Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 296

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The crowd slowly parted down the middle.

Celeste was wheeled forward, gracefully emerging from the center of the group.

She wore a delicate white cardigan, her long hair draped softly over her shoulders. With no makeup on, she looked exceptionally pale and incredibly fragile.

Her weak, sorrow-filled eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Looking every bit the terrified, pitiful victim, she bit her bottom lip, resembling a delicate flower that had just been ruthlessly ravaged by a storm.

She looked at Sienna, her voice soft, trembling, and laced with just the right amount of innocent confusion.

"Ms. Sloan... it's so late. Why are you sneaking into the Manor's backyard, squatting alone in the woods, digging up dirt and taking pictures? ...What exactly are you doing?"

A dead silence instantly swallowed the woods, the air growing so oppressive it was almost suffocating.

Dozens of hostile glares nailed Sienna to the spot like physical daggers.

Questioning, disgusted, probing—they trapped her completely, leaving no room for escape.

Sienna was still holding her phone up.

The crucial photo she had painstakingly framed on the screen had ultimately failed to save.

Staring at Celeste's sickeningly artificial, delicate face, a cold dread crept up Sienna's spine as the realization hit her.

She had been so incredibly careful, yet she had still walked right into Celeste's meticulously laid trap.

Helena was the first to break the silence, a harsh, undisguised scoff erupting from her nose.

"Hah, when Celeste warned us earlier, I actually didn't believe her. She told me that with so many people visiting lately, some individuals with ulterior motives might sneak into the Manor.

At first, I thought, this is the Sterling estate—who would be stupid enough to try something here?

But looking at this now, well, I guess I've truly seen it all."