Chapter 356
Jarred answered the call immediately. “Director Holden p>
The voice on the other end was brutally direct. “My office. Fifteen minutes p>
Jarred frowned, disconnected the call, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door.
Declan hurried after him. “Boss, should we keep digging into the source of the leaks p>
“No need.” Jarred’s expression was completely void of emotion. “I know exactly who it is p>
He had been in this line of work long enough to navigate countless media storms.
But the angle of these attacks was far too calculated.
His marriage to Sienna was a closely guarded secret, known only by a select few.
No one in the right mind would dare offend The Sterlings by leaking the family’s private matters.
Yet, this exposé surgically bypassed all irrelevant parties to attack the core ambiguity between him and Celeste.
In the entire Capital, there was only one person with the resources, the PR savvy, the intimate knowledge of his private life, and the motive to pull off a hit like this.
Declan froze for a split second before the realization hit him. He clamped his mouth shut and didn’t ask another question.
Inside the Director’s office.
Jarred knocked once and stepped inside.
“Sit,” Director Holden ordered, getting straight to the point.
“Jarred, I’ve known you for over a decade. I know exactly what kind of man you are p>
Holden stared at him intently. “But this is the internet age. The public doesn’t care about protocols or red tape.
They see the words ‘Captain’ and ‘Female Suspect’ linked together, and they’ve already written a goddamn soap opera in their heads p>
Jarred said nothing.
“The higher-ups are already breathing down my neck. This has become a massive liability p>
Jarred’s gaze turned impossibly dark.
“I’m giving you two options,” Holden said. “One, you draft an official statement, revoke the medical bail, and throw her back in holding. I’ll pass the files along, and we bury this right here. Two p>
Holden paused. “You make a public statement and squash the backlash yourself.
But remember, you’re the Captain of a Special Ops Unit, not some internet celebrity.
The moment you step into the spotlight, right or wrong, there will be a million eyes waiting for you to slip up p>
Jarred didn’t hesitate for a second. “I’ll take option two p>
Holden glanced at him, unsurprised.
“Fine. You have until the end of the day to handle this. If you fail Holden picked up his teacup. “Hand in your badge p>
Jarred walked out of the office.
Using the department’s official channels, he uploaded the complete medical bail files, Celeste’s injury assessments, and the official, chain-of command approvals.
His public response was direct: all procedures were legal, compliant, and transparent.
There was absolutely zero abuse of power, no backdoor deals, and no favoritism.
He stated firmly that there was no: inappropriate relationship between the suspect and the investigating officers dismissing the ontiner rumors as baseless speculation.
Ten minutes after the post went live, the sentiment hadn’t improved, but it hadn’t deteriorated either.
[Baseless speculation? Wow, talk about a masterclass in PR dodging. So it might be true, it might not p>
[Just check the documents, guys. Medical bail files aren’t classified p>
A few dissenting voices started popping up to defend him.
[My cousin works in the precinct. He says Sterling is the youngest Captain in history. His track record is flawless p>
[He’s a Sterling. There’s no way he’d torch his own career for a woman, right p>
Jarred didn’t read any more comments.
Leaning against the back seat of the SUV, he closed his eyes, his mind fixated on a single thought.
Sienna knew everything.
She had evidence he hadn’t even factored in.
Timing the leak perfectly wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision—she had planned this meticulously.
She was waiting for him to slip up.
Declan threw the door open and hopped in, looking panicked. “Boss! The matriarch and Helena… the saw the news! They’re at the hospital right now and demanding you get there immediately p>
Jarred’s stomach dropped, his eyes heavy with a complicated gloom.
He had kept them out of the loop specifically to avoid this exact panic. Now, the situation had escalated into a total nightmare.