Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 229

"You've never taken anyone's side but Celeste's. Now that you're getting a divorce, you suddenly realize how great your ex-wife is?"

Before Jarred could respond, Lucas casually threw an arm over his shoulder, his eyes gleaming with the teasing excitement of a spectator.

"You're asking a pointless question. Celeste has been awake for a while, and we've been trying to make her laugh for hours, but she just sat there looking miserable.

Yet the second you walk through the door, Mr. Sterling, her entire face lights up. She couldn't hide that smile if she tried.

At the end of the day, we're all just background noise. You're the only one who can actually comfort her."

Felton Sinclair chimed in from the side, "I get it now. We're the third wheels here. Jarred and Celeste have their own exclusive frequency, and nobody else can tune in."

"An exclusive romance channel," Lucas added, egging them on. The romantic tension in the room instantly spiked.

Hearing this, Celeste immediately lowered her eyes, her long lashes hiding the fleeting smile beneath them.

Seeing her reaction, the other men in the room started whistling and cheering.

The playful laughter echoed around the room.

Every single joke landed like a sledgehammer against Jarred's skull, while simultaneously echoing into Sienna's ears outside the door.

The unshakable confidence Jarred had when he walked into the room disintegrated completely beneath the weight of their teasing.

It was replaced by a bone-chilling cold and an indescribable panic.

He spoke up, his voice dangerously low as he issued a stern warning to the room: "Stop spreading baseless rumors. Celeste is just like a sister to me. That's it. There is nothing else going on."

But to his friends, his defense just sounded like a wealthy heir trying to save face. Not a single person took him seriously.

Instead, the laughter only grew louder and more obnoxious.

"Alright, alright, we get it. No need to play coy."

Lucas waved him off, his grin widening. "Before, you had Sienna acting as a giant roadblock, so you had no choice but to keep Celeste waiting.

But today, his mindset was entirely different.

As he replayed every word in his head, a horrifying realization hit him.

Over the years, all the boundaries had been blurred. Every action had crossed the line, and every single thing he did or said was blatantly feeding this massive delusion.

He forced down the surging dread in his chest and demanded, his voice dropping to a terrifying register:

"Who told you that my marriage to Sienna was somehow unfair to Celeste?

And who gave you the idea that just because I divorce Sienna, I'm obligated to date Celeste?

She and I are nothing more than friends. What exactly is there to make public?"

The chaotic, noisy room instantly plunged into dead silence.