Chapter 136: Feasting on Fears

Jonathan edged closer to Sierra. “Are you rejecting me because you’re afraid I’ll get hurt, that something might happen to me?”

Sierra avoided his gaze, offering no reply, but her expression said it all.

Jonathan’s mood was good; he smirked, “Today was just an accident.”

“It wasn’t an accident!” Sierra asserted. “Even if today was, there will be other things…” She had seen too much of Shane’s handiwork.

“So what?” Jonathan’s voice was commanding. “You think I’m afraid?”

“But I am afraid! Jonathan, I’m scared!” It was the first time she admitted her fear—not for herself, but for him.

Something fluttered in Jonathan’s heart, tickling him intensely. He lifted his hand to her lips, pressing gently. “Don’t bite; you’ll bleed.”

Startled, as if buried, Sierra stepped back, dodging his hand. “Jonathan, stay away from me!”

With that, she opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind her, as if closing off her heart.

“Tak!” Jonathan clicked his tongue lightly, somewhat sighing as if unsure what to do with Sierra. “What a stubborn girl!” he murmured under his breath.

Only when the footsteps outside faded did Sierra finally exhale slowly.

“Sierra, are you okay?” Dickson, noting her distressed look, was full of concern.

Sierra shook her head. “I’m fine. Dickson, try to stay indoors as much as you can.”

Regaining her composure, Sierra recalled her conversation with Shane earlier that day and frowned. “No matter who asks you out, don’t go…”

“Okay!” Dickson agreed. “But, Sierra, what’s really going on?”

Having already shared many things with Dickson, Sierra didn’t keep him in the dark about Jonathan’s injury today. “This might involve you too.”

“I’m not afraid! Sierra, is that person also the one who harmed my sister?” Dickson inquired. Sierra nodded. Dickson had become much more composed these days and seemed to have matured instantly, so she didn’t worry about him acting rashly and revealed Shane’s identity.

“His name is Shane; he’s a prison warden. He handed your sister over to Kason, that scumbag…”

A flash of anger crossed Dickson’s eyes, but he forced himself to endure. “Sierra, how did he manage it? Doesn’t anyone know?” he asked.

Sierra shook her head. “I don’t know, he’s just too cunning.”

“And… I suspect others are involved.” Otherwise, Shane couldn’t have kept this under wraps.

“Dickson, promise me, don’t rush things; we’ll look into this slowly.”

Dickson clenched his fists. “I know! Sierra, don’t worry, I won’t act impulsively.” He was determined to find all those responsible for harming Daphne.

“Kason is a pervert, Sierra, don’t get near him. I’ll go,” Dickson said. His face noticeably paled at the thought, clearly recalling his own sufferings. Yet, he still said it: he couldn’t let Sierra face that danger. “No way!”

Sierra patted Dickson’s hand to calm him. “Kason is not like Brendan, he only likes women. Moreover, I suspect he’s using them for human experiments.” That explained why she had shown her talents in front of Kason. If her suspicions were correct, there would undoubtedly be a complete industry chain behind Kason—people taken for experiments, discarded when used up. Or maybe used by him before being sent for experiments.

“Dickson, I need you to do something now. Check the prison records for people who’ve disappeared or died mysteriously over the years. Be careful not to let anyone notice,” Sierra instructed. She entrusted this task to Dickson, partly to keep him occupied and distract him, and partly because of his strong aptitude in computer technology, something she had discovered while tutoring him. She had already suggested that Dickson focus on this area.