Chapter 288: Lines That Can’t Be Crossed

Draven shared the progress from his end. “The collaboration’s confirmed—we’ll be working together soon. Just a heads-up though, I get a little crazy when I’m deep in research. Don’t let it scare you.”

Sierra gave a light smile. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

When Jonathan and Maddox returned, they found Sierra deep in conversation with Draven about research. Jonathan felt a bit of relief settle in his chest. He still didn’t understand why she had reacted so strongly. To him, aside from Autumn’s parents, none of those people had anything to do with her. But seeing her back to her usual self, he relaxed. Though it turned out, he’d relaxed too soon.

After that day, Sierra started to distance herself from him. She didn’t disappear completely—she still spoke with him, still acted close—but that old sense of trust, of full emotional reliance, was gone. He didn’t know what went wrong. So he started looking into the Zach Group layoffs.

It was around this time that his grandfather finally sent word. He was summoned back to the Wynn estate. It was their first meeting since Jonathan’s birthday—over two months ago now. The moment he saw Mr. Wynn, the first thing Jonathan noticed was how old the man looked. He was using a cane just to walk. The memory of childhood surfaced, and Jonathan instinctively stepped forward to support him.

Mr. Wynn didn’t refuse. He studied his grandson for a long moment before finally speaking. “So this is where things are now? You’re still not satisfied? Still not planning to let go? The Zach family’s finished—no longer a threat. Are you really planning to crush them completely?”

Jonathan felt a flicker of irritation. He didn’t want to have this conversation, but there was no avoiding it between them. He answered carefully. “Grandpa, I don’t want to argue with you.”

“Jonathan, I’m getting old,” Mr. Wynn sighed. “The way you’re going about things… how do you expect me to rest easy? You’ve made enemies left and right—have you thought about the consequences?”

Johnathan remained unmoved. Mr. Wynn pressed on. “I know you’re not afraid. But what about the people around you? Can you guarantee you’ll always be there to protect her? That you’ll shield her from everything?”

At that, Jonathan’s expression finally changed. Something flickered in his eyes—hesitation.

He’d made the right call. He had spent days trying to figure out how to rein in this grandson of his.

If Jonathan kept going down this path, the Wynn family had only two possible futures—unrivaled power, or total destruction. And no one understood Jonathan’s nature better than Mr. Wynn did. The boy didn’t care if the entire family went up in flames.

In the end, Mr. Wynn had focused on Sierra. He had studied everything about Jonathan’s relationship with her, again and again, before planning today’s conversation. “Jonathan, you need to think about the people you care about. If hurting others means putting her in danger… is that a risk you’re willing to take?”

Of course, Jonathan understood what his grandfather was getting at. He could’ve easily said he didn’t care. But the moment he pictured Sierra actually getting hurt, the words caught in his throat. Finally, he said, “They leave Capital City. That’s my bottom line.”

“Alright. I’ll handle it.”

Mr. Wynn knew when to stop. Getting his grandson to take even a single step back was already a victory. Jonathan looked far from pleased. Forced to compromise, his mood had clearly soured. But Mr. Wynn didn’t mind. In fact, he added, casually, “So when are you bringing her home to meet me?”

He had asked this before—Jonathan had refused him outright. This time, Jonathan didn’t say no, but he didn’t say yes either. He knew exactly what his grandfather was trying to do, and his tone turned cold. “Don’t drag her into this.”

That was his line. “I wasn’t planning to. I’m just… old. Who knows if I’ll even be around by then.”

Jonathan knew he was playing the pity card—but he didn’t shut it down this time. Which told Mr. Wynn all he needed to know. He started thinking about how he could quietly arrange a meeting with Sierra. Since Cindy’s death, he hadn’t seen his grandson care about anyone. Maybe Sierra was the key.

Fuming, Jonathan got in his car and drove straight to the university. But when he arrived, he was told Sierra wasn’t there.