Chapter 109: A Visit from Jonathan
After finalizing the appointment with Abigail, Sierra headed home. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she spotted Jonathan standing at her door.
“Mr. Jonathan?” Sierra looked at him in surprise. “What brings you here?”
Jonathan adjusted his glasses and said, “I came across two new research papers that I think could be helpful for your work. I wanted to show them to you, but you weren’t home.”
“Thank you, Mr. Jonathan!” Sierra said as she unlocked the door. “Why didn’t you come inside?”
Jonathan smiled. “I get the feeling that Dickson is a little afraid of me, so I figured it’d be better to wait until you got back.”
A warm feeling spread through Sierra’s chest—Jonathan was always so considerate. Dickson had always been wary of Jonathan for some reason, and after everything that had happened, that fear had probably only grown stronger.
Just then, the door to Dickson’s room cracked open slightly, and he peeked outside. He had planned to greet Sierra, but the moment he saw Jonathan, he quickly shut the door again.
Sierra sighed. Dickson’s condition was worse than she had thought.
Jonathan, ever understanding, said, “Go check on him. I’ll wait here.”
Sierra smiled in appreciation before going into Dickson’s room. Inside, Dickson was sitting with a book open in his lap. When he saw her, he forced a smile.
“You’re back, Sierra. How’s Grandma?”
“She’s doing well. She asked about you today, and I told her you’re still getting over a cold. She told me to make sure you’re eating well and taking care of yourself.”
At her words, a flicker of emotion crossed Dickson’s eyes. He missed Grandma too. For as long as he could remember, it had always been just him, Mom, and Daphne. He loved the way Grandma spoke to him—soft and gentle, as if he truly mattered. But the thought of leaving the house, of stepping into the outside world—especially going to a hospital—made his stomach twist. Just imagining it made him feel exposed, like standing in front of a crowd with nowhere to hide.
Seeing his hesitation, Sierra reassured him, “It’s okay. No rush. We’ll take things one step at a time. I’m going to talk to Mr. Jonathan about our research for a bit—want to join us?”
Sierra hoped Dickson would gradually start opening up again, and Jonathan seemed like a good person for him to start with. But Dickson didn’t even think about it before shaking his head vigorously, his expression filled with panic. “No, I don’t want…”
His reaction was so intense that Sierra didn’t have time to process it. She quickly reassured him, “Okay, we won’t. You can stay here. I’ll talk to Mr. Jonathan for a bit and then come back.”
This time, Dickson said nothing. As Sierra shut the door behind her, her heart grew heavier. His reaction was worse than she had expected—just hearing Jonathan’s name had sent him into a panic. She could only guess it had something to do with the night Jonathan knocked him unconscious. Maybe that had only reinforced his fear and distrust.
Jonathan, however, just smiled. “I get it. I must have that strict school principal look.”
His lighthearted comment made Sierra laugh. She studied him for a moment before teasing, “If my school principal looked like you, I probably wouldn’t have talked back to him that day.”
Jonathan chuckled, and for a moment, the tension in the air eased. He handed her the printed research papers. “Take a look at these. I think they align closely with your research. I’ll be around at home for the next few days if you need anything.”
After Jonathan left, Sierra sat down and carefully read through the papers. He was right; the topics closely aligned with her research, and many of the ideas mirrored her own. She glanced at the author’s name—it was from a well-respected professor. Still, two papers weren’t enough to draw any conclusions, so she set the thought aside for now.
The next day, Abigail came over. As planned, Sierra introduced her simply as a friend. Dickson wasn’t as guarded around women, and hearing that Abigail was Sierra’s friend, he even poured her a glass of water.
“Ms. Abigail is a top student,” Sierra said casually. “She also tutors sometimes. Dickson, if you ever have trouble with anything, you can ask her for help. My schedule is packed, and honestly, I’ve forgotten a lot of high school material. If you run into any problems, you can always message Ms. Abigail on WhatsApp.”
This was all part of the plan—to have Abigail gradually build a connection with Dickson, gain his trust, and then gently introduce psychological support. As expected, Dickson didn’t suspect anything. Abigail had a gentle presence and didn’t seem threatening, which eased his guarded expression considerably.
As Sierra prepared dinner, she glanced over and saw the two of them chatting comfortably. Only then did she begin to relax. By the time Abigail was leaving, Dickson even walked her to the door—a small but promising step.
Sierra used the excuse of escorting Abigail downstairs so they could talk privately. Once inside the elevator, Abigail finally spoke. “He’s definitely less guarded around women. That’s likely because the ones who hurt him before were all men. Another reason could be that he’s always been surrounded by women in his family, which gives him a sense of security.”