Chapter 278
[ 489 words ]
Chapter 278:
She walked two blocks away from the tea room to ensure she wasn’t followed. She blended seamlessly into the afternoon crowd.
Once she was in a safe zone, she pulled out her encrypted satellite phone. She hit the speed dial for Jarrod’s direct line.
The phone only rang once before it was answered.
Caroline took a deep breath, her voice returning to its normal, slightly exhausted pitch.
“Hey, Jarrod,” Caroline asked casually. “Do you happen to be free? I just got off work early and need a ride home from Georgetown.”
𝖥iո𝗱 ո𝘰ve𝗅 𝘗𝗗𝖥s o𝗻 𝗀𝗮𝗹ոov𝖾𝘭ѕ.c𝗈m
Caroline stood on the bustling street corner in Georgetown. The cold autumn wind whipped her hair around her face as she waited on the line.
Over the encrypted phone, Jarrod’s voice was remarkably smooth. He perfectly masked the intense adrenaline still coursing through his veins from listening to her victory.
“It’s your lucky day,” Jarrod told her with a perfectly straight face. “I just happen to be passing by the area after a meeting at the Pentagon.”
Caroline smiled. She knew the Pentagon was nowhere near Georgetown, but she played along, giving him her exact cross-streets.
Less than two minutes later, the massive, familiar black armored SUV glided smoothly to a halt right in front of her, scattering dry autumn leaves.
K.C. Bell jumped out to open the door. He failed to completely hide the massive grin on his usually stoic face as he greeted her.
Caroline noticed K.C.’s unusual cheerfulness but didn’t comment. She climbed into the spacious, leather-scented rear cabin.
Jarrod was sitting there. He looked devastatingly handsome in his tactical suit, exuding an aura of suppressed, powerful energy.
As soon as the heavy door thudded shut, sealing them in their private fortress, Jarrod turned to her. His dark eyes burned with an unspoken intensity.
“How was your meeting?” Jarrod asked casually, pretending he didn’t know she had just engaged in psychological warfare a few blocks away.
Caroline unzipped her cheap denim jacket. Without a word of preamble, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded piece of paper.
She tossed it casually onto Jarrod’s lap. The crisp cashier’s check for fifty thousand dollars landed face up against his dark tactical pants.
Jarrod looked down at the check, then back up at her. He raised an eyebrow in feigned curiosity, waiting for her explanation.
Caroline sighed, leaning back into the leather seat.
“Your stepmother has a terrible sense of market value,” Caroline told him.
She recounted the entire meeting with Cornelia. She explained how Dr. Finchley had set her up and how Cornelia had tried to buy her off.
Caroline didn’t sugarcoat the threats. She told Jarrod exactly what Cornelia said about his violent nature and the veiled threat against her father.
Jarrod’s jaw tightened at the mention of the threat. Real murderous intent flashed in his eyes, but he forced himself to remain seated.
Caroline then proudly explained how she had countered. She detailed her mockery of the million-dollar offer and her threat to expose the annulment papers to the General.
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