Chapter 326: I’ll Be Back Tomorrow

By the time Sierra came back to her senses, she noticed Dora looking at her with a hint of expectation in her eyes. Sierra quickly said, “Dora, how about I stay with you tonight?”

She hadn’t expected a response, but to her surprise, Dora nodded obediently. “Okay!”

Sierra was taken aback. Jonathan had told her that Dora had barely spoken these past few days—almost not at all, even when she tried.

“You’re amazing, Dora!” Sierra couldn’t help but hug her tightly, then gently ruffled her hair before beginning a bedtime story.

When the story ended, Dora showed no signs of sleepiness. Sierra was just about to start another when Dora asked, “Can you tell me another one tomorrow?” Her eyes shimmered with longing and attachment. Even though they hadn’t spent much time together, Dora already seemed to rely on her deeply.

Sierra couldn’t be sure she’d be able to come home early the next day—but faced with that gaze, there was no way she could say no. In the end, she said softly, “Okay. I’ll come home early tomorrow.” Dora beamed with joy at her words.

After putting Dora to sleep, Sierra stepped out of the room. Jonathan poured her a glass of red wine. “Want some?”

Sierra didn’t refuse, and Jonathan poured one for himself too. They sat down on the couch, finally enjoying a rare quiet moment together.

“Are you feeling a lot of pressure? Is there anything I can help with?” Jonathan asked. He’d been so busy these past few days, they hadn’t had a proper conversation. While Sierra was with Dora earlier, he’d been reflecting on that—if they kept going like this, their communication would only grow weaker.

“It’s not about the lab,” Sierra glanced at him and said in a slightly muffled tone, “It’s just that when I came back and couldn’t find you, I realized we hadn’t really talked this whole week.” Even as she said it, she felt a little embarrassed. She couldn’t understand why she was acting so clingy. Back when things were even more hectic, they could go days without seeing each other. But this time, for some reason, she felt deeply uneasy.

Jonathan, on the other hand, was in a surprisingly good mood. He knew Sierra was fiercely independent—he often encouraged her to rely on him more, but she always insisted on carrying the weight alone. Now, this was her straightforward way of saying she missed him. Of course, that made him happy. He leaned in and kissed the corner of her lips.

“My bad. Things will ease up a lot once we get Quinn’s situation sorted. Speaking of which, I think there’s a way to fix the blood disorder she and Dora have.” One of the reasons Jonathan had been so busy lately was trying to find a solution to their condition. Right now, with the current medical technology and drugs, there was no cure—only ways to slow the progression. But then he remembered a theory Sierra had proposed.

If it worked, it could lead to the development of a groundbreaking drug—and a major milestone in medical research. Sierra could even file a new patent. Sierra’s eyes lit up. Her advisor had given her a broad research direction, encouraging her earlier theoretical work to develop something new based on it. She had originally planned to pursue another project, but Jonathan’s suggestion was just too compelling. Quinn was Jonathan’s sister. Of course, Sierra wanted her to be healed—especially if it meant helping Dora too.

“Okay, I’ll give it a shot,” Sierra agreed. “But don’t push yourself too hard. I’ve already found a way to slow down their disease progression,” Jonathan said. That was also why he had chosen to pass the baton to Sierra—he didn’t want her burden to be too heavy.

And in that moment, Sierra realized why Jonathan had been so exhausted this past week—why he’d already fallen asleep before she even got home. She felt a pang of guilt. “You need to rest too.” He wasn’t a machine. He’d been juggling company matters and looking for ways to treat Quinn and Dora. Of course he was tired.

“Mm.” Jonathan basked in her concern. He gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. Sierra had meant to ask him how he’d managed to slow down the disease so quickly—but in that moment, the question slipped from her mind. It had been a long time since they’d been this close. Now, with their breaths mingling, everything else faded away. Jonathan was finding it hard to hold back. In the end, Sierra gave him a gentle push. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”