Chapter 678
He didn’t approach, stopping just a few feet from the bed. In fact, he didn’t say another word.
He simply gave a faint wave, signaling the bespectacled man to leave.
The man nodded respectfully, grabbed his case, and brushed past Sienna.
Sienna’s eyes remained locked on the case in his hands. Unable to hold back, she demanded, “What’s in the box p>
The bespectacled man made no effort to hide anything. “Ms. Sloan, this is just my medical kit p>
With that, he unlatched the case right in front of her.
The instruments were neatly organized and completely visible. It was a minimalist setup, and Sienna could tell at a glance there were no hidden compartments.
“Dr. Roman is my personal physician. For the past few nights, I’ve had him come in to check the patriarch’s blood pressure,” Marcus’s voice chimed in right on cue.
Her professional paranoia instantly flared hot on her cheeks the second Marcus spoke.
She pressed her lips together awkwardly. “I’m sorry. That was presumptuous of me p>
“No, you’re just being thorough,” Marcus replied.
Dr. Roman nodded politely to Sienna, then stepped out and closed the door behind him.
The room instantly fell silent.
Marcus stood in place, his narrow eyes quietly assessing the woman by the door.
Even though he didn’t say another word.
Sienna could read the complexity in his gaze—she knew exactly why he was waiting here specifically for her.
Just as Thea had predicted, there was no way the Sterlings were going to let her walk away now.
“I’ve already had someone inform Dr. Clayton to go rest for the evening p>
Marcus kept his voice low so as not to disturb the sleeping patriarch, his gaze resting calmly on Sienna’s face.
“Some conversations aren’t meant for a third party p>
Sienna tightened her grip on the thick stack of files in her hands, her nerves instantly kicking into overdrive.
Back in the conference room, Jarred had tried to use their past history to make her stay, while Silas had begged her out of pure, desperate devotion.
Both men had the exact same goal—they wanted her to stay and save Maloney. She had shut them both down.
It wasn’t that she enjoyed watching people suffer.
The patriarch had always treated her with profound kindness, and Maloney had defended her numerous times in the past. Sh owed them a genuine debt of gratitude.
Watching everyone in the conference room crippled by such heavy grief earlier p>
Her heart hadn’t been entirely stone. A faint glimmer of conflict had churned beneath the surface.
But the tragedy surrounding Owen was still far too fresh in her mind.
She knew exactly how deep and suffocating the Sterlings’ swamp truly was.
The second she caved and offered. her help, an endless string of complications would drag her under and she would never be able to break free.
Jarred’s words, in particular, had brutally struck her deepest nerve.
Their past relationship was nothing but a painful scar to her now.
It was absolutely unforgivable to use it as leverage to force her into sacrificing herself.
Marcus raised a hand, gesturing toward the sofa. “Have a seat. It’s tiring to stand p>
Sienna hesitated for a beat before stepping inside.
She bypassed the sofa, pulling out a chair from the desk instead, and sat down about six feet away from Marcus.
Her spine was rigid, her hands folded primly in her lap, her entire posture radiating defensive caution.
Marcus didn’t seem to mind.
He leaned against the edge of the windowsill, one leg slightly bent, casually rolling up his sleeves.
On his exposed wrist sat the bandage Sienna had wrapped for him just yesterday.
He glanced down at the back of his hand and suddenly laughed softly.
The laugh carried no malice, only a faint trace of self-deprecation.
“That bite you gave me yesterday… it actually hurt quite a bit,” he remarked. “It’s been a long time since anyone managed to sink their teeth into me p>
Sienna didn’t take the bait. She simply watched him, waiting for him to get to the point.
Marcus easily saw through the wavering hesitation she was desperately trying to hide.
He turned his head, his gaze settling on the sleeping patriarch, and his voice softened just a fraction.