Chapter 519
At the top of the stairs, a young nurse from Sienna’s team watched the chaotic scene below. Glancing at Sienna’s entirely unfazed profile, she couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief.
“Mr. Sterling is so foolish. Why is he still protecting her at a time like this? Who knows what kind of garbage the tabloids back home will spin from this p>
Sienna simply raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the man’s silent back below, her eyes clear and unbothered.
She offered a faint, graceful smile, her tone light and casual. “If he wants to protect her, let him. It makes no difference to me p>
Other people’s biases and choices could never dictate her life, nor could they ever diminish her brilliance.
At that moment, an assistant hurried over and spoke in a low voice. “Ms. Sloan, the car is ready. We can head to the airport whenever you’re ready p>
“Mhm.” Sienna gave a slight nod, turning to walk toward the vehicle.
The assistant hesitated for a split second before asking, “Are you not waiting for Mr. Sterling? He was just looking up here p>
Before the sentence could even finish, Sienna let out a soft laugh. “Didn’t you see how busy he was playing bodyguard? I can catch my flight perfectly fine without him p>
Just as the words left her lips, her phone rang in her purse.
It was Thea Stanton.
Sienna answered, and Thea’s cheerful voice practically bounced through the speaker.
“We saw the news. Are Helena and Celeste already on their way back p>
“Why would they stay here and continue to humiliate themselves?” Sienna smirked, a look of total, calculated certainty in her eyes.
“This isn’t over yet. Contact Silas Draken p>
Thea let out a light laugh. “Don’t worry. Everything is locked and loaded. The real show is about to begin p>
Sienna smiled softly, highly satisfied as she hung up the phone.
Down below, Jarred had finally managed to shove the two battered women into the car, thoroughly blocking out the mob’s harassment.
Almost immediately, he lifted his gaze to the top of the grand staircase, desperately searching for the silhouette that had completely consumed his thoughts.
But in the cool night breeze, the steps were entirely empty.
The breathtaking, fiercely independent Sienna who had just stunned the entire venue was nowhere to be found.
The engine of a Bentley roared to life a short distance away.
Jarred followed the sound, catching a glimpse of that devastatingly gorgeous, aloof face through the rear window.
Their eyes met, but her sharp gaze held nothing but pure, unadulterated apathy.
Jarred’s brow furrowed tightly, and he took a step forward, intending to go after her.
But the tinted window rolled up smoothly, and the car merged seamlessly into the traffic, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Jarred stood frozen in place. The night wind ruffled the stray hair across his forehead stripping away his usual arrogant, untouchable aura.
It was as if he had only just realized that Sienna was never afraid of being left behind by anyone, because she was more than formidable enough on her own.
A man who was always so effortlessly in control of everything.
Yet in this exact moment, a sudden, suffocating panic violently seized his chest, throwing his breathing completely off rhythm.
Half an hour later.
The private jet cruised smoothly at thirty thousand feet, fully isolating them from the chaos on the ground.
However, the spacious, enclosed cabin felt so intensely oppressive it was hard to breathe.
Celeste’s wheelchair was secured by the window, a light blanket draped over her legs.
She kept her eyes cast downward out of habit, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her dress.
Helena sat next to her, completely stripped of the fierce confidence she had shown when defending Celeste earlier.
She instinctively pulled her silk shawl tighter around her shoulders, her eyes darting nervously, entirely too terrified to look at her son’s ice-cold profile.
Sitting directly across from them, Jarred radiated a terrifying, suffocating pressure.
Dressed in dark casual wear, he sat perfectly straight in the main armchair, his long legs crossed.
His long, elegant fingers rested loosely on the armrest without any sudden movements.
Yet, the sheer, bone-chilling dominance radiating from him blanketed the entire cabin.