Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 245

It had been years, and no one had ever been willing to invest.

Why was it suddenly greenlit out of nowhere?

"The funding came through this morning."

Jonathan saw right through her confusion and explained, "The investor specifically demanded that the project commence immediately. The Director personally gave the order. We have to finalize the work reports today."

Sienna's brow furrowed tightly.

She knew all too well that once this initiative launched—unless there were phased layoffs during the experimental trials—core participants were legally barred from resigning for the next six months under any circumstances.

It was a non-negotiable clause etched in black and white on the contract.

But what about Owen?

Sienna closed her eyes, the image of his pale, gaunt face surfacing in her mind.

The memory of him being kidnapped was still horrifyingly vivid. She couldn't bear to leave him completely unguarded again.

She had meticulously orchestrated everything, even securing an apartment in Germany.

Everything was set; all that was missing was her.

How could a project that had been dead in the water for years, with zero chance of revival, suddenly score an investor?

Was this a sheer coincidence, or a deliberate sabotage?

Operating purely on instinct, Sienna snapped her head up, her gaze locking onto Jonathan. "Jonathan, who is the investor?"

Seeing the intense strain on her face, Jonathan frowned. "I also thought the timing was incredibly suspicious, as if someone was intentionally blocking you from leaving. So I asked for the backer's name. Take a look and see if you recognize it."

He tapped open an image on his phone, enlarged it, and slid it toward her.

Sienna looked down. The second her eyes landed on the screen, her pupils violently constricted.

It was Silas Draken!

The moment she registered the name, her expression turned frigid.

She and Silas had only crossed paths twice.

When she arrived at the trading house, the polite receptionist informed her, "Mr. Draken flew out of the country first thing this morning. His return date is unconfirmed."

Standing in the middle of the opulent lobby, Sienna felt as though she had just hurled a punch into a wall of cotton.

Her blazing anger had absolutely nowhere to land.

She stood there for a long time before finally turning away, her face wiped of all emotion.

Jonathan noticed her defeated demeanor and knew she hadn't found him.

He comforted her, "Don't overthink it. Maybe this is a good thing. You poured your heart into this initiative. Relaunching it might be a huge breakthrough for your career. It could be a blessing in disguise."

Sienna obviously understood the logic.

But she couldn't stop worrying about Owen. The thought of him being all alone in a foreign country, vulnerable to another catastrophe, left her sick with panic.

Coupled with the fact that her entire life plan had just been detonated, the frustration simmering in her chest refused to settle.

Just as she was at her wits' end, her phone rang again.