Chapter 218: The Storm Approaches

After returning home, Johnathan stayed by Sierra’s side. He was worried about her. But Sierra was stronger than he had expected. Aside from breaking down the previous night, she remained composed. She even made sure he changed his bandages. That surprised him.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sierra spoke as she carefully dressed his wound. “I prepared for this a long time ago. Just being able to spend time with Grandma was already a blessing.”

Johnathan had mixed feelings. She spoke so lightly, as if she had truly come to terms with it. But maybe that was because she had been forced to face loss all her life. Maybe that was why she had adapted. She looked delicate—but she had an unyielding spirit; the kind of resilience that made her seem almost invincible. Johnathan didn’t know how to describe it.

Sierra, however, was not as indifferent as she seemed. She simply refused to drown in grief. So she forced herself to stay busy, forcing herself to focus on something else.

“Last night’s attack,” she started. “We need to find out who was behind it.” She hesitated, then asked, “You don’t get along with your family, do you?”

“My mother passed away. My grandfather treats me well,” Johnathan’s tone was cautious.

But Sierra noticed—he didn’t mention his father. That told her enough. She didn’t press further. Instead, she asked, “If they already see you as a threat, what happens next?” If they were already using weapons, this wasn’t a simple matter.

Johnathan smiled. “It’s a line. I’ll look into it. They just wanted to send me a warning—they wouldn’t dare go too far.” He wasn’t lying.

There were plenty of people who wanted him gone. But with his grandfather still alive, they couldn’t openly make a move. Still, he knew exactly who was behind this: Kason. That fool. Johnathan had been planning to deal with him anyway. But Kason had made the first move. That just made things easier. Of course, he wasn’t going to tell Sierra that.

“After we send Grandma off, do you want to come to Albanos with me?” Johnathan asked suddenly. His time was running out. By April, he would be thirty. And he had already promised his grandfather—by then, he would return for good.

Sierra thought for a moment. “You go first,” she said. She still had unfinished business. She couldn’t leave yet. Kason needed to be dealt with. And she needed to talk to Dickson.

Johnathan didn’t argue. He knew nothing would change her mind. “Do whatever you want,” he said lightly. Just one thing—his gaze locked onto hers. “Take care of yourself. If you get hurt, I won’t go easy on you next time.”

Sierra’s heart softened. She leaned forward and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you for not stopping me. Thank you for believing in me.”

Johnathan didn’t respond. He just held her tighter. Neither of them spoke. They didn’t need to. But even if he was letting Sierra handle things her way, that didn’t mean Kason was getting off easy.

Richardson Pharmaceuticals was in chaos. One after another, their partners started backing out. Letters flooded in from suppliers, saying they would be reevaluating their partnerships after the New Year. And even within the company, the shareholders were getting restless. Kason barely had time to breathe.

“This isn’t natural!” He slammed his fist on the table. Someone was behind this. And he had a very good idea of who…

“Kason,” his father, Mr. Richardson, spoke. “Have you offended anyone lately?” He knew his son was involved in shady dealings. He had always turned a blind eye. To him, the people Kason played with were nothing more than waste products. Expendable. Besides, Richardson Pharmaceuticals had never been clean to begin with. Among all his children, Kason was the one he was most satisfied with. He was ruthless. Decisive. A true businessman. Of course, if he didn’t have those disgusting hobbies, he’d be even better. As a man, it was normal to have desires. But Kason, he took it too far. Still, as long as he handled things cleanly, Mr. Richardson didn’t care.

Kason instinctively shook his head. Then he hesitated. Something flickered across his face. Mr. Richardson caught it immediately. “You did offend someone,” he stated. “Who was it?”

Whoever was doing this—they weren’t ordinary. To be able to stir up this much trouble for the Richardson family, they had to be someone important.

Kason exhaled slowly. “The only person I’ve had conflict with recently is Johnathan.” He didn’t bother lying. He told his father everything, including the fact that he had sent people after Johnathan.

The moment Mr. Richardson heard that four armed professionals had failed, his expression darkened. Maviston was his territory. And yet, there was a man this dangerous walking around—a professor, no less—and he hadn’t even known about it?