Chapter 173: A New Dawn

For someone who had been spoiled her entire life, Denise never imagined a day where she would be abandoned. Now, without the Xanders’ backing, prison was inevitable. She knew exactly what would happen behind bars. After all, she was the one who had arranged for Sierra’s special treatment when she was incarcerated. Now, would she suffer the same fate? Denise let out a piercing scream.

Meanwhile, everything that had transpired at the hospital was swiftly reported to Jonathan. Not that he cared, but because of Sierra, he had ordered someone to monitor the situation. He relayed the update to her, and after a moment of silence, she said, “No need to waste money keeping an eye on her anymore.” Denise was done for. Knowing that was enough. She wouldn’t waste another second of her life on irrelevant people.

“Alright!” Jonathan leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss against her cheek. Her decisiveness and ability to let go only made him admire her more. But a chaste kiss wasn’t enough. His lips traced downward, capturing hers in a slow, consuming kiss—one that neither of them seemed willing to end.

When he finally pulled away, Sierra’s lips were swollen and flushed a tempting shade of red. Jonathan’s dark gaze flickered with heat. His thumb grazed over her lips, pressing gently, savoring their softness before reluctantly letting go.

“Weren’t you going to see Grandma? I’ll drive you.” Sierra nodded, quickly turning away to retrieve her coat. She could feel his eyes burning into her, and she had a feeling his restraint was waning. She didn’t resist intimacy, but… she had doubts about herself. She had never experienced it before, but she had felt and seen things that made her wonder if she was even capable of it.

At the hospital, Edmund parked outside but didn’t go in. He had originally planned to, but he figured Sierra and her grandmother had a lot to talk about. “Wait for me here. I’ll pick you up later.” Before she could reply, he cupped her face, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Then, he adjusted her mask, tugged her cap into place, and gently warned, “Be careful. Call me if anything happens.”

“Mm, the privacy here is pretty good,” Sierra said as she reached for the car door, but just as she was about to step out, Jonathan gently pulled her back. “Stay away from that, Dr. Zahn.”

Sierra paused for a moment before a teasing smile appeared on her lips. “M. Yeager, I didn’t take you for the jealous type.”

Jonathan didn’t mind her teasing at all. Instead, he tugged at her coat, adjusting it properly before she got out. “You’d better not give me a reason to be jealous.” Otherwise, the consequences wouldn’t be something she could handle. Sierra glanced at him, then suddenly leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his lips before darting out of the car. Jonathan touched the spot where she had kissed him, his gaze softening in a way it never had before.

The hospital was filled with people wearing masks, so Sierra didn’t stand out. She quickly made her way to her grandmother’s room, where Dr. Zahn was in the middle of an examination. Seeing someone sneaking in, he instinctively frowned. But when Sierra pulled down her mask, his expression changed to surprise. “Sierra!” He was stunned for a second, then immediately broke into a pleased smile, pulling her inside. “I was just talking to your grandmother about you!”

“I saw that live stream the other day. You were amazing!” Dr. Zahn looked at her with admiration and a trace of concern. “Thank you for everything these past few days, Dr. Zahn,” Sierra said sincerely. She hadn’t been able to visit her grandmother recently, and it was Dr. Zahn who had been taking care of her.

“No need to thank me.”

Although he had plenty of things he wanted to say to her, he knew that Sierra and her grandmother had a lot to talk about. After briefly explaining Madam Lily’s condition, he excused himself, leaving the two alone.

“Sierra!” Lily took her granddaughter’s hand, her eyes glistening with tears. She had so many things she wanted to say before she saw her. But now that Sierra was here, she didn’t know where to begin. She always knew her granddaughter wasn’t the kind of person who would break the law. How could the Xander family treat her like this? She was their biological daughter; how could they hurt her so deeply? Sierra knew what her grandmother wanted to say. She squeezed her hand gently, reassuring her.

“Grandma, it’s all in the past. Yes, it was all over. The darkness, the suffering—it was all in the past.” Not wanting her grandmother to feel guilty or blame herself, Sierra quickly changed the topic. “The research is already in the experimental stage. The next step is clinical trials. When the time comes, you’ll be the first volunteer.” Her grandmother’s condition couldn’t afford to wait much longer, but Sierra was confident that her medication would work without any issues.