Chapter 376 Smoke and Mirrors

That night, when Sierra saw Jonathan, she noticed something was off about his mood.

She thought for a moment. "Is it about Quinn?"

"From now on, stay away from Quinn," was all Jonathan said.

He wasn’t sure if what Mateo had told him was really related to Quinn—even if she had been younger than ten at the time.

But if it was true, then Quinn was terrifying.

Especially since the last time Sierra nearly got hurt, she had been with Quinn, too.

Jonathan briefly told her what Mateo had discovered. He didn’t pass any judgment, but based on what he’d just said, Sierra had already figured part of it out.

Her heart was racing.

Could Quinn really be that ruthless? That calculating and capable even as a child?

She carefully thought back to the day she’d almost been in danger, determined not to overlook a single detail. Then suddenly, something came to her.

“That day, Quinn grabbed my hand. I remember thinking something felt off.”

At the time, the thought had just flashed through her mind, and she hadn’t dwelled on it.

But now, looking back, she realized what had felt wrong. The texture of Quinn’s hand was off—there was a faint layer of moisture.

She hadn’t paid it any attention back then, but now it struck her as odd.

Quinn was usually very particular. If her hands were sweaty or wet, she would’ve wiped them clean immediately. She wouldn’t have just grabbed her like that.

“So is it possible… I was poisoned not by the water or the food, but by Quinn’s hand…”

The more she thought about it, the more chilling it became.

If that was really the case, then everything else was just a smokescreen—meant to steer them away from her.

The deeper Sierra thought, the more horrified she felt. Bribing the staff, paying off the waiter, casually feeding Maddox’s brother a story—every move just to cover her tracks.

No one would ever suspect Quinn. From start to finish, she hadn’t done anything questionable. And when she noticed Sierra wasn’t feeling right, she immediately went to Jonathan. The timing all made sense.

Even someone as cautious as Jonathan had been fooled by her.

Screech! Jonathan slammed on the brakes, his face darker than ever.

Sierra parted her lips, but all she could say was, “It’s just a theory.”

Yes, all of it was just a guess. There wasn’t any evidence. Everything had already been wiped clean.

Jonathan said nothing—he just pulled Sierra tightly into his arms.

Quinn hadn’t even known Sierra before. If she’d gone after her, it could only mean one thing—it all stemmed from him.

At that thought, Jonathan held Sierra even tighter. After driving her home, he didn’t go inside.

7:45 PM

She knew what he was planning. After hearing her theory, Jonathan couldn’t hold back anymore—he wanted to confront Quinn.

“If she really did all this, she’s hidden too well. No matter how hard you push her, she won’t confess.”

She added, “Jonathan, don’t dirty your hands for someone like her.”

Sierra was even more worried about what Quinn might be capable of.

"Calm down. Let’s think of a way to force her to show her true colors," Sierra urged, trying to soothe him.

“I can’t wait any longer,” Jonathan said, voice tight.

At first, he’d planned to take his time—make sure they weren’t wrong about Quinn, figure out who was backing her.

But now? He didn’t want to wait another second. He couldn’t go through something like last time again. Once had already nearly broken him.

“So we catch her. Then what? You plan to lock her up forever? What if she’s not working alone?”

She added, “Catching her now might just spook the people behind her. It could put us in even more danger."

Things were safer this way—they could stay alert and keep watching.

Her words got through to Jonathan. After a moment, he said. "I’m putting someone by your side. Sierra, don’t say no.”

“Okay,” Sierra agreed. If that would ease his mind, she’d accept it.

She even offered, “Talk to Mateo. See if he has anything that could keep me safe. I’ll use all the trackers too.”

She knew what Jonathan was afraid of—and she was doing her best to reassure him.

Sure enough, her words had an obvious calming effect on him.

Now that things had settled a bit, Sierra finally brought up the real plan. “If I’m her target, then maybe we can use that.”

She added, “Jonathan, how about you disappear for a while?”