Chapter 109 His Protection
Sloane's POV
Seeing this, the police officer could only shrug helplessly, indicating there was nothing he could do.
"Arthur, you still haven't answered my question!" Isabelle persisted relentlessly. She pointed at me, her eyes full of venom. "Is it this bitch? Did she get Jared to come after me?!"
Her words sent a chill through my heart. They were truly delusional beyond belief.
I let out a cold laugh, crossed my arms, and looked down at them with naked mockery in my voice: "Isabelle, Arthur, aren't you being a bit naive about Jared? If he really wanted to come after you, do you think he'd only let you suffer these minor injuries?"
I paused, my gaze lingering on Isabelle's swollen face for a few seconds, my voice dropping lower with an undisguised menace: "If he really wanted to make a move, do you think you'd still be lying here, perfectly able to accuse me? He would make you disappear from this world without a trace."
My words exploded like thunder in the hospital room.
Isabelle and Arthur's faces instantly turned deathly pale, their lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
They probably never imagined Jared's methods could be so ruthless.
The venom and anger in their eyes were replaced by a deeper layer of fear.
I didn't bother with them anymore and turned to leave the room.
The heavy smell of disinfectant in the hospital and Isabelle's vicious curses made me feel physically sick.
I needed some fresh air, and more importantly, I needed answers.
Jared's words on the phone yesterday, his attitude about "collecting interest," now seemed eerily aligned with Isabelle's miserable condition.
I hailed a taxi and headed straight to Montclair Corporation headquarters.
The whole ride, my heart beat faster and faster.
I knew Jared's methods were always swift and merciless, but would he really go this far against a woman? Images of Isabelle's swollen face and the shocking injuries on her body flashed alternately in my mind, making my heart race.
The elevator went straight to the top floor. I walked directly toward Jared's office.
When his secretary saw me, she put on a professional smile and was about to speak, but I waved her off, indicating she didn't need to announce me, and pushed open the office door directly.
Jared was sitting behind his large desk, absorbed in handling documents.
Hearing the door open, he looked up. Those deep eyes instantly softened when they saw me.
He put down his pen, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, his voice low and magnetic: "What brings you here? Aren't you busy at the hospital?"
His calm and casual manner made the questions I had prepared get stuck in my throat.
I walked up to him, placed my hands on the desk, leaned forward slightly, and looked straight into those unfathomable eyes, my voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor: "Isabelle... is in the hospital."
His gaze lingered on my face for a few seconds, as if judging my intentions.
Then he withdrew the smile from his face, and a cryptic light flashed in those eyes.
"Mm." He simply responded with a light acknowledgment, not denying it.
He admitted it.
My heart sank sharply, a complex feeling welling up inside me.
I didn't know whether I should be shocked, angry, or... feel a sense of security from being protected.
"You... you really..." I opened my mouth but didn't know how to continue.
Jared stood up, walked around the desk, and came to my side. He didn't answer my question, just reached out and gently caressed my flat belly. His warm palm, through the thin fabric, transmitted a reassuring warmth.
"Sloane," he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, his voice low and husky with a barely noticeable weariness, "I know you're kind, and I know you're soft-hearted."
He paused, looking straight into my eyes, his tone filled with unquestionable determination: "But some things can't be covered up with just a word like 'disgraceful.' That man called Mike was bribed to deliberately harm my wife and child, and behind it all were Isabelle and Arthur pulling the strings."
My pupils suddenly constricted. So he knew everything.
"I sent people to investigate, but they covered their tracks perfectly, leaving no direct evidence." There was a hint of regret in Jared's tone, but it was quickly replaced by bone-chilling coldness. "Since we can't find evidence, I could only collect some interest first."
He withdrew his hand from my belly and instead pulled me tightly into his embrace, his chin resting on top of my head, his voice muffled with a barely noticeable vulnerability: "Sloane, I don't want you or our child to be harmed in any way. If they dare touch you, I'll make them pay."
This domineering yet slightly aggrieved manner of his made the unease I felt about his methods instantly dissipate.
I leaned against him, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat, his clean, pleasant scent filling my nose.
He released me, cupped my face, those deep eyes full of inquiry and a hint of caution: "Are you... are you blaming me?"
Looking at him, an indescribable bitterness welled up in my heart.
Blame him? No, how could I blame him?
Isabelle and Arthur joined forces to put me in mortal danger. Their viciousness was far worse than I had imagined.
And Jared, he was just using his own way to protect me and our child.
I shook my head, didn't speak, just took a step forward and hugged him tightly.
My burning cheek pressed against his chest, feeling his steady, powerful heartbeat, his clean, pleasant scent filling my nose.
This feeling of being unconditionally favored and protected by him made the unease I felt about Isabelle's condition completely disappear.
"No, I don't blame you." I said in a muffled voice, with a barely noticeable tremor, "I'm just... chilled, didn't expect they would go so far against me."
I tightened my arms around his waist, my tone full of lingering fear, "You did the right thing, Jared. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to me."
His arms around me suddenly tightened, his chin resting on top of my head, his warm breath on my face.
I lifted my head from his embrace, met his deep eyes, and asked puzzled: "How... how did you find out it was Isabelle and Arthur behind it? Didn't they cover their tracks perfectly?"
Jared's eyes darkened a bit. He gently stroked my cheek, his tone carrying a barely noticeable weariness: "That man called Mike had a batch of gold of unknown origin. That gold happened to be connected to Isabelle's recent money laundering channels."