Chapter 304
The crowd was awash in utter disbelief.
Jarred’s expression was glacial. “First, there is zero evidence confirming that those two bodyguards were sent by Sienna.
Second, the ‘Ms. Sloan’ mentioned by Mrs. Bridges’ daughter lacks any specific identifiers. It cannot be conclusively linked to her p>
Everyone stared at him in complete shock.
Helena’s eyes widened, looking at her own son as if he were a total stranger.
The matriarch’s face turned ashen, her eyes filled with bitter disappointment at his failure to act.
“What more evidence do you need?! Her showing up in the backyard in the dead of night isn’t evidence?
The dirt on her hands isn’t evidence? There’s enough proof of her framing Celeste to have her executed a hundred times over p>
Helena stomped her foot in panic. “Are you out of your mind? Can’t you tell who your own people are? Celeste grew up with you—can’t you trust her p>
Facing the collective doubt of the crowd, Jarred stood tall and unyielding, his expression unchanging, his tone carrying an absolute, undeniable authority.
“It doesn’t count. This evidence only proves she was in the backyard, not that she kidnapped anyone.
Unless you can produce something far more conclusive, step aside. Otherwise, she has every right to counter-sue you for defamation and false imprisonment p>
Dead silence swept across the scene.
The matriarch and Helena were so furious their blood boiled, nearly fainting on the spot, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
Every word Jarred spoke was rooted in legal statutes, leaving absolutely no loopholes for them to attack.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Celeste watched Jarred unhesitatingly shield Sienna.
Seeing the notoriously aloof and careless young heir—who broke a thousand rules and showed restrained favoritism solely for Sienna—brought a vicious gleam to her eyes.
She immediately masked the hostility, donning her usual understanding facade as she spoke softly.
“Jarred, I know your heart aches for Ms. Sloan and you want to protect her, but you hold a high position as the SWAT Captain of the Capital. Your every word and action is scrutinized.
With so many people watching, showing such blatant bias will inevitably lead outsiders to claim you’re bending the law and blurring the lines between personal and professional. It will ruin your reputation p>
These words seemed spoken for his benefit, but they were actually designed to force his hand, pressuring him to stop defending Sienna and push her entirely into the abyss.
The moment her voice faded, Jarred abruptly snapped his head toward her.
The eyes that had been so calm and composed when looking at the rest of the crowd were instantly overlaid with bone-chilling frost.
“If this counts as bias, the person who deserves to be condemned the most is you p>
That single sentence shocked Celeste so deeply her eyes widened in horror.
Those eyes, which had always looked at her with gentle indulgence and a degree of permissiveness p>
Were now brimming with icy scrutiny and alienation, so sharp they felt capable of piercing right through her hypocritical mask.
Every inch of his gaze was peeling back her skin and dismantling her bones, intent on unearthing her darkest, deepest secrets.
This was the very first time Jarred had ever looked at her with such cold, unfamiliar eyes.
Celeste’s heart shuddered, a cold sweat breaking out on her back. She instinctively clamped her mouth shut, not daring to utter another syllable.
Jarred reined in his hostility.
He slowly turned his head back, looking at Sienna standing alone behind him.
The frost that had just coated his eyes melted away at a visible speed.
His voice lowered as well. “Let’s go. I’ll take you home p>
As he spoke, he reached out, wanting to grab her wrist and pull her out of this toxic wasteland, shielding her from the filth and criticism.
But in the next second, Sienna raised her hand and shook off his grip without a trace of hesitation.
Jarred’s fingers hovered stiffly in the air for a few seconds. In that fraction of a moment, a multitude of emotions flashed through his eyes.
His reckless defense just now meant absolutely nothing to her; in her eyes, it didn’t even count as a favor.