Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 197

Those traits weren't something you could teach in a classroom; she was quite literally born for this profession.

It was a devastating shame that he was about to lose such a brilliant protégé.

The thought that she would undoubtedly shine brightly in the future, yet no longer be working under his guidance, left Jonathan deeply frustrated.

He let out a long sigh. "A change of scenery will be good for you. Leave all those toxic people and situations behind and start fresh.

Whatever you decide to do, I support you. If you need anything, my door is always open."

That simple sentence gave Sienna the ultimate anchor of security.

She nodded gently. "Okay."

Back at the Capital's private airstrip.

In the back seat of the extended Bentley, the air was as chilling as a freezer.

Declan didn't dare lift his head as he carefully handed a thick file to the man sitting in the back.

The neon city lights slipped through the tinted windows, washing over Jarred's icy profile. The flickering shadows illuminated a terrifying, dead silence—the calm before a catastrophic storm.

Jarred took the file. As his eyes skimmed the text, the temperature in the car plummeted to absolute zero.

Declan swallowed hard and reported in a hushed voice, "Boss, I checked Ms. Sloan's whereabouts over the past six months. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Aside from the times your grandmother approached her, she rarely had private meetings with anyone from the Manor.

The only anomaly was the very last time... the day she handed you the divorce papers."

Jarred's memory instantly transported him back to that night.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

It had been his turn to visit his grandfather. He had brought Sienna back to the Manor. Halfway through the evening, his grandmother mentioned she wanted to chat with Sienna and called her into the study.

Shortly after, Celeste claimed she wanted to test-drive his new sports car.

He initially told her to take it herself, but she complained about being out of practice. Before he could even refuse, she had dragged him out the door.

He hadn't even... stopped by the study to tell Sienna he was leaving.

The winding mountain roads were pitch black, and she had been completely alone.

Jarred shut his eyes, desperately trying to banish the vivid imagery forcing its way into his mind, but it only grew sharper.

What had she felt at that moment? Was she freezing? Was she terrified? Or... was she so numb with hatred that all she felt was dead ashes?

Declan's voice echoed through the silence. "Furthermore, I uncovered that right before you got married, the matriarch... she used your name to force Ms. Sloan into signing a prenuptial agreement."

"In my name?" Jarred's eyes snapped open, blazing with a terrifying red hue.

"Yes," Declan nodded grimly. "The terms were explicit. During your marriage, Ms. Sloan merely had 'usage rights' to the Sterling assets. The moment the marriage ended, she was legally bound to leave destitute."

So that was it.

No wonder Jonathan said she didn't get a single dime. No wonder Jonathan had looked at him with such utter disgust.

Jarred suddenly raised his hand, violently crushing the file into a mangled ball.

The only sound in the suffocating cabin was his ragged, furious breathing. "Drive to the Manor."