Chapter 364: An Idea

Sierra arrived home late, bombarded by Olivia's incessant phone calls that nearly drained her battery. A somber expression clouded her face; online, she faced a barrage of mocking comments and accusations.

"You've got no shame! Stealing someone else's music and pretending to be them! Do you really think you can get away with it forever?"

"I bet she knew it was Maggie's video all along; that's why she shamelessly pretended. But even rabbits bite when cornered!"

"How gross! You idiotic, spoiled princess! I wasted so many votes on you, but you're useless except for your mediocre looks!"

The insults were endless.

Suppressing her anger, Sierra responded to a few netizens, only to face an even fiercer backlash. Her few supporters vanished. The insults continued, even reaching the Cameron household, driving Master Cameron's blood pressure so high he required medical attention. Sierra, unfortunately, remained oblivious.

At 1:00 AM, she returned to find the Cameron residence brightly lit. Ronald, Olivia, and Master Cameron sat in the living room, a heavy silence hanging in the air. Sierra's throat tightened under their gazes. Avoiding their eyes, she hurried upstairs.

"Stop her!" Ronald's angry voice echoed. Servants hesitated, then moved to intercept her. "Ms. Sierra, please cooperate."

With crimson eyes, Sierra realized she had no choice. Turning to confront Ronald, she cried, "You want to scold me? Go ahead! Hit me! No matter what I do, I'll never measure up to that outsider, Maggie!"

Tears streamed down her face. She felt genuinely wronged. Maggie's behavior was uncharacteristic, and no one believed her. Who could have predicted she would become Kevin's student and achieve such success?

"I told you she was plotting against me, but none of you believed me! She intentionally let me find that manuscript. How else would the home surveillance have coincidentally been on? And those videos! How could I have known it was hers? She knew I admitted to it, but she remained silent, waiting to strike at the perfect moment to humiliate me!"

Ronald's icy expression silenced his planned accusations. He felt speechless; words seemed useless for someone beyond redemption. He couldn't understand how he had raised such a reckless, foolish daughter, so blind to her own faults and so arrogantly self-assured. Powerlessness washed over him.

Following Sierra's outburst, silence descended. Feeling awkward, she didn't know what to do. Seeing Ronald's subdued demeanor, Olivia stepped forward. "Sierra, why didn't you discuss this with us? We understand you want to prove yourself, but you shouldn't have been so reckless"

Sierra paid little attention, her gaze flickering towards Ronald. The living room fell quiet, then Olivia's reprimands broke the silence. She scolded Sierra at length, defending her while seemingly criticizing her.

Suddenly, Ronald understood why his children had become this way. He'd thought the Pierces were classy, but they were absurd.

Finally, he spoke hoarsely, "Take a seat."

Sierra's throat tightened. Sensing something was wrong, she glanced at Master Cameron, who lounged on the sofa with his eyes closed, pretending not to notice. Noah maintained his cheerful facade, but his gaze felt icy. Sierra felt uneasy.

"Dad."

Ronald didn't explode. He said slowly, "Luster Corporation can't continue, and neither can our two associated companies."

Sierra was speechless. She opened her mouth, then remained silent. Ronald waited for her response.

After a pause, Sierra said, "I've tried my best. Luster Corporation was already struggling, so it's not my fault."

Ronald chuckled enigmatically. "We're short on funds, and we might have to move out of this villa soon."

Sierra was stunned. She knew their finances were strained, but not this dire. The villa wasn't that valuable.

Almost reflexively, she suggested, "Isn't Maggie with Nathael? Dad, why don't we ask her to borrow some funds from Mr. Harris? Didn't he give her 150 million for the engagement? Maggie wouldn't keep it all to herself, right?"

Ronald's expression darkened. Feeling embarrassed, Sierra added, "If I were with Nathael, I wouldn't be as useless as she is. I'd definitely get Mr. Harris to help our family."

Her eyes brightened. "Dad, why don't we invite Mr. Harris over, and then we can"

Sierra's words trailed off.

Ronald was intrigued. "We can what?"

"Give him a type of medicine. Once he gets me pregnant, he won't hesitate to help."

Sierra believed her plan was clever. She'd tested the medicine; it was potent, making people compliant. If Nathael took it, she was sure…

Olivia was startled. Glancing at Ronald, she objected, "What nonsense are you talking about? Mr. Harris is an important person. If we tricked him, he'd be furious!"

Sierra didn't care. "Maggie was sent to seduce him in the first place. If we had known this would happen, you should've"

Ronald sneered, "We should've what? Are you saying we should've sent you to Nathael in the first place?!"