Chapter 654
“If the target wasn’t me, then what was the point of my kidnapping Sienna muttered to herself, a trace of unconscious doubt lacing her words.
Thea frowned. “Maybe it was just a diversion, clearing the way to strike at Maloney p>
Sienna fell silent for a moment before slipping her phone back into her purse.
Thea gripped the wheel, her eyes locked dead ahead as her tone turned utterly serious.
“Sienna, look at it this way—you no longer have any legal ties to the Sterling family.
Since Maloney’s accident has nothing to do with you, there’s no need to beat yourself up over it.
Owen is still relying on you. With the Sterlings tearing themselves apart, this is the perfect time for you to walk away.
Who knows what kind of nightmare the family will face next.
You saw those old vultures corner you last time. None of them are easy to deal with.
Perhaps the mastermind is one of them.
If you stay tangled up in this mess, what happens to Owen p>
Sienna stayed silent, fully intent on leaving.
Although bailing right now felt a bit callous.
But as long as she honored the patriarch’s trust and found someone capable of shouldering the burden, she wouldn’t be letting the old man down.
“You haven’t been able to transfer the power, probably because the patriarch never actually thought you’d divorce Jarred.
Now that Maloney is gone, the legal conditions for the handover are null and void. You can’t execute the power of attorney anymore p>
Thea slowed the car down and glanced over. “You can just dump the authority straight back into the laps of the Sterling family’s immediate relatives. Let them pick their own proxy.
You can wash your hands of the entire thing and walk away clean p>
As her words faded, the car pulled up to the gates of Solstice Hill.
Sienna stared at the dim yellow lights glowing in the courtyard, her eyes ice cold.
She had already made up her mind; she absolutely refused to touch the Sterling Group’s authority.
She and Maloney had struck a deal, and no one could have anticipated this sudden tragedy.
The massive empire was now a headless beast, with shareholders and elders staring hungrily at the power she held.
Even if she wanted to cut and run, there was nowhere to hide.
Her only way out was to immediately scout a legitimate, heavyweight successor for the Sterling family.
Once someone took the reins from her hands, she could finally leave the Capital with zero attachments.
After weighing her options, Sienna pursed her lips and nodded without a shred of hesitation.
“If they can’t make up their minds, then I’ll just have to help them p>
Thea saw the piercing determination in her eyes, knowing Sienna hadn’t lost sight of her goal.
Thea smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry. Leave it to me p>
The night deepened.
A black Bentley glided onto the overpass heading back to the city, the atmosphere inside suffocatingly grim.
Jarred leaned against the backseat, still wearing the exhaustion of the day.
The chilling hostility he had brought back from Northport still clung to his features.
He looked at Declan in the passenger seat, his voice low.
“Launch a full-scale investigation into Dustin Vale’s background, including any suspicious movements over the past two years and his social network since joining the company.
He hasn’t been with my brother for long, yet he managed to lay a trap without making a single sound. He definitely had help.
Follow the thread all the way down, and make sure you drag the mastermind out of the shadows p>
Declan immediately bowed his head. “I’ll have our people on it right away p>
Jarred massaged his temples, his gaze dark. “Deploy more men and expand the search radius indefinitely.
The crash site is near the mountains and the sea. Even a living person could easily be swept away by the currents, let alone anything else p>
Jarred paused, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave. “Bottom line, want to see a person if they’re alive! and I want to see a body if they’re dead.
No news means there’s still a glimmer of hope. I don’t care what it costs—find them p>
“Understood,” Declan agreed solemnly.
The cabin fell back into a heavy silence.