Chapter 78: The Xander Dilemma

“No, Deny wouldn’t do that,” Denny muttered, the most reluctant to see Sierra leave. The two exchanged glances before Evan finally said, “I’ll look into what happened.”

In the hallway, Bradley cautiously asked, “Jonathan, you and Sierra…”

“I live here!” Jonathan pointed to the neighboring house. The building was a duplex, and though Bradley owned a unit, he had never lived there. He hadn’t expected such a coincidence—that Jonathan happened to live next door.

Bradley looked hesitant to speak, and Jonathan, not one to beat around the bush, said, “Is there something you need, Mr. Bradley?”

Bradley, preoccupied with the dynamics between Sierra and Jonathan, hadn’t noticed the subtle shift in how Jonathan addressed him. He thought for a moment and said, “You seem different around Sierra.”

He looked at Jonathan. Although they hadn’t been in the same field abroad, they knew each other fairly well. Jonathan appeared easygoing, but he always kept a certain distance from everyone. He was neither too close nor too hostile. To say he was kindhearted, yet he seldom went out of his way to help others; however, he had defended Sierra on several occasions. To claim there was nothing between them was something he truly couldn’t believe. And it would have been one thing if it were someone else, but Denny liked him!

Bradley was distressed!

Jonathan, oblivious to his inner turmoil, raised an eyebrow and admitted, “Indeed, it’s not quite the same!”

Bradley was taken aback, about to say something when Jonathan added, “After all, it’s the first time I’ve seen someone treat a fake as a treasure, while constantly pushing their own treasures away.”

It was clear who was the counterfeit and who was the treasure!

Bradley felt embarrassed and said, “Things aren’t as you think. If you were in our shoes, you might not have done any better. Imagine, a sister you’ve loved for over a decade suddenly changes; who could accept that? At first, we indeed overlooked her, but now we realize that was wrong, and we’re actively trying to make amends.”

Jonathan gave Bradley a piercing look. “So, what is it you want to talk about now?”

Bradley was speechless! He felt as if Jonathan had seen through everything, reducing him to a mere jester.

Before he could respond, Jonathan mockingly smiled. “Are you worried about me getting close to her? Are you doubting my…”

Bradley was at a loss for words, and just then, Sierra came out, packed and ready. She ignored the two men who stood like sentinels at the door and glanced at Jonathan and Bradley to see if they had finished talking.

Jonathan nodded at her then said to Bradley, “Mr. Bradley, Sierra and I have things to do. We’ll be going now.”

Jonathan gave him a cold look, his words growing sharper, “Mr. Bradley, I believe you’re overstepping your bounds.”

With that, Jonathan walked over to Sierra, and they waited for the elevator together. Sierra was curious about what the two had discussed; she had noticed Bradley’s uneasy expression.

“He just warned me to stay away from you!”

Sierra scoffed, “He’s got his claws in deep!”

The two of them left, laughing and talking, leaving behind the three brothers with grim expressions.

Sean asked, “Bradley, what about Denny? Denny really likes Jonathan. What if she finds out?”

Bradley was irritated; of course, he knew Denise would be heartbroken, but like Jonathan had said, it wasn’t his decision to make.

“Let’s get her a different place,” Evan suggested. “They’re just close now, but if they’re not living near each other, they’ll have fewer opportunities.”

Bradley thought it was a good idea, but the tricky part was dealing with Sierra. He had just given her the house, and taking it back so soon wouldn’t sit well with her.

Seeing his hesitation, Sean said, “Bradley, just do it. It’s just a house, right? I have a bigger, better villa on the west side. I’ll give that to her, and she’ll definitely be happy with it. Nothing is more important than Denny, right?”

Bradley thought it over and finally nodded, but he still had some pride; he didn’t contact Sierra directly, instead sending Cameron to handle it.