Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 199

He swept his gaze over the lawyers standing with their heads bowed, then looked at his grandmother, a blood-curdling smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.

"Don't panic, Grandmother," he drawled lazily. "I only found out tonight that the Sterlings have been harboring a pack of ruthless predators."

He tilted his head toward Declan, raising his chin slightly.

Understanding the silent command, Declan pulled a thick stack of documents from his briefcase. He walked over to the lawyers and dropped a copy at the feet of every single one of them.

The lighting in the living room was dim, but the moment the lawyers glanced down, sheer terror flashed in their eyes.

It was a flawless, unredacted compilation of every single illicit document they had drafted over the past few years.

Jarred spoke with a careless, arrogant drawl, yet the suffocating authority in his tone was impossible to ignore.

"Since everyone is gathered here tonight, I want you to explain every filthy, underhanded scheme you orchestrated. Leave nothing out."

He paused, his eyes suddenly narrowing with lethal intent. "I don't have the patience to listen to excuses. If you omit a single detail, I will start destroying the lives of your families and friends. Who you decide to save is entirely up to you."

The moment those words left his mouth, the lawyers turned ghostly pale.

On one side was their long-time employer, who had fed them millions over the years. On the other was Jarred Sterling, the absolute, ruthless dictator of the Sterling empire.

Crossing either side was a death sentence.

They exchanged terrified, desperate glances, but not a single one dared to speak.

Watching the trembling group, Jarred let out a frigid, mocking laugh, his eyes entirely devoid of warmth.

"What? No one has the spine to speak? Fine. I'll speak for you."

The instant the words dropped, the lazy arrogance vanished from his face, replaced by a terrifying, predatory darkness.

The matriarch sat rigidly beside Helena's wheelchair. Both women were desperately trying to maintain their composure, but their eyes darted around in absolute panic.

Celeste, acting as though this was the first she was hearing of it, quietly studied their expressions, a flash of mockery crossing her eyes.

"If you're all so brilliant at extortion and embezzlement, why even bother practicing law?"

Jarred leaned back against the sofa. His tone was casual, but every word dripped with venomous sarcasm. "You should have just resorted to armed robbery. Ten million dollars a day? Not even a bank makes money as fast as you parasites do."

He slowly crossed one long leg over the other, the suffocating pressure radiating from him only intensifying. "I'm a fair man.

As long as someone points the finger and confesses exactly whose idea those two contracts were, the rest of you are safe. You have my word."

The moment he finished speaking, beads of cold sweat visibly erupted on the lawyers' foreheads.