Chapter 384 Buried Lies

That day at the funeral, his uncle had seemed ready to take him away, but in the end, he left him behind.

Not long after, the Yaeger family vanished. Word was they’d gone abroad. Before leaving, they handed over a massive portion of their assets to Johnathan—including private islands and family estates.

Johnathan had his doubts, even then. He’d contacted his uncle, but the man sounded irritated, especially when Johnathan asked to visit. He was flatly refused.

His uncle’s exact words: his grandparents were getting old. Burying their own daughter had left them emotionally shattered, and seeing Johnathan would only bring back painful memories. It was better not to visit–or even contact them.

At the time, Johnathan had just hit his teens. He was sensitive and easily affected. After being rejected like that, he never reached out again.

In his twenties, the thought returned. He started sending gifts to their last known address–just to show he still cared, even if from afar.

For years, those gifts were always received. He never questioned it–until today. A casual conversation had stirred up long-dormant suspicions.

He couldn’t put a name to the feeling, but it was clear now–Chase was hiding something. Maybe his uncle and grandparents were too.

Johnathan sat lost in thought. Since his mood didn’t seem affected, Sierra let him be. She finished cooking and called him over when the food was ready.

When he saw the dishes laid out, Johnathan realized just how long he’d been zoned out.

“Sorry–I was thinking about something.”

Sierra had spent the day in the lab. Normally, he wouldn’t let her handle dinner after that.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind cooking once in a while. If I don’t keep at it, I’ll forget how to do it altogether.”

“If you forget, that’s fine. I can handle it.”

Johnathan pulled her into her seat as he spoke. Then, after a brief pause, he said, “I think they’re hiding something from me. Sierra, do you think I should dig into the past?”

Johnathan had always been a decisive man. For him to ask such a question meant he was truly torn.

He had a feeling that if he started pulling at those threads, everything he’d believed for years might fall apart. All his determination, all his convictions–might turn out to be meaningless.

Sierra considered it carefully and asked, “What do you really want? Do you want the truth, or are you okay living without it?”

“I don’t know.” For once, Johnathan admitted he was uncertain.

“Then don’t rush. Figure out what your heart truly wants before you decide. It’s already been years. A few more days won’t matter.”

Her words calmed him. She was right. He needed time to think.

Once he let go of the question for now, the tension in his body eased. His conversation with Sierra became relaxed again.

But Johnathan didn’t know that after leaving, Chase had hesitated for a long time before making a call he hadn’t made in years.

“Johnathan asked about you today. I don’t think we can keep this hidden much longer.”

“Of course, I know we need to keep it quiet–but you know how smart he is.”

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

“…He’s doing well. He’s found someone he loves.”

“I know. I’ll protect him. It’s what I owe Wei.”

After hanging up, Chase sat quietly for a while before calling for a driver to take him home.

He’d come to a conclusion: the root of it all was Jose. If he could send Jose away, maybe Johnathan would stop wanting to leave the Wynn family.

With that in mind, he sat down to talk to Susie.

“I’m sorry. Things are different now–“

Before he could finish, Susie interrupted, “That was what I suggested in the first place.”

“Keeping Jose here will only make things worse between him and Johnathan. I’ve always said we should send him away.”

But back then, Chase had refused.

Now, hearing her say it again, guilt gnawed at him. “I’m sorry. I’ve put you both through a lot.”

“Don’t say that.”

Tears welled in Susie’s eyes. “If it weren’t for you and Wei, I’d have died a long time ago.”

“I’ll talk to Jose.”

Neither of them realized that Jose was standing right outside the door, listening to every word.

His eyes burned with jealousy and hatred.

Face dark, he turned and drove off. The whole way, the only thing echoing in his head were the words he’d just overheard.