Chapter 139: Lockdown Lessons
Bradley had just returned from the police station, where he learned Sean couldn't be bailed out yet. With Denise in her current condition, he couldn't help but regret not stopping Sean when he first suggested teaching Jonathan a lesson. If he had intervened, none of this would have happened. But it was too late for regrets now. He had called Jonathan many times, but no one answered, and eventually, the calls wouldn't even go through. The same was true for Sierra.
Left with no other choice, Bradley and Evan ambushed her at school. They didn't see Jonathan, who was still on medical leave, but they did run into Sierra. Finally getting the chance to talk to her, the brothers weren't about to let it slip. They cornered Sierra at the school gate. Evan was a teacher at the school, and Bradley often came to pick up Denise. Sierra was famous at Northwind University. The trio blocking the entrance quickly became the talk of the school's internal network.
Bradley and Evan knew this wasn't the place for a discussion and quickly said, “Come with us!” Sierra didn't even glance at them. With so many onlookers, they couldn't drag her away, so they lowered their voices: “We need to see Jonathan. Could you talk to him for us?”
The matter wasn't insignificant, but if Jonathan didn't pursue it, Sean could be out of jail soon. That's why they needed to find Jonathan. Hearing their request, Sierra finally acknowledged them: “Why should I talk to Jonathan? To ask him to let Sean off the hook? If that’s the case, talking to him won’t help you.”
At this point, Sierra chuckled, “Because I’m the one who did this!”
“What?” Bradley and Evan stared at her incredulously. Bradley blurted out, “Sierra, have you lost your mind? That's Sean! You actually got him thrown in jail!”
Sierra looked at Bradley with irony, “What about it? Didn’t you personally send my sister to jail back in the day?”
“Compared to you, I’ve been merciful! After all, he’s just in detention right now. And he deserves to be there!”
Her words left them speechless. After a long pause, Evan said, “Nobody wanted what happened back then; we had no choice.”
“You had no choice? Denise’s life matters, but mine doesn’t? She killed someone, and you wanted me to take the fall. When I refused, you used our grandmother as leverage to force my compliance, even promising to take care of her, which only left her unable to stand ever again. And to ensure I wouldn’t turn on you, you erased everything from back then. Are you kidding me?”
Every word from Sierra was like a slap in their faces. Bradley instinctively defended, “Erasing those records wasn’t about guarding against you, but to prevent others from finding leverage.”
Sierra scoffed, “Really, Mr. Bradley? Do you believe that?”
This time, Bradley didn’t respond. He had handled the matter himself and didn’t know why he had done it that way. He always acted cautiously, not wanting any complications, so he had destroyed all evidence from that time.
Seeing them lost for words, Sierra laughed again, “If you’re so capable, then find a way to get Sean out. After all, if you can call a deer a horse, this should be nothing for you.”
Getting Sean out wouldn’t have been a big deal for the Xander family in the past, but their influence in Maviston had waned after several recent setbacks. Moreover, with Sean’s situation so public, nobody wanted to risk helping out, fearing they might get dragged into the scandal. Even with their father personally intervening, it still took nearly ten days for Sean to be released from detention.
Bradley and Evan were there to pick him up, hardly believing their eyes when they saw him. The man before them was disheveled and lifeless, a stark contrast to their once vibrant brother. What was most frustrating was that despite their precautions, the paparazzi still caught wind of the situation.