Chapter 191: Echoes of the Past
“I’ve run out of options,” Jonathan mumbled. “When did this happen? Where’s the report?”
“My dear, things weren’t as bad as they made them seem,” Lily replied, shaking her head. “It’s too late! It was diagnosed a few days ago; it’s advanced and has spread.” She had instructed Oscar not to tell Sierra about it. Asahan didn’t say anything further. He was usually unflappable in life-or-death situations, but the thought of this elderly woman passing away and Sierra grieving made him involuntarily speechless.
“Let me tell you about Sierra’s childhood,” Lily began, seemingly unaffected, sharing tales of Sierra’s younger days with Jonathan. “She was such a sweet child, always smiling more than she does now. Kids are naturally oblivious, but she was thoughtful. Knowing we didn’t have much, she never asked for anything, even though that monster still beat her. I could only protect her. As she grew older, she empathized more with her mother, always stepping in to defend her. My daughter didn’t inherit my courage. Even as a child, she stood up to him, while her mother didn’t, using Sierra as a shield whenever she intervened!” Jonathan knew Sierra had it tough but didn’t realize her childhood was this rough. His expression darkened.
Lily rambled on about Sierra, eventually tiring and falling into a deep sleep. Jonathan understood why Lily was sharing these stories; she wanted him to know that Sierra had never had it easy and to not hurt her in the future. Lily had never really trusted him. He was emotionally distant and didn’t seek anyone’s approval, but in that moment, he wished he could genuinely reassure Lily.
When Sierra and Dickson returned with groceries, Lily was already asleep, and Jonathan was nowhere to be seen in the hospital room.
“Where’s Mr. Yeager? Did he leave?” Dickson asked.
“I’ll go check; stay with Grandma,” Sierra said as she left, heading first to the emergency exit where, sure enough, she found Jonathan smoking.
It was the first time Sierra had seen Jonathan smoke; the flickering red glow was particularly striking in the dim corridor. “What’s wrong? Did Grandma say something?” Sierra asked, sensing her grandmother had intentionally sent her away and that the conversation between her and Jonathan might not have gone well.
Hearing Sierra’s voice, Jonathan extinguished his cigarette and waited for the smoke to clear before approaching her. He didn’t mention Lily’s health, somewhat helplessly saying, “What do I do? Grandma doesn’t believe I’m sincere about you; she thinks I’m a scumbag.”
Sierra, taken aback, instinctively responded, “Why would she think that?”
“Didn’t you call me a refined ruffian?” Jonathan said.
“When did I ever say that?”
After Sierra’s response, she recalled their conversation the other night, admitting, “I actually called you a suit thug.”
“It’s practically the same.”
“No, it’s not!”
Muttering this, the next moment, her chin was lifted, and suddenly, Jonathan’s lips met hers. For a moment, forgetting she had wanted to ask about his talk with Grandma. Restraint, suppression, madness… mixed together, the air in the hallway thickened.
Just as they were lost in each other, Dickson’s urgent call from outside, “Sierra, Sierra!” interrupted their sweet moment. Jonathan had thought more than once about sending Dickson away. He had many ways to firmly send Dickson away but never did. He didn’t realize that with Sierra, he often chose to step back, compromise, and respect more.
Unaware of Jonathan’s annoyance, Dickson, clearly urgent, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Sierra, Grandma just coughed up blood and fainted,” Dickson said anxiously.
Startled, Sierra immediately ran to the hospital room, Jonathan following close behind, his expression grim. He had hoped Grandma could hold on a little longer, but her condition was worse than he had imagined.
When they entered, Grandma hadn’t awakened yet. Oscar had just finished examining her, and she looked at him, asking, “Dr. Zahn, are you keeping something from me?”