Chapter 38: A Moment of Peace

The gold-rimmed glasses hid much of his emotions, but through the thin lenses, Sierra could still see the concern in his eyes. The thorns she had wrapped around herself softened instantly. She retracted her defenses and nodded. “Yes.”

Jonathan smiled, then took her hand and led her away from the crowd without giving anyone else a chance to react. It wasn’t until the two of them had left that the others finally realized what had happened.

“I don’t know, but he’s quite handsome,” said one.

“Tall, long legs, and that face, so handsome. And he has such a restrained, intellectual vibe. I’m totally into that,” said another.

“Right? The way he took the girl’s hand just now was so commanding. Totally reliable.”

Amid the chatter, Denise bit her lower lip tightly, her gaze fixed on the direction they had left.

In the car, Sierra sat in the passenger seat, staring out at the scenery in silence. She didn’t ask where Jonathan was taking her. At that moment, she felt utterly exhausted. Hurting others while hurting herself at the same time. While she had lashed out at the Xander family, she had also been stabbing herself with every word. She didn’t notice when Jonathan got out of the car or when he returned. Unconsciously, she had placed an unusual amount of trust in him.

It wasn’t until Jonathan’s voice broke the silence that she snapped out of her thoughts. “We’re here. Let’s get out.”

Sierra looked up and realized they had arrived at the beach. She didn’t know how Jonathan had found this place, but the beach was deserted. The sand was soft, and the scenery was breathtaking. She had lived in Maviston for so many years but had never known such a spot existed. The night breeze was soothing, and for the first time in a long while, Sierra felt a sense of relaxation. She sat down casually, savoring the rare moment of peace.

Just then, flickering candlelight appeared before her eyes. She looked down and saw a small cake with a single candle. “Make a wish,” Jonathan said. His face, illuminated by the candlelight, looked unusually warm. Sierra felt a stir in her heart. She didn’t know when Jonathan had bought the cake, but this was the first time in her twenty-two years that someone had celebrated her birthday. Her eyes inexplicably welled up.

“Hurry and make a wish! The candle’s about to burn out,” Jonathan reminded her.

Sierra closed her eyes. Her wish was simple. She only hoped her grandmother would recover from her illness. When she opened her eyes, Jonathan gestured for her to blow out the candle. Then, he said, “Happy birthday, Sierra. May the rest of your life be filled with peace and joy.”

Back at the Xander Residence, the earlier festivities had vanished. Franklin’s face was dark, and no one dared to speak. “Have you found her yet?” Franklin asked.

Bradley braced himself. “Not yet.” He had called Sierra countless times. At first, she didn’t answer, and later, her phone was turned off. He didn’t know if her phone had died or if she had blocked him.

“Dad, don’t be angry. You’ll hurt your health,” Denise said soothingly, handing him a cup of tea.

Franklin’s expression softened slightly. “If only she were half as obedient as you.” Thinking about what had happened at the birthday party, Franklin felt his anger rising again. He had been utterly humiliated today. Although no one said anything outright, the gleeful looks in their eyes were impossible to miss.

Hearing her father’s praise, Denise hugged his arm and cooed, “Dad, Sierra is good too. She was just… too surprised today.”

“Maybe we should let her spend some time with Mr. Kason. Once she gets to know him, she won’t reject him anymore.”

Franklin’s eyes flickered with thought. But for now, the most important thing was to find Sierra. She had been far too disobedient. She needed to be taught a lesson. With that in mind, he said, “Bradley, come to my room.”

Bradley had a bad feeling but followed his father into the study.

By the beach, Sierra was meticulously eating the cake. She had been eating the eight-inch cake for a long time. Even though she was full, she kept going. Jonathan reached out and stopped her hand. “You don’t have to finish it if you’re full.”

Sierra looked up at him seriously. “I can eat it. I like it.”

Back in the Coleman family, only her grandmother had remembered her birthday. But her grandmother didn’t have much money, so she could only make a bowl of noodles with two eggs. After returning to the Kander family, they only remembered Denise’s birthday, completely forgetting that she had been born on the same day. Occasionally, they would give her some token gifts, but she was always the afterthought. This was the first time she had a whole cake all to herself.