Chapter 236: A New Beginning

“Forget it. I let it go a long time ago,” Sierra said. It was because she had let go that she could remain so indifferent now. Finished.

But Evan being arrested—that was something she hadn’t known. When she mentioned it to Johnathan, he didn’t look surprised at all. Maddox had already informed him that Evan was among those arrested for illegal experiments. Johnathan had simply chosen not to tell Sierra. They’re strangers now. There’s nothing to talk about.”

There was something else he hadn’t told her—Yulia had been in the lab, too. Unlike Evan, she had been a test subject. Her body was covered in festering sores from whatever drugs they had injected into her. Maddox had mentioned it to him, knowing Sierra had ties to them. Johnathan had simply responded, “They have nothing to do with Sierra anymore. Handle them however you see fit.”

Still, even though she had expected it, hearing that Evan had been involved in Kason’s experiments made Sierra pause for a moment. Back when she first arrived at the Xander family, Evan had been the golden child in her eyes—the academic genius.

She told Johnathan about running into Sean earlier. When she mentioned Eleanor’s illness, Johnathan glanced at her and asked, “Do you want me to find a doctor for her?” Sierra shook her head. “No need.” Giving Sean money had only been an act of basic human decency. She had no intention of taking on responsibility for them. The past was the past. Hearing that, Johnathan didn’t bring it up again. He also chose not to mention what he had heard about Bradley and Sierra’s father. Prison hadn’t been easy on them. At first, Evan had been sending them money, making their lives a little more bearable. But when the Xander family lost its wealth, Evan could no longer afford bribes. That was when their true suffering began.

And then there was Denise. Her body was strange—she had been on the brink of death before, but somehow, she clung to life through endless torment in prison. She had done unspeakable things just to survive. For now, she had been temporarily moved to a hospital. Because she was pregnant. No one knew who the father was. But for now, she had escaped prison.

Neither Sierra nor Johnathan wanted to waste time on the Xander family any further. Johnathan went back to packing, while Sierra headed into the kitchen. Johnathan was already preparing for his move—by the end of March, he would be gone. For the past few days, he had been hesitating to bring something up, but Sierra pretended not to notice. Later she would just show him the acceptance letter. Smiling at the thought, she turned to Dickson, who was helping her.

“Dickson, have you thought about what I asked you before?” They weren’t actual siblings, but after spending so much time together, they had become family. Finished.

Dickson froze for a moment before hesitantly asking, “Ms. Sierra, would it really be okay? I don’t want to be a burden.” He nervously picked at his fingers. Sierra had told him about her plans to move to the Capital. He had been struggling with the decision ever since. Of course, he wanted to go. There was nothing left for him in Maviston. But what would he do in the Capital? He felt like dead weight. He was old enough to be independent, yet here he was, still clinging to Sierra. It was pathetic. At the same time, he didn’t want to lose this warmth.

Seeing his hesitation, Sierra said gently, “You’re not a burden. I only have you now, too. Moving to a new place is scary. If we go together, we can look out for each other.”

“But you… Mr. Johnathan,” Dickson mumbled.

“It’s different,” Sierra said. After a moment, she smiled. “You’re my family. My side of the family.” Dickson straightened his back slightly.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Good. We’ll start fresh there. I’ll find you a school. You can finish high school and get into a good university. Dickson had been studying on his own. Even though he hadn’t been attending school, he was still keeping up with his education. If you don’t want to enroll, you can still take the exams and get your diploma.”

1:37 PM

Chapter 236: A New Beginning

Hearing this, Dickson’s eyes brightened. His biggest fear was being a burden. But after hearing Sierra’s words, he finally realized—she had never once thought of him that way.