Chapter 364: A Crack Appears
Inside the room, Jonathan and Sierra remained at a standstill. Neither was willing to back down. Unable to hold back, Jonathan lit a cigarette. He rarely smoked in front of Sierra, but right now, he couldn't control his emotions. He understood what Sierra meant, but he couldn't take the risk. Sierra was the most important person in his life. After what happened last time, he realized he couldn't lose her. Nothing could compare to her. He was set on his decision, even if Sierra was unhappy about it. He finished the whole cigarette before finally speaking. “This is how it’s going to be.”
Sierra’s heart sank at those words. She had thought he would come around after everything she said. But in the end, his answer hadn’t changed at all. She stood up and said lightly, “You have your position, and I have mine. Let’s take a few days to cool off.”
No sooner had she spoken than her wrist was grabbed. “What do you mean by that?” Take a few days to cool off? Sierra took a deep breath. “Jonathan, we’re both too emotional right now. It’s easy to make the wrong choice when we’re like this. Let’s just take a break to calm down…”
Before she could finish, Jonathan kissed her to shut her up. Everything she said was the last thing he wanted to hear. The moment she said “take a break,” his emotions slipped out of control. He pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly. His hands didn’t stop moving—desperate and forceful. “Mm… let go…” The more she resisted, the more frenzied he became. At that moment, he had completely lost his mind. When Sierra realized what he was about to do, her pupils dilated sharply. “No…!”
But Jonathan was already lost in his emotions, deaf to her protests, ignoring her struggle. She finally managed to wrench her hand free and slapped him hard across the face. Smack! The room fell back into silence. Jonathan stared at her in disbelief. His dark eyes burned with rage. Sierra’s hand was still trembling. How had things between them come to this?
Their eyes met. After a moment, Jonathan reached out to straighten her hair and clothes. His expression was unreadable as he said, “Don’t say we’re taking a break. Not even temporarily.” He couldn’t stand hearing those words.
Sierra had slapped him with full force. The side of his face was red, with a visible handprint. She opened her mouth, wanting to apologize, but Jonathan spoke first. “Sierra, I don’t want to use the kind of methods I use on others—on you.” At those words, whatever guilt she had instantly vanished. For the first time, Sierra realized how domineering and controlling Jonathan could be. Her expression went cold. She gave him one last look, then turned and walked out.
Mateo and the others were still waiting outside. Just as they were about to speak, they noticed her expression—something was wrong. So no one said a word. They let her leave. “Things must’ve gone bad,” Maddox muttered as he turned back toward the private room. The other three followed. The moment they walked in, they regretted it. Jonathan sat smoking, his whole body emanating a pressure that made it hard to breathe. One look at him told them the conversation hadn’t gone well. But what truly stunned them was the mark on the side of his face from a slap—red, obvious, and clearly visible. They exchanged shocked glances. Mateo was especially stunned. Sierra actually hit him. She hit Jonathan. In the face. Even if someone gave him eight hundred lives, he still wouldn’t dare do something like that. The atmosphere was tense. No one dared speak up and make things worse.
“It’s just… it’s not anyone else. Just you. She came here with you, to a city she doesn’t even know. Can’t we just let it go for her sake?”
Mateo hadn’t wanted to speak at all, but Jonathan’s expression was too terrifying. He was afraid Jonathan might do something reckless and regret it later. Jonathan glanced at him. He seemed moved. His anger eased slightly. He understood that Mateo had misunderstood—he thought Sierra slapped him, and now—as if he ever would. He would rather be the one getting hurt than let Sierra suffer a scratch. He closed his eyes slowly, recalling the disappointment and anger on Sierra’s face. Then, suddenly, he stood up. “I’m heading back.”
With that, he walked out, leaving the rest of them looking at each other, speechless. Mateo frowned. “You don’t think he’s going after Sierra to settle the score, right?” Draven frowned too. He didn’t think it was likely, but seeing the slap mark on Jonathan’s face and the darkness in his eyes earlier—he wasn’t so sure.