Chapter 363: No Way to Back Down

“You’re worried I’ll get dragged into this too?” Sierra asked.

Johnathan nodded. If he hadn’t been worried about Sierra, he wouldn’t have laid everything out like this. “Sierra, you’re another me. Your talent in this field is something many people envy.” He also knew Sierra’s nature—she was kind. If her research was ever used for something terrible, she wouldn’t be able to accept it.

Sierra pressed her lips together and stayed silent for a while. She understood. But there was no way she could explain this to anyone else. She couldn’t convince Professor Martin and the others. She glanced at Johnathan. He immediately understood her concerns.

“Sierra, leave the project,” he said. Johnathan knew it would be hard, but he was genuinely worried. Because this incident somehow involved Quinn too, and he didn’t know where the trap lay. Johnathan had never been this cautious before. If it were just him, he wouldn’t quit. He would use this as bait to dig out the truth. But since it involved Sierra, he didn’t dare gamble.

Sierra looked at him for a long moment before she said, “No. The experiment continues. Tomorrow, I’ll tell the professor we’re resuming. I’m not quitting, Johnathan. This is a chance.”

What Johnathan had thought of, Sierra had too. Since they couldn’t be sure, they might as well force certainty. The enemy was hiding while they were out in the open. Investigating in secret would be harder than using this as bait.

“Si—er—ra.” Johnathan stared at her, disapproving. “I can’t let you take that risk.”

“But I want to.”

“Unless I never step into a lab again,” Sierra said quietly.

Of course, Johnathan understood that. Rationally, he knew she was right. Emotionally, he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t let Sierra get destroyed. He didn’t care what happened to himself, but Sierra, he had to protect. The words stuck in his throat, but finally, he forced them out. “Sierra, leave the field for now.” At least until this was over.

This time, Sierra didn’t answer. She just stared at Johnathan with dark, unreadable eyes. The room fell into a heavy silence. The air felt strange.

Mateo glanced nervously between Johnathan and Sierra, wanting to say something to break the tension. But before he could, Draven clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him out. Stone and Maddox followed. The room was left with only Johnathan and Sierra.

Johnathan averted his gaze and said, “Nothing is more important than you.”

Sierra fought down her anger, forced herself to stay calm, then asked, “What if the truth never comes out? What if it takes years, or even longer?”

“And what if every time something like this happens, we just run away?”

“Sierra…” Johnathan struggled to speak, but didn’t know what to say. Neither of them was willing to back down.

Outside the room, Mateo grumbled, “Was it really smart to leave them in there alone?” If they started fighting, they wouldn’t even be around to stop it.

“Some things, they have to work out themselves,” Draven said. “And this situation isn’t easy.” If Johnathan’s theory was right, Sierra could become the next target. Worse, the Wynn family backing her. If something happened to her, no one could save her.

Mateo cursed under his breath. “Who the hell would dare pull something like this?”

Maddox spoke up. “I want to know what role Quinn plays in all of this.” The last incident might have been smoothed over, but Maddox could tell things between Johnathan and the rest weren’t the same anymore. This time, even though Johnathan had called them in, it was because their Gu family was also a victim. The others didn’t say much, but everyone looked grim. If Quinn had been forced or tricked, that would be one thing. But if she had been an active participant—all the trust and affection they had shown her would have been a complete waste. Quinn had always seemed so sensible. And because of her connection to Johnathan, they had truly treated her like a sister.

“I’ll dig some more,” Mateo said through gritted teeth. He couldn’t stand the thought of betrayal from someone so close.

“Keep it quiet. Don’t tip anyone off,” Draven warned.

“Don’t worry.” Mateo might be rough around the edges, but he knew what he was doing. He glanced at the tightly shut door. “Wonder how those two are doing in there.”