Chapter 369 The Rift Deepens

The past was the past – there was no going back. Whether Johnathan regretted it or not didn’t matter anymore.

What mattered was what came next.

He exhaled quietly, then turned to the professor. “I’d like you to suspend the experiment for now.”

That put Martin in a tough spot.

He’d already entrusted the entire project to Sierra. If she insisted on moving forward, he couldn’t stop her – just like yesterday, when she’d locked down all the data without hesitation.

“If your girl’s upset, fix it yourself,” the professor said bluntly. “And let me remind you – you’re the one who screwed up. Why should Sierra be the one to pay for it? She’s been busting her ass on this project. It’s finally showing results, and now you want her to walk away from it? Even if she agreed to that, what about her seniors?”

He gave Johnathan a sharp look. “I know you don’t care about stuff like this, but Sierra does. She really respects them.”

Johnathan’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

“Let’s hope nothing’s gone wrong,” Martin muttered.

Just then, Mateo’s voice rang out. “Cloud’s clean. No signs of intrusion. I also added a few extra layers of protection.”

Everyone let out a breath of relief.

Autumn glanced between Johnathan and Sierra, then cautiously asked, “So… can we keep going?”

All eyes turned to Sierra, waiting for her decision.

Even Johnathan was watching her closely.

Sierra said, “Yes. We keep going. We’ve found a breakthrough. We can’t stop now.”

A wave of quiet joy spread across the room.

Mateo sneaked a glance at Johnathan – he looked calm. No sign of frustration.

Now that things were settled, Mateo had no reason to stick around. He looked toward Johnathan, who, however, had eyes only for Sierra.

And honestly, Johnathan wasn’t surprised by her answer.

“Sierra,” he said softly, “can we talk for a minute?”

The whole office went quiet.

Everyone knew something had happened between them.

Sierra didn’t answer, but Professor Martin gave a dry cough and ushered everyone else out, leaving them alone.

Sierra didn’t know what Johnathan wanted to say. Her emotions were still a tangled mess.

For the first time in her life, she didn’t want to see him.

Johnathan finally spoke. “Yesterday… I acted on impulse. I’m sorry. If you want to keep working on this, I won’t stop you. I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t get caught in the fallout.”

It was the only thing he could offer.

Sierra’s lips parted slightly – but she didn’t respond. And that silence put a knot in his chest.

Her coldness made him feel uneasy in a way he’d never experienced before.

But unlike yesterday, Johnathan was thinking clearer now. He’d had all night to reflect. He knew he couldn’t keep pushing.

So, he forced himself to stay calm.

“If you want to stay here a few more days, go ahead,” he said. “I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

As he said it, he kept watching her face.

Sure enough, her expression softened – just slightly.

Johnathan didn’t dare press further. Disappointed but composed, he quietly left the office.

Only after he walked out did Sierra finally raise her head to look at his back.

That one sentence – “I’ll be waiting for you at home” – had hit her harder than she expected.

Only people who’ve never truly had a home can understand how warm one feels.

She really had started to think of that place as home.

But she still needed time to cool down.

Mateo hadn’t dared to leave yet.

When he saw Johnathan walk out alone, his stomach dropped. Yikes. That bad, huh?

What Mateo didn’t know was that it wasn’t just about Johnathan’s decision yesterday – it was the lying that stung the most.

Johnathan’s expression was grim.

Even Autumn and the others didn’t dare greet him.

This was the first time any of them realized that the supposedly “mild-mannered” Mr. Yaeger could be this intense.

If Sierra were here, she would’ve laughed.

Johnathan had never been mild-mannered.

The walk back was tense.

Mateo kept his head down, doing everything he could not to set him off.

Just then, Johnathan’s phone rang.

It was Quinn.

He glanced at the screen and picked up.

“Johnathan, weren’t you trying to find that lady?” Quinn’s voice buzzed through the car’s speakers. “I posted about her on campus and went through an agency. Turns out, she was one of the candidates they sent over. There were several, but I thought she was the best fit. Her cooking was most to your taste. I found the agency again – they still have her info on file. Want me to have them send it to you?”

Johnathan didn’t answer immediately.

The call was already connected to the car’s Bluetooth, so Mateo could hear everything too.

And from the sound of it, Quinn didn’t seem suspicious at all.