Chapter 381 The Line in the Sand

Jonathan had never given it much thought before, but after spending so much time with Sierra, he’d come to realize just how much he despised these kinds of relationships.

He stood up. “Grandfather, I’m leaving.”

From now on, whether there was a reason or not, he no longer wanted to step foot in that house.

Wayne heard the meaning beneath his words and couldn’t help frowning. “Don’t forget what you promised me.”

Jonathan gave a low chuckle. “Grandfather, I don’t understand. You don’t fully trust me, so why insist on making me the head of the Wynn family?”

“You don’t want it?”

“No.”

Jonathan’s voice was calm. He had never cared about being the Wynn family’s successor. The only reason he hadn’t left was because he didn’t want to hand it to Jose on a silver platter.

But now? He found it all meaningless.

“Someone else would be more suitable. Grandfather, I’m withdrawing from the Wynn family,” he said with firm finality.

Wayne’s expression changed completely. He hadn’t expected the conversation to take such a drastic turn.

“Jonathan, do you even understand what you’re saying? You think you’ll still have that kind of influence once you cut ties with the Wynn family?”

Wayne continued, “Take the Goodman family, for example. You think they showed you respect because of you? No – it was the Wynn family’s reputation that Jade was honoring. The moment you leave the family, Shane will bring her back, and then let’s see how much you’ll be able to protect.”

Wayne’s words left Jonathan no room to maneuver. He realized he had indulged his grandson far too much in recent years— and now Jonathan had grown defiant.

But Jonathan only smiled. “Do you really think I’m nothing without the Wynn name?”

Yes, the Wynn family was powerful. But he hadn’t been idle all these years either.

Beyond the publicly known company, he also held control over several private ventures. While they couldn’t compare to the century–old Wynn legacy yet, they were more than enough to protect himself and the people he cared about.

He’d kept this hidden until now – first, to avoid giving Jose an opening; second, out of respect for Wayne. After all, the old man had cared for him when he was young.

But this time, after seeing Wayne turn a blind eye to Quinn’s actions–or worse, possibly help her hurt Sierra–Jonathan was done making allowances.

As long as he bore the Wynn name, Sierra would always be the one sacrificed first.

After leaving that final statement, Jonathan walked away – leaving Wayne fuming behind him.

The old man nearly passed out from anger, unable to catch his breath. Edmund rushed in just in time with medicine.

It took some time before Wayne recovered. “So, I couldn’t fool him after all.”

He had known his excuse wouldn’t hold up. What he hadn’t expected was how ruthlessly decisive his grandson would be.

He’d never imagined Jonathan would actually walk away from the Wynn family.

This time, he’d made a serious mistake. He had completely underestimated how much Sierra meant to Jonathan.

But Sierra’s presence had only grown in weight – so much so that it now outweighed even Jonathan’s hatred for his own father. He was even willing to give up the Wynn family for her.

In the past, while Jonathan hadn’t wanted the Wynn name, he never would’ve handed it to Jose either.

This was a misstep. A major one.

After some thought, Wayne called for his eldest son.

As soon as Chase entered, Wayne said, “Today, Jonathan told me he’s leaving the Wynn family.”

Chase froze. “Dad, you agreed to that?!”

Wayne shot him a glare. “Of course not.”

Then he added, “I called you here to tell you that Jonathan no longer has any attachment to this family.”

Not even hatred was enough to keep him anchored anymore. If they didn’t do something soon, they really would lose him.

Wayne sighed deeply. “Are you really never going to tell him what happened back then?”

At that, a flash of wariness crossed Chase’s eyes. “Dad, you promised me you’d never tell Jonathan.”

Wayne sighed again. “I hope you’ve truly thought it through. What happened back then… it wasn’t your fault.”

Pain flooded Chase’s face. “No matter what you say, I still bear responsibility. Let me talk to Jonathan. I’ll find his mind.”

Wayne closed his eyes in silence. There was nothing else he could do – he would wait a little longer.