Chapter 144: A Storm in the Making

Sierra, always perceptive of kindness and malice, sensed that Bella's curiosity was devoid of ill intent. This softened her expression further.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Sierra. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major.”

Bella blinked in surprise before smiling brightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Sierra!” Sierra returned the smile.

In stark contrast to Sierra's lighthearted mood, Denise was on the verge of a breakdown at the hospital. Her surgery had been unsuccessful, leaving her bedridden longer than anticipated. To make matters worse, someone sent her a screenshot of Jonathan and Sierra holding hands at school.

This wasn't all. Jonathan had even issued a public statement, declaring his long pursuit of Sierra and warning others not to harass her. Some messages sent to Denise expressed pity; others mocked her misery. But she disregarded them all. All she saw was the picture: Jonathan's protective stance, Sierra's relaxed expression, and their intertwined fingers. The sight tightened her chest painfully, her breathing becoming rapid and erratic. Why? Why was this woman getting everything she wanted so effortlessly?

Denise clawed at the sheets, attempting to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate. The combination of frustration and worsening pain overwhelmed her; her vision blurred, and with a strangled gasp, she lost consciousness. Denise wasn't the only one seething.

On the other side of the city, Kason stared at his phone, his expression as dark as a storm cloud. News of Jonathan and Sierra had spread far beyond Northwind University, and someone had ensured he received a copy of the infamous hand-holding photo.

Sitting across from him, a man named Chase Palmer smirked, swirling the whiskey in his glass.

“Looks like she’s playing you, Mr. Kason.”

Everyone in their circle knew Kason had a particular interest in Sierra. He had even taken her to one of their private gatherings, clearly indicating his claim. That was the only reason Chase hadn't touched her yet. So, how could he not revel in Kason's humiliation? Kason's grip on his glass tightened until his knuckles turned white. To him, Sierra had always been his possession. He hadn't officially marked her, but that didn't matter. And now she had thrown herself into the arms of some lowly professor?

Without another word, he downed the rest of his drink, his jaw clenched so tightly it could crack steel. Chase, sensing an opportunity, leaned in with a smirk.

“Want me to teach those lovebirds a lesson?”

He'd been waiting for an excuse to interfere with Sierra, but Kason had restrained him before. Now? Now, it seemed all restrictions were lifted.

Kason didn't respond immediately. Then, after a long pause, he said coldly, “No one touches my toys but me.” His voice was low, controlled, yet laced with something dangerous. “But that professor?” Kason sneered. “He needs to be reminded of his place.”

Jonathan had disrespected him once before, three years ago, when he refused to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies, including Kason's. At the time, Kason had dismissed him as an eccentric academic. Now, Jonathan dared to take his woman. And that was unacceptable. Chase grinned, his excitement barely contained.

“Got it. I’ve never played with someone like him before.”

His smile twisted into something wicked. In the background, muffled cries of pain filled the air—his latest plaything trying and failing to escape his grasp.

But Kason wasn't looking at Chase anymore. His gaze was fixed solely on the image of Sierra, his fingers tightening around the screen.

Meanwhile, Sierra remained blissfully unaware of the brewing storm. After her general course, she had her biochemistry class—Jonathan's class. She took her usual seat in the lecture hall, watching as Jonathan walked to the front of the room. This wasn't the first time she'd attended his lectures. But today, the context had changed. Before, he had been just her professor. Now, he was her boyfriend.

Sierra tilted her head, observing Jonathan as he adjusted his glasses before speaking. A quiet realization dawned on her. Before, she'd thought him refined, academic, gentle, composed—a man of logic and reason. But now? Now that she knew him better, that was all an illusion. Underneath the glasses and tailored suits, he was something entirely different. Not a gentle scholar, but a calculated predator. Her lips curled slightly at the thought.

Jonathan, who had been sweeping his gaze across the lecture hall, immediately caught the subtle shift in her expression. His own lips twitched in response. He was always composed during lectures, but for the briefest second, he looked at Sierra, not as a professor but as a man. And that one look, that one tiny crack in his usual façade, was enough to make her heart skip a beat.