Chapter 300
“I know you did nothing wrong, and I know you aren’t the type to frame someone without cause p>
Jarred Sterling’s voice was deep and flat, carrying a businesslike detachment, yet hiding a struggle no one else could see.
“But right now, all the evidence and witness testimonies are heavily stacked against you.
In my position, I investigate criminals who break the law; I can’t arbitrarily dictate guilt based on personal bias.
Now that the leads you provided are all dead ends, I can’t help you convict anyone, nor can I completely clear your name p>
This aloof and icy attitude was like a knife plunging mercilessly into Sienna Sloan’s heart.
Looking at Jarred’s emotionless face and listening to his tone utterly stripped of personal sentiment, she couldn’t help but scoff, a faint trace of self-deprecation flashing in her eyes.
“I never realized before just how impartial Captain Sterling could be p>
Jarred’s lips pressed into a tight line, a muscle feathering along his tense jaw.
He knew she was mocking him, and he knew exactly why.
He ignored the sarcasm lacing her words.
Instead, evading the probing gazes of the crowd, he took a step forward and stopped right in front of her.
Lowering his head slightly to meet her eyes, his voice suddenly softened, sounding like a completely different man from a moment ago.
“It’s been a long day, and you must be exhausted. Let me take you home to rest p>
Though phrased as a question, there was no room for her to refuse.
With that, he reached out to grip her waist, intending to pull her away from this epicenter of drama.
Sienna glanced down at the hand gripping her wrist; his knuckles were pronounced, his bone structure striking.
It was the kind of hand that made a person want to linger their gaze.
But all she wanted to do was push him away.
However, before Sienna’s fingers could even brush against Jarred, the elderly matriarch’s vicious voice slashed through the air.
“Nobody is leaving!” The matriarch’s voice was aged but resounded with robust authority.
“She waltzed in here to wrongfully accuse Celeste, snuck into Sterling Manor in the dead of night, and recorded God knows what nonsense—how can we just let her walk away so easily?
The Sterling estate isn’t a public park where people can come and go as they please p>
Sienna’s expression remained unflustered as she raised her hand and cleanly pushed away Jarred’s protective gesture.
She turned around, her sharp eyes locking onto the matriarch.
The composure in her gaze formed a stark contrast to the old woman’s fury.
“If I really wanted to use Mrs. Bridges’ family to blackmail her into doing my bidding, why would I go to the trouble of transferring her bedridden husband to a top-tier private VIP suite at Capital Hospital?
And why would I pay out of pocket to hire senior specialists, covering an entire year of his treatments, care, and hospitalization expenses p>
As she finished speaking, she pulled out her phone and flipped the screen around.
Clear payment receipts, daily nursing logs, and the attending physician’s treatment records were displayed one by one for everyone to see.
Good thing she was always in the habit of keeping meticulous digital records.
Every single entry was verifiable and irrefutable.
Helena Sterling instinctively glanced down; the dates, amounts, and hospital seals on the screen were unmistakably clear.
“Mrs. Bridges’ husband had a stroke years ago, leading to chronic pulmonary disease and heart failure. He’s been bedridden and oxygen-deprived long-term, racking up tens of thousands of dollars in debt, constantly facing the risk of having his medication cut off p>
She rattled off all the details with pinpoint accuracy, her cold gaze landing on Mrs. Bridges, who was collapsed and trembling on the ground.
“If I deliberately wanted to control her and force her to commit perjury, I would only need to hold her husband’s life in the balance. Letting him live or die by my word would be more than enough to make her submit.
Why would I go out of my way, wasting time and money, to save her husband’s life and act as a safety net for her entire family?
I ask you, what kind of villain in this world would use someone’s weakness to hurt others, while simultaneously doing everything in their power to save lives p>