Chapter 42

After parting ways with Shermaine, Leslie went back to the classroom to study, fuming with anger. He was still upset over Shermaine’s repeated rejection, his face dark. But after thinking it over, he decided he shouldn’t rush things.

Tomorrow were the midterms. Once the results came out, Shermaine would see for herself how harsh reality could be. By then, he’d go find her again—there was no way she’d turn him down then. When that time came, he’d go to her again. In short, he just didn’t believe Shermaine’s grades would be anything impressive.

What he didn’t expect was that Alice would question Shermaine due to his visit, causing Shermaine to be taken away by the dean.

When Leslie heard this news, his mood soured even more. He knew Alice had feelings for him, but he hadn’t agreed to anything. That was because his studies were demanding at the time, and while Alice was pretty, she wasn’t his type. Honestly, if Shermaine hadn’t come into the picture, he might have considered dating Alice after graduation.

But now, things were different—he liked Shermaine more. Even though Shermaine had a fiancé, if she were to fall for Leslie, she could break off the engagement with the York family. Leslie believed that Shermaine, being so young, wouldn’t be happy after marrying Joshua, and that she should be enjoying a passionate romance.

Then news spread that Shermaine had made a bet with the dean—if she didn’t get straight A’s, she might drop out. Leslie thought to himself, ‘Is she out of her mind? Where does she get the confidence to make such a bet? The exam is tomorrow, and she doesn’t even have time to prepare. There are six classes, and as far as I know, she’s taking an honors class. Unless she is as exceptional as I am, there’s no way she can pull it off.”

Most of the students thought Shermaine was being too reckless to have made such a bet. Some felt sorry for her, while others thought she had overestimated herself.

For Shermaine, though, the bet didn’t seem to add any pressure. That night, as usual, she did a live stream to help her classmates with questions while completing her own tasks. By midnight, she turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Before that, Joshua had brought her a glass of milk and reminded her, “Be careful these next couple of days. Don’t go anywhere without the driver.”

Shermaine instantly realized that those people still had a grudge against her. She took the milk and drank it right in front of him, finishing it off quickly. “If they want to kill me, it won’t be that easy,” she said.

Then she handed the empty glass back to Joshua. “Thanks for the milk.”

Joshua noticed a bit of milk at the corner of her lips and said, “You’ve got something at the corner of your lips.”

“Left or right?”

“Left.”

Shermaine stuck out her tongue and licked the corner of her lips clean.

Joshua’s eyes dimmed with longing.

The next day, it was Shermaine’s first exam since transferring to this school. In the morning, she had math, and in the afternoon, physics and economics. For Shermaine, the test was ridiculously easy. Problems that took others over ten minutes to solve were done by her in half a minute.

In less than half an hour, she completed the entire paper. She wrote her name and student ID number. Then she stretched, rested her head on the desk, and took a nap.

The same thing happened in the afternoon exam. After finishing the physics paper, Shermaine asked, “Sir, can I turn in my paper early?”

Turning in the paper so soon—does she think the physics exam is too hard and decides to give up? the proctor thought. He recognized Shermaine. Ever since Shermaine’s bet with the dean, her name had spread across the entire school. Many of them thought she was arrogant and clueless.

The proctor, seated at the podium, glanced at Shermaine, checked the time, and replied indifferently, “It’s up to you.”

After leaving the classroom, Shermaine had no intention of wandering around and planned to take a taxi back to the Riverswood Villa. But she ran into some trouble. As she stepped out of school, she realized she was being watched.

It seemed that the parents of those spoiled rich kids, who were about to face jail time, wanted to take revenge before their families completely fell apart.

Shermaine deliberately turned into a deserted alley, stretched lazily, and waited for her pursuers to make their move.

About ten minutes later, a man with a scar on his face was left in nothing but his underwear, his arms and legs bound with his own clothes. When the police arrived, they couldn’t believe this was the killer who had taken the lives of more than ten people.

Back at the Riverswood Villa, Shermaine entered the password and stepped inside. The housekeeper wasn’t around, probably out shopping. But just as she got to the second floor, Joshua came out of the study.

He seemed to be there to grab some documents, holding a file in his hands. When he saw the blood on her and sensed the fierce aura around her, his eyes darkened, and he said in a low voice, “I just told you to be careful yesterday. Have you already forgotten?”

Shermaine hadn’t forgotten; she just figured, since the guy was alone, she could handle him herself. She didn’t give it much thought and just executed her plan. “I’ve already handed him over to the police.”

She couldn’t help but notice that Joshua seemed a bit angry, but she wasn’t too sure.

Joshua stared at her for a moment before asking, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Shermaine wasn’t too concerned. “My hand was dislocated, but I popped it back in. My back hurts a little. Can you check it for me?”

The assassin those parents hired had killed over ten people and was pretty skilled. She wasn’t invincible, so it was inevitable that she got a few scrapes. Her back hurt, but she couldn’t see the spot.

Joshua said, “Wait for me in the study.”

Without hesitation, Shermaine headed to the study. It was the first time she had been inside since moving in.

The room smelled faintly of ink. The computer was on, and several documents were scattered across the desk. But what caught her attention the most was the massive bookshelf—at least seven feet tall and very wide. It was filled with countless books, many of which were rare editions.

She didn’t wander around or touch anything. Instead, she set her bag down and sat on the couch, waiting quietly.

Joshua came in with a first-aid kit, sat down, and then said, “Turn around and lift your shirt.”

Shermaine didn’t think much of it when she lifted her shirt; she just saw Joshua as a “nurse.” She lay on her stomach, hugging the pillow.

But when his fingers brushed against the skin on her back, a shiver ran through her. That was when she realized—she couldn’t exactly think of him as just a “nurse” anymore.

The injury on her back was swollen. When Joshua’s fingertips pressed lightly against it, a sharp sting shot through her, making her let out a soft moan.

Joshua applied some ointment to the swollen spot and began gently massaging the area to reduce the swelling.

Clutching the pillow, Shermaine felt her ears grow warm. The massage didn’t just bring the familiar sting and soreness; there was something else mixed in, something she couldn’t quite name. Her body, hypersensitive, instinctively pulled away.

Joshua firmly gripped her waist with his other hand. “What are you doing? Don’t move.”

Shermaine had no idea why she had done that.