Chapter 226: Picking Up the Pieces

Kason smirked, as if he found the whole thing amusing. Without hesitation, he nodded. That dog belonged to Shane. But what was Shane going to do? It was just a dog.

The Samoyed barely reacted when it was brought out. Whether it was because it believed its owner, or because of the endless torment it had endured, Sierra wasn’t sure. Either way, it showed no emotion. If dogs could lose their souls, this one had.

As Kason walked her to the car, he casually said, “If the dog starts acting differently, let me know.”

Sierra tilted her head. “What if it dies?”

Kason chuckled. “Then tell me anyway. Not my dog. I’ll have to pass the news along to its real owner.”

As soon as Kason’s car drove off, Sierra stepped into the elevator. The doors slid open—Johnathan was waiting. The moment she saw him, everything inside her crumbled. She didn’t say a word. She just threw herself into his arms. Johnathan held her tightly, saying nothing.

Mateo and Dickson were standing in the hallway, but they understood immediately. Without a word, they turned and walked away. Johnathan didn’t ask her anything. He didn’t tell her to stop. He already knew—Kason’s existence alone was enough to make Sierra sick. And the more disgusting he was, the less Sierra would back down. She wouldn’t let herself.

It was a long time before Sierra finally pulled herself together. Her face was unreadable again. “Let’s go,” she said, voice steady. With that, she led the dog to her apartment.

Mateo joined them a moment later, leaning against the doorframe, watching as Sierra gently cleaned the Samoyed’s wounds. He glanced at Johnathan. She looked too calm, too controlled. Even he had barely been able to stomach what he had heard today. And she had seen it firsthand.

Johnathan didn’t acknowledge him. His focus was only on Sierra. She had always been like this. Even when she was surrounded by darkness, she carried a light inside her. Even if the world was cruel, she never let it steal the warmth from her heart.

The dog lay completely still. Even as Sierra treated it, it didn’t react. It had lost its will to live. They had forced it to break itself apart. Sierra stroked its head gently. “You deserved better.” A dog like this—who had been thrown away so easily—didn’t deserve an owner like that in the first place.

It didn’t even flick an ear in response. After washing her hands, Sierra finally turned to Johnathan. “Did you get everything recorded?”

“Yes.”

“Will it hold up as evidence?” Johnathan exhaled.

“The problem is, technically, everything they’re doing is legal. The contracts were signed voluntarily. The research itself isn’t classified as illegal. And since no one died, there’s no clear crime.”

“And the animals?” Johnathan hesitated.

“They’re not endangered species. No laws protect them. At best, it’ll cause some public outrage, but that’s all.”

Sierra didn’t look surprised. “We’re still missing the real evidence, then.” She crossed her arms, deep in thought. “The videos…and the missing people.” Because that’s what this was about. They were all dead. She had no doubt. But where were their bodies? No matter how careful Kason had been, he had to dispose of them somehow.

Jonathan had been investigating. Dickson had been digging. But there was nothing. No trails. No records. Just…nothing. Kason had to be hiding something, something worse.

“Enough for today,” Johnathan suddenly stood up. Before Sierra could react, he lifted her off the ground. She blinked. “What are you—”

“Taking you to my place.”

Mateo had just walked back into the room when he heard this. He raised an eyebrow. Then—he met Johnathan’s gaze…and wisely chose not to comment. Instead, he flopped onto the couch, lazily turning to Dickson. “Yo. Got any food?”

Dickson hesitated. He didn’t know much about Mateo. But looking at the way he carried himself, it was obvious—this guy came from money. Dickson had dealt with that kind of person before…and it had never been good. But now—Mateo was lying there like a starved dog, complaining like some underpaid intern.

“Just some regular food,” Dickson said cautiously. “You want some?”

Mateo sat up. “Hell yeah. Right now, I’d eat plain rice if you gave it to me.” He stretched his legs out dramatically. “You don’t understand, man. Johnathan has been working me to death. No breaks. No food. Just constant labor. And the worst part? He’s a terrible boss. No benefits. No raises. No appreciation—”

Dickson stared. Then, slowly—he relaxed. Maybe not all rich people were like the Xander family. Or like Kason. Or Shane. Maybe some were like Johnathan or even Mateo.