Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 68

Grandmother and Helena also froze, utterly horrified.

They never expected the previously submissive Sienna to suddenly strike.

Sienna rolled her wrist, admiring the bright red handprint rapidly blooming on Celeste's cheek with profound satisfaction.

"That one," she said, "was payback for you tripping me just now."

A fleeting glint of malice flashed through Celeste's eyes.

But in the very next second, clutching her burning, red cheek, she looked at Sienna with absolute fragility.

"Sienna, I already admitted it was my fault. Why won't you let this go?"

Sienna met her gaze with icy indifference, acting as if she hadn't heard a word. Rearing back, she delivered another vicious slap.

This time, she hit even harder, splitting the corner of Celeste's mouth until a thin line of blood trickled out.

"Ah!" Celeste screamed in pain, finally bursting into real tears. "Stop hitting me... please, stop hitting me..."

Sienna raised her hand, fully prepared to deliver a third strike.

Suddenly, a grim, terrifying voice, vibrating with apocalyptic fury, exploded through the quiet room.

"Stop right there!"

Sienna's hand froze in mid-air. She turned toward the sound.

Only then did she notice that Celeste's secure phone had somehow been dropped right by Helena's feet.

And it had already connected to Jarred's number. The screen displayed a call time of thirty-two seconds.

It was glaringly obvious now. Every fragile, victimized whimper and falsely accommodating plea Celeste had made had been transmitted directly into Jarred's ear.

Sienna understood it all.

She let out a cold laugh.

Though she had guessed Celeste wouldn't fight back, she truly hadn't expected the woman to save such a massive trump card.

Watching Celeste's terrifyingly practiced performance, Sienna seriously wanted to bow down in twisted awe.

"What a spectacular show," she said, clapping her hands slowly.

Helena was pale with rage. "Sienna! Celeste is in this state and she's still defending you, and you return her kindness with malice! Do you have any conscience at all?"

Grandmother added, "As a woman, why must you make life so difficult for another woman? How can your heart be so hardened?"

Sienna turned around, her gaze sweeping over each of them.

Finally, it landed on Celeste's face.

"How I treat people depends on my mood, but mostly, it depends on their character."

She curled her lips into a faint smirk, enunciating every word. "And you people don't deserve it."

With that, her eyes darted toward the liquor cabinet not too far away.