Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 129

Jarred finally reacted, his eyes darkening like black ink. "Celeste was just bored. She came with me to pass the time."

Sienna's heart sank.

Her intuition had been right all along.

"No." She shook her head, her expression unreasonably stubborn. "She definitely had an ulterior motive. I don't know how she did it, but she clearly pulled something. You need to investigate, go—"

"Enough." Jarred cut her off with an icy edge to his voice.

It wasn't anger. It wasn't rage.

It was sheer exhaustion—a final warning. "Say one more word, and I'll sue you for defamation!"

Sienna stared blankly at him.

He stood right there, his eyes on her, yet it felt as though there was a thick wall of ice between them.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen this look from him before, but in this moment, it sent an unparalleled chill down her spine.

"Sienna, are you quite finished?"

Right then, Helena's sharp voice cut through the tension.

She marched over, planting herself between Jarred and Sienna, her tone biting. "Celeste is already severely injured, and you insist on publicly ripping open her scars over and over again?

What is wrong with you? Do you really hate seeing Celeste safe and happy that much?"

Sienna slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, nothing remained but a dead, hollow calm.

The police had already drawn their conclusion, which meant the evidence was cemented.

Fighting it any further was utterly pointless.

She had been so close.

Just one step away from clearing her name and exposing Celeste's true colors.

Sienna's body trembled slightly. Even seated in the wheelchair, she looked as though she might collapse at any second.

Luna noticed her crumbling posture and quickly gripped her shoulder, whispering, "Sienna, let them go for now. Don't forget there are still accomplices out there. We still have a chance."

That single sentence snapped Sienna back to reality.

She loosened her white-knuckled grip on the armrests, spun the wheelchair, and moved aside to let them pass.

Luna quickly hurried after her.

Jarred stood rooted to the spot, watching her retreating figure.

The hands shoved deep in his pockets quietly clenched into tight fists.

In the car.

Sienna leaned against the seat, staring blankly at the blurring city streets. Her face was terrifyingly calm.

Luna shot her a worried look. "Sienna, don't let it get to you..."

Sienna kept her eyes glued to the window, her expression unreadable.

She suddenly spoke, her voice unnervingly flat. "Luna, is today the thirtieth?"

Luna paused, then nodded. "Yeah, why?"

The moment she asked, Luna seemed to realize something.

She turned her head, meeting Sienna's utterly resolved gaze. "...I need you to do something for me."