When the Flame of Love Fades (Sierra) novel Chapter 272

Chapter 272 The Knife and the Calm

When Johnathan got home, Sierra wasn’t there. He was about to call her when the door opened.

“What do you want for dinner?”

She said it like nothing had happened, walking in and heading to her room to change.

Johnathan didn’t ask where she’d been. He just rolled up his sleeves and went straight into the kitchen. Sierra followed to help, moving quietly beside him.

It didn’t take him long to notice something was off.

“What’s wrong?”

Sierra hesitated for half a second. Then said plainly, “Jose came to see me today.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Johnathan’s whole face darkened.

“What did he say to you?”

Sierra didn’t sugarcoat it. She gave him the basics–what Jose had said, how he offered to leave if Johnathan returned to the family.

Johnathan let out a short, cold laugh. “He said he’d leave?”

He sneered. “Did he say anything about Susie?”

He always found it funny how they were willing to be noble only when it suited them. If Jose really wanted to avoid conflict- why show up in the first place?

“He said he couldn’t speak for his mother. Just that… she loves your father very much.”

The knife in Johnathan’s hand paused mid–chop.

Sierra reached over quickly, placing a hand on his arm. “Easy. You’ll crack the cutting board.”

She had a way of grounding him, always did.

He looked over at her. “Do you believe him?”

“I believe you.”

Her voice was calm, steady. “He’s a stranger to me. You’re not

Even if Jose really did admire Johnathan–Sierra wasn’t going to tell Johnathan to accept him. Maybe Jose was innocent. But Johnathan had lost so much more.

Sierra took the knife from his hand and kept cutting, her voice still soft.

“Just do what feels right to you. He came to me to say his piece. That’s all. Whatever you want to do–I’m behind you.”

The tension in Johnathan’s shoulders eased.

“They’re not as innocent as they act,” he muttered.

Susie and his mother were supposed to be best friends. No one who actually cared about her could’ve done what Susie did.

After that, they didn’t bring up the Wynn family again. Sierra shifted the conversation to school, and to Dickson.

“I spoke with his teacher a few days ago. He’s doing great. Got a few new friends, grades are on track.”

“Then when he comes back this weekend, we’ll make something good for him.”

Sierra smiled. She didn’t bring up Shane’s phone call.

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12:38 PM N

Shane.

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