Chapter 124
[ 532 words ]
Chapter 124:
Jarrod stood slightly behind Caroline. He looked down at the shattered glass, then up at his wife. There was zero anger in his gray eyes. Instead, a dark, consuming wave of absolute pride and raw possessiveness burned in his stare. He didn’t intervene. He let her dominate the battlefield.
Then a heavy, scraping sound broke the silence.
Thwack. Drag. Thwack.
General Augustus Romero stepped out from the deep shadows of the main hall. He leaned heavily on his black ebony cane, his massive frame supported by Finch the butler. The old man moved with the slow, terrifying inevitability of a tank.
The General’s face was a mask of carved stone. His ancient, hawk-like eyes burned with a cold, calculated fury. He looked at the shattered glass on the floor, completely ignored Harper’s trembling form, and locked his gaze directly onto Jarrod.
“This farce has gone on long enough,” the General demanded, his raspy voice scraping against the walls. “A military protocol is a shield, not a solution. You exploited the Department of Defense to force this onto this family without my blessing.”
Jarrod immediately stepped forward. He shifted his massive shoulders, placing his body partially in front of Caroline, shielding her from the old man’s lethal stare.
“It was handled through my military legal channels, Grandfather,” Jarrod fired back, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “The sensitive nature of my assignment made the timing a necessity. It is legal, binding, and final, whether it aligns with your timeline or not.”
The General’s eyes narrowed into absolute slits. The fact remained—he was powerless to overrule the military seal, and it galled him.
𝗗о𝘸𝗻𝗹о𝖺𝗱 P𝘋𝘍ѕ 𝖿𝘳𝘦𝗲 𝘰𝗻 𝗴а𝗅𝘯о𝘃e𝘭𝘴.𝘤𝗼m
“You hide behind protocols to justify this disgrace?” the General snarled, whipping his head toward Caroline. “You think a classified stamp will protect you from the consequences of touching the Romero name?”
A massive wave of suffocating, battlefield-hardened killing intent rolled off the old man. Caroline felt the pressure physically press against her chest. She did not take a step back. She met his stare head-on.
“I will prove my worth with my actions, General,” Caroline answered, her voice perfectly steady. “Not with paperwork.”
The General let out a harsh, mocking scoff. He waved his hand dismissively.
“Get out of my sight,” the General spat. “Both of you. Get out.”
Jarrod didn’t offer a salute. He gave a microscopic nod of his head, a final act of defiance. He wrapped his arm tightly around Caroline’s waist, his grip a possessive brand, and turned her toward the exit.
They walked away with long, aggressive strides, leaving the wreckage of the party—and Harper’s shattered dignity—behind them. The whispers of the remaining guests followed them like the rustling of snakes in dry grass.
They marched through the empty corridors and out the West Side Gate.
The freezing night air hit Caroline’s face the moment they stepped outside. A violent shiver ripped through her body. She suddenly realized her back was completely soaked in cold sweat.
The black armored SUV was waiting, the engine purring silently. K. C. Bell stood at attention by the open rear door.
Jarrod guided her into the warm leather interior before sliding in beside her. The heavy door closed with a solid, vault-like thud, sealing them off from the venom of the Romero estate.
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