Chapter 33: A Change of Heart

Sierra watched as Jonathan effortlessly handled Bradley, a strange feeling stirring in her heart. She had always thought of Jonathan as a kind and easygoing person, someone willing to help others. Then, she discovered he had a sharp tongue. And today, she realized he was downright devious. The image of Jonathan in her mind had shifted several times. Strangely enough, she didn’t dislike it.

Watching Bradley suffer a humiliating loss, Sierra couldn’t help but feel delighted. Her arrogant and self-important brothers had finally met their match.

Jonathan ended the call and glanced at Sierra, noticing the amusement in her eyes. He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Do other people know how devious you are, Mr. Yeager?”

Jonathan let out a small chuckle, looking pleased. “I told you, I only follow the rules.”

Technically speaking, he had done nothing wrong. Bradley had only given him two pills, so he had only analyzed those two pills. He had also provided their exact production date, which was simply being thorough. There was no issue whatsoever. If anything, it only proved his professionalism! Bradley had suffered a silent loss and had no grounds to complain. Sierra felt like she had learned something new. Her mood was unusually good today. So, for once, she returned to the Xander Residence early.

Back at the Xander Residence, the moment Sierra stepped inside, she was greeted by an air of heavy tension. For once, the entire Xander family was present. Even Sean, the celebrity brother, was home.

Since joining the entertainment industry, Sean had never hidden his family background. Now, he was caught in the scandal too. Haters flooded his social media, forcing him to shut down his comments section and retreat home.

Frustrated, he glanced at Sierra and immediately snapped, “The family is in crisis, and you’re still running around outside? Do you even consider this place your home?”

Sierra blinked. “I think you should ask Mr. Franklin that question instead.”

Sean faltered. Right, she had been removed from the family registry. Technically speaking, she wasn’t even a member of the Xander family. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Regardless, you should still think about the family.”

Sierra let out a soft chuckle and turned toward Denise, who was gently comforting their mother. “Ms. Denise is well liked at school. Everyone speaks highly of her. And you, Mr. Sean, have countless fans. Maybe you two should come up with a solution.”

Before Sean could respond, Sierra continued, “I don’t have many friends. The few I do know are serving their sentences in prison. Should I ask them to speak up instead? If you think that’s a good idea, I’d be happy to arrange it. I’m sure it would push the Xander family’s reputation to a whole new level.”

“You!” Sean was completely speechless. All it took was one comment from him, and Sierra had already countered with a dozen. When did she become so sharp-tongued?

At that moment, the study room door opened. Franklin stepped out with a dark expression, followed closely by a troubled-looking Bradley.

“Well?” Eleanor stood up anxiously. Evan, who had just finished a phone call, shook his head. “Dad, it’s not working. This scandal is too big; none of the respected senior professors are willing to get involved.”

Franklin sighed, as if he had already expected this outcome. “Then forget it. As long as they don’t have solid evidence, the outrage will fade eventually.”

Sure, their reputation would take a hit, especially Xander Pharmaceuticals. But it wasn’t something they couldn’t recover from.

While the family continued discussing damage control, Sierra had zero interest in staying. She was about to head upstairs when Franklin suddenly called out, “Stop right there!”

She turned back, her gaze indifferent. Franklin looked at her and spoke firmly, “In a few days, I’ll have your household registry restored. From now on, stop saying you’re not a Xander family member.”

Sierra’s eyes narrowed slightly. Franklin was a man who cared deeply about appearances. He would never willingly acknowledge a daughter with a criminal record. So what changed his mind? And why now, of all times?

The following days, the heat surrounding the Xander Pharmaceuticals scandal gradually died down. Bradley was quick-witted; he leaked a few high-profile celebrity scandals, successfully diverting public attention. In no time, netizens had moved on to gossiping about the entertainment industry. This outcome was within Sierra’s expectations. A single report wasn’t enough to take down the Xander family.

But that didn’t matter to her; she had finally returned to her original class. As long as the Xander family left her alone, she would quietly finish her remaining two months and move on.

Still, the family’s attitude toward her had shifted; they were strangely warm these days. Eleanor even checked in on her daily, despite receiving nothing but cold indifference in return. And as Franklin had promised, her name was officially reinstated in the Xander family registry. Like it or not, she was a Xander family member again.