When the Flame of Love Fades

Chapter 285: The Man Behind the Curtain

No one outside could uncover Jonathan’s past, but that didn’t mean the Wynn family was in the dark—especially Chase and Wayne, who had been keeping a close eye on him for years. Jose knew some of it too. He didn’t expect to drive a wedge between Sierra and Jonathan overnight, but that was fine. One seed, planted deep enough, would eventually take root.

Sierra never brought up what Shane had told her. She already knew Jonathan had blood on his hands—from the moment he admitted to being a mercenary, she’d understood that. His past was his past. She didn’t want it to become a wall between them.

But what happened next was something she truly hadn’t prepared for. The conflict between Jonathan and the Zach family was escalating fast. It was all over the news, and people were talking about it even in casual conversation. Even her fellow lab researchers—normally too buried in data to notice anything—had started to bring it up.

Autumn sighed during lunch.

“My parents work at the Zach Group. Looks like they’re getting laid off soon. They’re not young anymore. Finding new jobs won’t be easy. I don’t even know what they’re going to do…”

Her family hadn’t saved much over the years, and Autumn herself had little income. She’d spent most of her time doing lab work with her advisor. Most people didn’t know who was behind the company attacking the Zach family. They just knew it was some rising corporate powerhouse. And so, Autumn had no idea the man responsible for her parents’ looming unemployment was her idol.

Sierra did. She didn’t know what to say, so she simply asked, “Isn’t there any compensation?”

“Compensation? What compensation? The company’s falling apart—there’s nothing left to give. I heard even the Zach Group’s headquarters is in trouble.”

Autumn’s words haunted Sierra all the way back to her workbench. She ended her classes early and decided to talk to Jonathan—to see if there was any way he could help the Zach Group employees.

She knew where to find him. Jonathan hadn’t been going to headquarters lately. He preferred working from a quiet, temporary office, where only Mateo and a few others would ever drop by. The receptionist recognized her immediately.

“Mr. Yeager is in a meeting with Mr. Mateo and Mr. Maddox.”

“Got it. I’ll go in myself,” Sierra said.

She headed toward the office. Just as she raised her hand to knock, she heard Mateo’s voice from inside.

“The Zach Group won’t last much longer. They’ve already started laying people off. The economy’s rough…”

Sierra’s heart warmed. Mateo hadn’t just brushed her off the other day—he’d actually taken the time to think about this. Jonathan won’t say no, she thought. But then she heard his voice. Cold. Detached.

“When did you get so soft? What do those people have to do with us?”

Sierra froze. She knew Jonathan wasn’t always the warm, gentle person he appeared to be—but she didn’t expect him to be this indifferent. She stood there, frozen, as the conversation continued.

“A lot of them have mortgages, car loans, kids to feed. If we can help, we should at least try,” Mateo said.

Maddox chimed in, “If we support employment solutions, we’ll get strong government backing. That could go a long way.”

“That’s useful,” Jonathan replied, voice level. “Maximum benefit. Good deeds are never done for free. Maddox, go get the policy support. Mateo, handle public opinion. If we’re doing this, make sure it’s seen. And pick a few cases to showcase. We’re not a charity—and even if we act like one, we don’t need to actually mean it.”

If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears, Sierra wouldn’t have believed Jonathan could say something like that. She stood there for a long time, unable to move. Then, finally, she knocked.

“Who is it?” came Jonathan’s voice.

“It’s me,” she answered.

The door opened almost immediately. Jonathan’s face lit up.

“You’re here early. I was about to come pick you up.”

He reached out to take her bag. But Sierra just stood there, staring at him, her expression unreadable.

“Something wrong?” Jonathan asked, lifting a hand to touch her face—only for her to step back, dodging him.

“I’m fine.”

Jonathan’s face darkened. Inside the room, Maddox and Mateo exchanged a look.

Mateo’s heart sank. He didn’t know how long Sierra had been standing outside—but if she heard what they’d just said… He didn’t even want to imagine it.