Chapter 106: Cutting Ties
“Don’t let him go! I already called the police—there’s no way I’m letting this slide!” Bradley snarled, his teeth gritted, seething with rage. He couldn’t believe this nobody had the guts to lay a hand on him. There was no way he was letting this go; Dickson had to pay.
Hearing that Bradley had called the police, Sierra’s brows furrowed. A doctor arrived shortly after, administering a mild sedative to Dickson. Slowly, his tense body relaxed, and he calmed down. Meanwhile, Bradley had his wound stitched up; the injury on his head was from when Dickson had smashed a bowl over him.
The whole time, Sierra kept trying to get answers from Dickson. She refused to believe he had attacked without reason, but he remained silent, staring blankly ahead, completely unresponsive.
The police arrived soon after. After assessing the situation, they prepared to take Dickson into custody. Seeing this, Sierra quickly stepped forward. “Please wait—I’d like to speak with Mr. Xander first.” Dickson was already in a fragile mental state; taking him away now would only make things worse.
With that in mind, Sierra pulled Bradley aside. “Mr. Xander, can we settle this privately?” Regardless of what had happened, Bradley had been injured, and Dickson wouldn’t be able to avoid the consequences. The only way out was for Bradley to drop the charges.
Bradley stared at her in shock. “Are you seriously asking me to let this go?” His voice was laced with shock and irritation. “Do you even see the wound on my head? He attacked me! And you’re standing here asking me to let it slide?” His expression darkened. “Sierra, you seriously see him as your brother? Have you lost your mind? Someone like him isn’t even worth your time!”
“Someone like him?” Sierra’s voice turned cold. “Is that how you see him?” At that moment, she understood. She didn’t know what had happened earlier, but considering what Dickson had just been through, it wasn’t hard to guess. Bradley must have humiliated him, pushing him over the edge. Her hands clenched into fists. “Bradley, do you even realize what you’ve done?” she snapped.
Bradley stiffened, caught off guard, but his shock quickly turned to frustration. “I did this because I’m worried you’re being deceived. You have no idea how people like him operate—they play the victim, manipulate others, and prey on sympathy. And you actually fell for it? What if he’s carrying some kind of disease? You’d be dragged down with him!” His frustration evident, he snapped, “Do you think I want to interfere? If you weren’t my sister, I wouldn’t waste my time on this.”
He was the general manager of Xander Group; aside from his father, no one dared speak to him this way. Maybe he had been too lenient with Sierra, and now she thought she could walk all over him.
Sierra’s expression was ice-cold, her eyes burning with hatred. “I’ve told you before—I’m not part of the Xander family. I’ve already cut ties with you all, so why can’t you just leave me alone? Or are you really never going to let me go?” Her eyes burned with hatred. “Stay out of my life. Every time you interfere, you make things worse. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if you’re doing it on purpose.”
Bradley’s anger only made his head hurt more—his fresh stitches throbbed, feeling like they might split open again. His voice was ice-cold as he snapped, “Fine. If you think I’m interfering, then don’t ever come to me for anything. He attacked me—let the police deal with him however they want.”
Turning on his heel, he was about to storm off when Sierra’s voice rang out behind him. “I’m sure the police would be interested in reopening that hit-and-run case from three years ago.”
Bradley froze. He whipped around, disbelief flashing across his face. “Are you threatening me?” She’s actually threatening me over this worthless nobody!
Sierra met his gaze with icy calm. “That’s up to you, Mr. Xander. Either we let the past stay buried, or we dig it all up. The choice is yours.”
Brady’s hand shot up, ready to slap Sierra. But the moment his eyes met hers, he froze. Her dark, unyielding gaze and pale face stopped him in his tracks. She was a constant reminder of the guilt they all carried—one they could never escape.
After a long pause, Bradley let out a frustrated breath and lowered his hand. His voice was cold as he said, “I’ll drop this, but don’t ever bring up what happened three years ago again.”
Sierra’s expression didn’t change. “Don’t worry. You have someone you care about, and so do I. And let’s get one thing straight—he is my brother, not some nobody. Mr. Xander, I suggest you show some respect. If you can’t, I promise you, Denise won’t be spared from the consequences either.”
She never wanted things to get this ugly. All she wanted was to break away from the Xander family and go her own way—as if they were strangers. But they just wouldn’t leave her alone.