Chapter 240: Letting Go

This hospital was the same one where Sierra's grandmother had stayed. Since she was already here, she wanted to visit Dr. Zahn before leaving. Jonathan wasn't thrilled about the idea, but he didn't say anything. They were leaving in a few days, and Sierra wanted to express her gratitude. After all, Dr. Zahn had been the one taking care of her grandmother.

When he saw Sierra and Jonathan together, Dr. Zahn immediately understood why they had come. He let out a quiet sigh and said, “Your grandmother often talked to me about you. She was always proud to have a daughter like you. She hoped you’d always be happy.”

“I know,” Sierra replied softly. “I’ve taken care of all her affairs. I came today to say goodbye.”

“You’re leaving?” Dr. Zahn was momentarily surprised. His gaze flickered to Jonathan as if he had already guessed the reason. There was a trace of disappointment in his expression, but he still said, “That’s probably for the best. Maviston was too small for someone like you. You need a bigger stage. I hope your future is bright.”

“Thank you, Dr. Zahn. I wish you the best as well.” Sierra was truly grateful to him. They talked for a while before she finally left.

As they walked downstairs, Sierra suddenly stopped. Not far away, someone familiar was sitting in a chair, his head down. Following her gaze, Dr. Zahn spoke up, “He’s been coming here a lot. His mother is sick.”

He was talking about Sean. Sierra already knew about Eleanor’s illness, but Dr. Zahn gave more details. “It’s a benign tumor, but the chances of recurrence are high.” He knew about Sierra’s past with the Xander family, which was why he had asked around.

Hearing this, Sierra pursed her lips slightly. Instead, she turned and left with Jonathan. On the way home, she suddenly said, “I’m giving the apartment back to the Xander family.” The luxury apartment she had been living in was originally given to her by Bradley.

Back then, even he probably hadn’t expected the Xander family to end up like this. Now, after their bankruptcy, all of their properties had been seized. Eleanor and Sean were living in a house that Evan had received from his school. But with Eleanor’s illness, their medical expenses would pile up. The money Sierra had given Sean wasn’t much—just enough for an emergency.

Jonathan didn’t even blink. “Do whatever you want.” To him, a house was nothing. He had only kept his own place because of the memories inside. Sierra turned to him and asked, “You don’t think I’m being too soft?”

Jonathan didn’t bother with meaningless words like, “But they’re still family.” That was nonsense. The suffering the Xander family had endured wasn’t even a fraction of what Sierra had gone through. People who hadn’t lived through real pain had no right to judge fairness. They had failed as parents, as siblings. They had no right to expect kindness in return. But Jonathan also didn’t want Sierra dwelling on this, so he simply said, “These are just small matters. Do whatever brings you peace of mind.”

Sierra smiled. Jonathan always knew exactly what to say.

The next evening, Sierra waited outside the hospital. It was late when Sean finally walked out, looking utterly exhausted. He had never had to handle real responsibilities before. Now, the weight of his entire family had fallen on his shoulders, and it was crushing him. When Sierra stepped in front of him, he took a few seconds to register her presence.

“Sierra?” He sounded unsure.

“I’m leaving Maviston,” she said. “The apartment Bradley gave me—I’m giving it back. Meet me tomorrow to transfer the ownership.” She didn’t waste time with unnecessary explanations. Sean stood there, frozen. His eyes turned red, and when he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse.

Tomorrow at nine, Sierra said simply, “Don’t be late.” Then she turned and got into the car. Sean stood motionless, looking utterly lost.

The next day, he still showed up at the property office. Everything was handled quickly. Before leaving, Sierra said, “We’re leaving at the end of the month. You can move in after that.” She was about to turn away when Sean suddenly blurted out, “So… do you still hate us?”

“I don’t,” she said. “I stopped hating you a long time ago. Even before I got out of prison, I had already stopped.” She had simply erased them from her life. To her, they were nothing more than strangers.

Sean understood what she meant. He watched her leave, then suddenly crouched down, his head bowed low. No one could see his face, but the ground beneath him was quickly soaked with tears.

The next day, Sean visited the prison. For the first time in a long while, he met with his father and Brak and told them everything that had happened at home.