Chapter 376
[ 502 words ]
Chapter 376:
“Caroline,” he said again, his voice softer this time, but with an underlying steel that was impossible to ignore. “Come to me.”
Brenna, knowing perfectly well that the man before her was the elusive husband Caroline had spoken of in the past, still watched with wide, apprehensive eyes as the tension flared between him and the hospital staff.
Before Caroline could form a response, Jarrod moved. He stepped around Julian as if he were a piece of furniture, closing the distance between them in two long strides. He reached for Caroline and she flinched, her body still rigid with shock and anger. He ignored her stiffness, his left hand remaining firm as he pulled her against his chest, while his right arm stayed braced against his side, carefully protecting the healing injury that still haunted him.
The sudden proximity was overwhelming. He smelled of dust, sweat, and the faint, familiar scent of cedar that was uniquely his. It was the scent of a home she hadn’t realized she’d been missing so desperately.
The embrace stunned Julian and Brenna into silence. Their eyes were wide, their expressions a mixture of shock and utter disbelief—not at the revelation of the marriage, but at the sheer, predatory intensity Jarrod projected.
Jarrod lowered his head and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead. It wasn’t a kiss of passion; it was a kiss of ownership. A brand. A silent declaration to the entire world.
He lifted his head, his left arm still wrapped securely around her waist, and looked directly at Julian. His voice was calm, level, and utterly devastating.
“Thank you for your concern for my wife, Dr. Croft,” he said. “But I’m back now.”
Julian’s face went white. Despite already knowing the status of their marriage, the sight of Jarrod reclaiming her so publicly clearly unsettled him. He stared at them, at Jarrod’s arm around Caroline’s waist, at the undeniable intimacy of the gesture. “You’re finally here to act the part?” he challenged, his voice shaking with emotion. “Where were you when she needed you? When she was being harassed and cornered and had no one to turn to? Where the hell were you?”
The accusation hung in the air, sharp and pointed.
Jarrod didn’t flinch. He met Julian’s furious gaze without a trace of defensiveness. “You’re right,” he said, his honesty more disarming than any excuse would have been. “I wasn’t here. I failed her.”
𝖣𝗼𝘄𝗇𝗹𝗼а𝘥 𝖯𝗗𝗙𝘴 𝖿𝘳𝘦𝘦 oո 𝗴𝗮𝗅ոo𝗏𝘦𝗅𝘴.𝗰o𝗺
He looked down at Caroline, his eyes filled with a raw, aching sincerity she had never seen before. “But that’s going to change. I promise you. From this moment on, things will be different.”
The words were for Julian, but the promise was for her.
Julian stood there, speechless, his anger deflating in the face of Jarrod’s stark admission. He looked from Jarrod to Caroline, his own face a canvas of hurt and disillusionment. He gave a short, bitter laugh.
“I hope so,” he said, his voice flat. He gave Caroline one last, long look, then turned and walked away, his retreating back rigid with defeat.
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