Chapter 249
Sienna’s hand violently trembled.
Maloney?
Just then, the frantic sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.
A second later, the study door was forcefully pushed open.
Jarred stood in the doorway, his breathing slightly ragged.
When his dark eyes landed on the report clutched in her hands, they instantly sank into an abyss.
Maloney, following right behind him, also experienced a fleeting ripple in his usually calm gaze.
Sienna slowly raised her eyes to the man standing before her.
This was the husband she had resented, the man she had secretly harbored hope for. Right now, her gaze was terrifyingly calm, yet laced with a bone-chilling frost.
“That glass of fruit wine… I wasn’t drunk. I was drugged. You knew all along, didn’t you p>
The air in the room completely stalled.
Jarred’s dark eyes were heavy. He parted his lips but offered zero excuses.
“Yes. I knew immediately it was a chemical reaction, not alcohol. I knew, but I still took you. It’s my fault, I admit it p>
That single sentence utterly pulverized Sienna’s last lingering thread of hope.
Her chest clenched tight, the suffocating wave of despair lodging itself in her throat.
She remembered the endless coldness and alienation she endured throughout their marriage.
She remembered how fiercely he had always protected Celeste.
She remembered every single time she clashed with Celeste, how he unhesitatingly stood by Celeste’s side with absolute apathy toward her p>
A mocking sneer bled into Sienna’s eyes.
“You only ever had Celeste in your heart. You took her side in everything. If you never liked me, why did you ruin my life like this p>
Jarred looked at her red-rimmed eyes, watching her desperately fight back tears. It felt like a blunt knife was slowly carving up his heart, leaving him unable to breathe.
“I have never had feelings for Celeste p>
He lowered his voice, speaking with an earnestness he had never shown before. “The only person I’ve ever liked is you p>
Sienna’s eyelashes fluttered violently. She almost thought she had misheard him.
This man was notoriously toxic, cold, and relentlessly restrained around her.
He had condemned her repeatedly for Celeste’s sake. She never in her wildest dreams expected him to say something like this.
Jarred took a cautious step forward, his deep gaze locked onto her, masking a frantic panic.
“I thought you were in love with Maloney. I didn’t want you to marry anyone else p>
A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He lowered his eyes, his voice thick. “When I saw you standing outside my door under the influence of that drug, my own selfishness took over. I used the most extreme method… to keep you by my side p>
His confession was so utterly pathetic and laughable that Sienna felt nothing but absolute desolation.
A man had used a tactic like that just to chain a woman to him.
And then, for years, he treated her like a ghost, allowing everyone else to mock, belittle, and emotionally butcher her.
And now he was telling her he liked her?
How absolutely psychotic.
Without another word, she raised her hand and delivered a vicious slap right across his face.
The crack echoed sharply. Jarred’s head snapped to the side, a bright red handprint instantly blooming across his cheek.
But he didn’t care about the pain at all. He just stared at the tearful woman in front of him, his eyes completely shattered.
He reached out, wanting to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, but Sienna violently shoved him away.
“Don’t touch me!” She stumbled backward, her voice breaking.
“If you really cared about me, why did you let Celeste walk all over me? Why did you constantly choose her, breaking my heart over and over again p>
Jarred’s hand froze in midair.
Watching her trembling shoulders, watching the tears stream down her face, it felt like a blunt knife was slowly carving up his heart, inflicting agonizing pain.
He never considered himself bad with words, but staring at the shattered woman in front of him, his dark eyes swam with chaotic emotion. As the bitter regret consumed him, he found himself utterly helpless.