Chapter 327: Not Quite Right

Even though children were usually hard to wake once asleep, what if she wasn’t? Only then did Jonathan suddenly remember—there was now a child in the house. He furrowed his brows in mild frustration, already weighing the idea of sending Dora back to Quinn. Quinn’s health had improved significantly. It was time to return Dora to her mother. That way, no one would disturb their nights anymore.

The next morning, for once, Jonathan and Sierra left the house together. As soon as Sierra got in the car, she noticed Jonathan had packed a bunch of Dora’s things.

“What are you doing?” she asked, confused.

“Quinn’s doing much better—she’s ready to be discharged. I thought Dora could go back with her. She is her daughter, after all,” Jonathan explained. He had meant to bring this up last night, but things had gotten…distracted, and he completely forgot.

A child returning to their mother was the best-case scenario. At least, that’s what Sierra told herself. Still, she couldn’t help glancing at Dora and, to her surprise, Dora didn’t look happy at all. In fact, her eyes held a clear trace of reluctance.

“Dora?”

Sierra opened her mouth, about to say something, when Dora quietly asked, “So…no more bedtime stories tonight?”

Sierra froze, locking eyes with Jonathan before answering, “Tonight, your mom can tell you a story instead.”

Dora said nothing, just lowered her head. Jonathan noticed it too—Dora’s deep attachment to Sierra. He’d been the one looking after Dora all week, but she hadn’t spoken to him, not even once. She never expressed any feelings, not to him and not to Quinn. He’d taken her to visit Quinn several times, but when it came time to leave, Dora had never once shown any hesitation. But now, she had clearly shown how reluctant she was to part with Sierra.

Dora genuinely liked Sierra—maybe even more than she liked Quinn. Why? The thought puzzled Jonathan.

Because of the situation, Sierra called Autumn and the others to let them know she’d be running late. Then she accompanied Jonathan to drop Dora off at the hospital. She also wanted to collect a blood sample from Quinn.

When Quinn saw Sierra, she visibly froze for a second before greeting her warmly.

“Sierra, are you done with your work? I haven’t seen you in days. Jonathan said you’ve been super busy.”

“Not yet. I just had something to take care of today,” Sierra replied.

For some reason, seeing Quinn reminded her of that post from yesterday. Even though Sierra kept telling herself not to get jealous over something so vague, she couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling in her chest.

Jonathan chimed in then, explaining that Sierra would be helping with research on a possible cure for their blood condition. Quinn was visibly stunned—and then, she got emotional. She grabbed Sierra’s hand tightly.

“Really? Sierra, you really think there’s a way?”

Quinn looked frail, but her grip was stronger than expected. She squeezed so hard it actually hurt. Sierra frowned, and Jonathan immediately stepped in.

“Let go!”

Jonathan’s expression darkened instantly, while Quinn looked apologetic.

“I’m so sorry, Sierra. I didn’t mean to. I just…”

“It’s nothing, really,” Sierra said, brushing it off. “I understand.” After all, someone just sentenced to life had suddenly been handed hope—it was natural to get emotional. And this wasn’t just about her—it involved Dora too. Sierra completely understood Quinn’s reaction.

“Thank you, Sierra!” Quinn said gratefully. “You’re so kind.” She turned to Dora and gestured for her to come closer. “Dora, you need to properly thank Ms. Xander, okay? She’s helping us.”

Dora nodded in a daze, staring up at Sierra with even more longing in her eyes. Sierra couldn’t stand that look. She gently ruffled Dora’s hair. “I’ll do my best.”

Sierra had to return to campus. Jonathan told Quinn and Dora to get ready—a secretary would be coming soon to help process Quinn’s discharge. Then he left with Sierra.

Right before leaving, Sierra took one last look back at Dora. The little girl stood quietly beside Quinn, listening obediently. She didn’t say a word. The scene made Sierra uneasy—though she couldn’t explain why.

The whole drive, she kept thinking about it. Right before they got out of the car, she couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked, “Don’t you think there’s something a little…off between Quinn and Dora?”

She didn’t know how to describe the feeling exactly. It just seemed like Dora was too well-behaved around Quinn. She added carefully, “It’s like…she’s not very close to her.”

Jonathan was stunned for a moment, then realized—he’d had the exact same thought that morning. So it wasn’t just him.