Chapter 325: The Bitter Taste of Distance
Sierra snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Autumn’s voice. She responded calmly, “That’s Mr. Yaeger’s sister.”
Autumn let out a sigh of relief. “I knew it—Mr. Yaeger wouldn’t do something like that.”
Sierra gave her a small smile, said goodbye, and went to change before leaving.
Once she stepped out of the lab building, she pulled out her phone. The post had already shot to the top of the forum—she saw it right away. Whether it was the camera angle or something else, Johnathan’s expression in those photos looked especially gentle. Even though she knew he and Quinn were just siblings, seeing him with Quinn and Dora together gave off the unmistakable image of a family—like a mother, father, and child.
A sharp bitterness welled up in Sierra’s chest. It was the first time she had ever tasted this kind of emotion. Almost without thinking, she called Johnathan. The phone rang until it cut off, unanswered.
Suddenly, she felt exhausted. She’d planned to go see him, but now… she didn’t have the heart for it. She turned around and headed straight home.
It wasn’t until after nine that night that Johnathan finally returned with Dora. When he saw Sierra, he looked a bit surprised.
“Back this early?”
It was just a casual comment, but it left Sierra with a swirl of complicated emotions.
“Yeah, we got half a day off,” she replied.
She thought about asking why he hadn’t returned her call, but then remembered how often things had been like this lately. She missed his calls. When she called back, he was busy. They were constantly out of sync. That’s why she’d said not to bother returning missed calls anymore—just leave a message if it was important.
It hit her then: it had only been a week, but somehow, she and Johnathan had already drifted into this rhythm. While she was lost in thought, Dora had already run up to her, looking up with wide, eager eyes.
Sierra liked Dora—she really did—but right now, something in her heart held back. The moment she saw Dora, all she could think about were those photos.
So, unlike before, she didn’t say anything or reach out to pat Dora’s head. The light in Dora’s eyes dimmed instantly. Johnathan, who’d spent most of the past few days with Dora, noticed right away. He quickly said, “Dora, go wash up and let Sierra rest for a bit.”
Dora obediently headed to the bathroom, and Johnathan walked over to Sierra. “What’s wrong? Something bothering you?”
Before she could answer, he added, “Dora’s very sensitive. She thinks you don’t like her anymore.”
Sierra stared at him for a moment, her chest tightening. After a pause, she asked, “Did you take Dora to the office again?”
Johnathan went on about their day at the amusement park, but the more he said, the heavier Sierra felt inside. Noticing her mood, Johnathan pulled her into his lap.
“What’s going on? You really don’t look happy. Did things not go well at the lab?”
He knew how busy she’d been lately, and he’d even tried to encourage her through it. He understood how hard it was to lead a brand-new project, especially as the youngest one on the team. That was why he hadn’t gotten upset these past few days, even though he barely saw her.
“…No,” Sierra murmured, leaning into his chest. She didn’t know how to explain what she was feeling. In the end, all she could manage was, “I’m just… tired.”
Johnathan looked like he wanted to say more, but at that moment, Dora came out of the bathroom. He let it go and sent her off to bed, saying he’d come read her a story.
“I’ll do it,” Sierra said. “It’s been days since I spent time with her.”
She reflected for a moment and realized she shouldn’t take her frustration out on a child. Once in Dora’s room, Sierra noticed that it had been filled with new things. Clearly, Johnathan had bought them—small toys, stuffed animals, all carefully chosen to suit a girl Dora’s age.
Sierra’s expression softened. She hadn’t expected Johnathan to be so patient. Then, she suddenly remembered what he’d said before—that he didn’t like children. And just like that, the smile on her face slowly faded.