sienna took a deep breath, meeting the old man’s eyes.
“We aren’t compatible p>
“What defines compatible?” Jarred suddenly took a step forward, looking down at her from his impressive height, a seductive edge to his dark gaze.
“We fit together flawlessly, our rhythms sync up perfectly, and we align on every level. If you ask me, we’re practically tailor-made for each other p>
“Jarred!” Sienna frowned, feeling like he had been spouting absolute nonsense all day. She desperately wanted him to shut up.
Jarred flashed a wicked grin. “I’m talking about our worldviews. What did you think I meant p>
Sienna felt heat rush to her cheeks. She turned away, refusing to look at him. “Marriage is a two-way street. Since we can’t make it work, it’s better to cut our losses. They say a forced bond is never sweet p>
“A forced bond might not be sweet p>
Jarred leaned in, his warm breath ghosting over the shell of her ear. “But keeping you tied to me? That’s plenty satisfying p>
Sienna went rigid, her chest tightening as if she’d been pricked by a needle.
She hadn’t expected him to be such a shameless bastard!
She had tried to look at the bigger picture, holding her tongue about his endless scandals to save some face for him and Celeste in front of his grandfather.
Yet here he was, twisting the narrative to play the victim, making it seem as though she was the one being completely unreasonable.
“Jarred makes a fair point.” Arthur looked at Sienna with hopeful eyes. “What couple doesn’t argue? You fight at the start of the night and make up by morning p>
“Grandpa.” Sienna bit her lip, forcing her voice to remain steady. “We had already scheduled the divorce for today. If you hadn’t suddenly woken up, the paperwork would already be filed. There is truly nothing left between us p>
Jarred stood off to the side, the teasing smirk fading from his lips as a dark cloud settled in his eyes.
Watching the absolute coldness on her face, an inexplicable sense of irritation flared in his chest.
It felt as though something vital was slipping right through his fingers, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hold onto it.
Arthur hadn’t anticipated her to be this resolute.
He knew the girl well enough to realize that if she was speaking this firmly, she truly meant it.
Arthur’s complexion shifted, and he suddenly broke into a violent fit of coughing, struggling to pull air into his lungs.
Panic gripped Sienna. “Grandpa p>
But Jarred moved faster. He immediately supported Arthur’s back with one hand while effortlessly snatching a glass of water from the nightstand with the other, bringing it to the old man’s lips.
“Take it slow, Grandpa p>
Arthur took a sip and spent a long moment catching his breath. His face remained deathly pale, his breathing ragged.
Jarred helped him lie back down and waited until the old man’s eyes drifted shut.
Then, he turned slightly, glancing over his shoulder at Sienna, his voice dropping to a low murmur.
“His condition is highly unstable right now. Couldn’t you just say something to make him happy p>
Sienna saw the rare trace of sincerity in his eyes, and her fingers instinctively curled inward. I was just telling the truth. Dragging this out any longer is only going to destroy us both p>