Chapter 446
Jarred positioned himself right between the two women. His tall, imposing frame radiated an overwhelming dominance, the dark suit making his features look as frigid as a winter night.
From start to finish, he didn’t spare Sienna a single glance.
His gaze landed solely on the feigning Celeste, his tone hard and laced with an unquestionable urge to protect. “Enough p>
With that single word, the music abruptly stopped, and the lively chatter died instantly.
Every eye in the room practically snapped toward the three of them. You could hear a pin drop.
Celeste’s shoulders trembled slightly as she timidly gripped the cuff of Jarred’s suit, her eyes rimmed with red.
She looked like she was suffering from severe shell shock. But beneath her lowered lashes, a venomous smile bloomed.
She had bet right.
No matter how sharp Sienna was, no matter how easily her disguise fell apart under scrutiny p>
As long as Jarred was willing to protect her, willing to block every path to justice for her, Sienna would always be the loser.
Any other woman, publicly humiliated and sidelined by her husband for an outsider, would likely break down in tears, explode into a screaming match, and expose all her vulnerabilities to the crowd.
But not Sienna.
She rapidly forced her blazing fury down, her gaze entirely bypassing the man standing in her way.
Her eyes locked onto Celeste like a razor-sharp blade, a faint, chilling smile spreading across her lips.
The smile was shallow, dripping with a mockery that saw right through the charade.
It sent a sudden chill down Celeste’s spine, instantly breaking her facade of panic.
“Ms. Vaughan, is it? That Embroidered Silk Gown looks stunning on you p>
Sienna said, her pace unhurried, her voice clear and steady. “Unfortunately, your concealer technique is trash. Your arms are covered in needle marks p>
Celeste’s pupils violently contracted, her body instinctively going rigid.
She subconsciously tried to cover her exposed left arm, a panicked, sloppy movement full of holes.
That single, frantic micro-action acted like a magnet, instantly drawing every eye in the room straight to her left arm.
Sienna’s gaze was as cold as frost, every word precisely shredding her disguise.
“If it were Celeste, I could understand. After all, she claimed to suffer from severe depression, engaged in repetitive self-harm, and spent extensive time in closed off psychiatric care.
A patient undergoing frequent IV drips and blood tests would definitely have overlapping old and new catheter marks on their inner arms.
The scars from blood draws, the skin discoloration from long-term medication p>
These are physical proofs carved into the flesh. Concealer can’t hide them, and cosmetic surgery can’t simply erase them p>
Sienna smiled faintly, turning her head to look right at her. “But aren’t you Cora Vaughan? Why do you have the exact same needle marks as Celeste on your arms p>
The room exploded in gasps.
Hushed breaths echoed across the hall.
The guests’ eyes instantly morphed from sympathy to shock, scrutiny, and deep intrigue.
Eleanor and Helena panicked.
They had focused entirely on forging the most critical pieces of evidence, completely forgetting the simplest physical traces on Celeste’s body.
The two women rushed to Celeste’s side, positioning themselves to shield her.
They glared at Sienna with venomous resentment.
Sienna wasn’t afraid in the slightest, meeting their glares with calm defiance.
Watching this silent exchange, the crowd finally woke up.
The victim tonight might not be a real victim, and the seemingly unreasonable Sienna might not actually be the one in the wrong.
The blood drained from Celeste’s face until she was as pale as a ghost, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
Her fragile, gentle, innocent mask had completely fractured, revealing an irreparable crack.
She panicked for exactly one second.
Her hands still clutching Jarred’s sleeve, she choked out a sob and shook her head, her voice dripping with pure grievance.
“No… Ms. Sloan, you must have misunderstood me. My legs were injured when I was little, and I’ve been undergoing grueling rehab for years.
I have marks from pills and injections all over my body, not just my arms p>