Chapter 54: A Place to Escape

She and Daphne had never been the closest of friends, but when Sierra first arrived in prison, Daphne had taken care of her. She couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. The thought of it weighed on her chest.

Johnathan glanced at her and suddenly said, “Want to go to the lab?”

She looked up at him. “When I’m in a bad mood, I go there,” he added casually.

Sierra thought for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

Just as they were about to leave, someone called out from behind them. “Wait a minute,” said the female officer who had taken her statement earlier. “There’s something I forgot to mention. That woman you called the police for this morning—she changed her mind at the hospital. She refused to be checked, insisted her injuries weren’t from abuse but from a fall.”

The officer sighed. “They could see this all the time. People who don’t trust the law, who won’t protect themselves. If you can, try to convince her. Domestic violence doesn’t stop after the first time—it only happens again and again. She needs to trust that we can help.”

Sierra wasn’t surprised. That was exactly the kind of thing Yulia would do. She was weak. That was why James had been able to control her for so long. Sierra simply thanked the officer. “Thanks, but let her be. If she won’t fight for herself, then nothing we do will matter.”

The officer hesitated. She had assumed Sierra cared about the woman she had reported, but her indifference said otherwise. Sierra didn’t bother explaining. She just got into the car. She had already done more than enough.

On the way back, she called her grandmother and told her about Yulia. Her grandmother was silent for a long time before finally sighing. “If that’s the way she wants it, then let it be. I can’t spend my life worrying about her. She’s made her choice. You’ve done enough, Sierra. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, Grandma. How are you feeling today?”

With her grandmother, Sierra was always patient. She talked to her for a long time before hanging up.

Johnathan glanced at her. “Still some time before we get there. You should rest a little.”

She had almost forgotten she was still recovering. If he could help it, he wouldn’t have taken her to the lab at all tonight. Her state of mind wasn’t good. He didn’t know what was weighing on her, but it was obvious she was wound too tight.

“Okay,” Sierra said, closing her eyes, intending to just rest them for a bit. But before she knew it, she had actually fallen asleep. And, for once, she didn’t dream.

By the time she woke up, the car had stopped outside the university’s lab building. The first thing she noticed was the faint scent of disinfectant and woodsy cologne from Johnathan’s coat. It was oddly calming.

“Are you awake!” His low, husky voice pulled her back to reality. She turned her head and found herself looking at the sharp lines of his face. Her heart skipped a beat for too long. Johnathan waved a hand in front of her face. “Awake?”

Sierra blinked, then nodded. “Yeah. For a second, I thought I was dreaming.”

“Good dream or bad one?” he asked absently.

“…Good.”

The lab building was empty at night, quiet in a way that made it feel almost detached from the rest of the world. Johnathan led her to his usual workspace, but along the way, they ran into two unexpected figures: Evan and Yaron. The two men clearly hadn’t expected to see her there either. Both froze for a moment. Evan’s gaze swept over Sierra, then flicked to Johnathan beside her. His brow furrowed. After a brief nod to Johnathan, he turned to Sierra. “Why haven’t you been answering your phone? I heard you were sick. Are you feeling better?”

For once, he almost sounded like a real brother. But Sierra only found it laughable. This kind of concern, after everything? She didn’t need it. “Move,” she said flatly. “Thanks.”

Evan and Yaron’s expressions darkened at once. There were outsiders present, yet Sierra was humiliating him like this! He opened his mouth to say something, but Johnathan spoke first. “We have a project to work on. Excuse us, Mr. Xander.”

Evan had been born a prodigy, both in status and ability. He had never been dismissed so casually before, especially by someone he respected. His face turned colder. “Mr. Johnathan,” he said, voice carefully controlled, “Sierra is my sister. It’s already late—I don’t think it’s appropriate for her to be spending the night alone with another man. Of course, I have no doubts about your character. But if people start talking, Sierra will be the one hurt by it.”