When the Flame of Love Fades Chapter 409 A Familiar Face

Johnathan was about to follow after Sierra but suddenly paused, as if something had clicked. Beside him, Mateo spoke up. “Relax.”

There were plenty of their people in the crowd. And besides, Sierra was wearing several custom-designed devices—every piece of equipment tuned by Johnathan himself.

“And honestly,” Mateo added, “I doubt anyone would have the guts to try anything at a place like this.”

Security had been tight lately. This wasn’t enemy territory—who would dare act so brazenly?

More likely, Mateo thought, their opponents would try a slow approach. They’d initiate contact first, build trust, and only strike once they were close enough.

Johnathan knew he was right—but that didn’t make him feel any better.

Fortunately, Mateo had Sierra under constant surveillance.

“Her senior is putting makeup on her,” he reported.

That news relaxed Johnathan just a bit.

Meanwhile, in an empty classroom, Sierra looked helplessly at Autumn, who had laid out an entire makeup kit.

“There’s no need for this,” Sierra protested. “I’m just giving a speech, not attending a gala.”

“You don’t get it! We’ve got brains and looks—this is what North Salem University is all about!”

Seeing how excited Autumn was, Sierra gave in. If it made her happy, so be it.

Despite being a science geek, Autumn was surprisingly skilled with makeup.

Ten minutes later, she stood back and stared at Sierra in astonishment. “Sierra, you really should dress up more often.”

Sierra wasn’t the type to dazzle at first glance—but the longer you looked, the more captivating she became.

She had flawless bone structure—the kind of beauty that cameras loved. A little makeup transformed her into someone straight off a movie screen.

“Mr. Yaeger really hit the jackpot,” Autumn muttered, almost in awe.

At this point, she genuinely felt like Johnathan might not be worthy of Sierra anymore. A woman this brilliant and beautiful? You’d be lucky to meet one like her in a lifetime.

Sierra didn’t seem to register the compliment. Once they finished tidying up, she and Autumn headed toward the conference hall.

On the way, they passed a man wandering around with an invitation in hand, clearly lost.

They exchanged a glance, and Autumn took the initiative.

“Are you here for the symposium?”

“Yes!” the man looked relieved. “I just stepped out to use the restroom and couldn’t find my way back.”

His English was slightly accented. He looked mixed-race. When he saw Sierra, his eyes lit up.

“Beautiful lady—we meet again! Do you remember me?”

Sierra blinked in confusion.

Who was this guy?

Seeing her blank expression, he quickly said, “We met at a café, remember?”

That jogged her memory a bit.

There had been a time—after a fight with Johnathan—when she’d gone to a café to cool off. She had met a mixed-race man there. Was it this guy?

At the same time, Mateo, listening in through their surveillance system, let out a sharp curse.

Sierra might not remember him clearly, but he sure did.

The two of them had fought—and Mateo had lost.

Just thinking about it made his fists itch. But they had a mission today, so he forced himself to stay focused. He turned to Johnathan and said, “Remember that mixed guy we fought with?”

Johnathan nodded. How could he forget?

They’d even done a background check afterward. Maddox had confirmed the man’s identity—he was someone with a high profile, in town to discuss investment opportunities. The Department of Commerce had rolled out the red carpet for him.

“He’s talking to Sierra right now,” Mateo added, eyes locked on the monitor.

He relayed their conversation word-for-word.

Johnathan’s face darkened. “What a coincidence.”

After the last incident, they’d stopped tracking the man—his background had checked out, and with the Commerce Department involved, they hadn’t wanted to overstep.

But now, here he was again—and talking to Sierra again.

Johnathan didn’t like it one bit. Still, he forced himself to remain composed.

“Dig deeper,” he ordered.

“You suspect something?”

Mateo understood immediately. It lined up too well with today’s mission.

Johnathan nodded. Mateo made a quick call and redirected his full attention to the man’s interaction with Sierra.

Sierra, having vaguely remembered him, didn’t look thrilled. But she was polite. Since they were already headed to the same place, she and Autumn let him tag along.

The man seemed particularly interested in Sierra and started chatting.

“Hi! My nickname’s White—like the poet,” he said with a grin. “May I know your names, lovely ladies?”

“Autumn.”

“Sierra.”

They both gave their names in return.