Chapter 35: A Price to Pay

“Are you really willing to let Denise marry into that family?”

Of course not. Denise had been cherished since birth, doted on by all of them. How could they bear to let her be used for a political marriage? Especially to that man; everyone knew about his twisted tendencies. His previous wife had been tortured to death. Denise would never survive in his hands.

Seeing the hesitation in Bradley’s eyes, Franklin pressed on. “So, you’re unwilling too? Then this is our only choice. To be honest, Sierra is the best option. As you said, she suffered a lot in prison. If she could survive three years in that hell, then marrying someone should be nothing to her. No matter how cruel that man is, could he possibly be worse than what she endured in prison?”

Bradley was startled; it made sense. Sierra had endured so much. Even after all the abuse and torment, she had come out alive; she could handle this too. Besides, this time, they shouldn’t abandon her. That man wouldn’t go too far if he wanted to maintain ties with the Xander family. They would visit her often and look after her. And Denise? With her delicate nature, how could she endure such suffering?

It was clear: Sierra had to be the one to go.

Resolving himself, Bradley finally spoke. “Dad, we should treat her better after this.”

“She… she’s pitiful.”

Franklin gave him a long, unreadable look. After a pause, he responded, “Fine, do what you want. The family is wealthy; buy her some gifts.”

Bradley’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Alright!” His guilt eased somewhat.

That evening, he called his younger brothers; from now on, they would all treat Sierra well. After all, she was their sister.

Meanwhile, Jonathan rapped his knuckles against the table, his sharp gaze snapping Sierra out of her thoughts. It was rare for him to see Sierra this distracted, especially during an important discussion.

Sierra blinked, quickly apologizing. “Sorry.”

Jonathan put away the files in front of him, his tone shifting slightly. “Something happened?”

He thought for a moment, then asked, “Did that person give you trouble again?”

It took Sierra a second to realize he meant James. She shook her head. After James was released from prison, he tried to contact both her and her grandmother, but they had ignored him. For now, he was powerless to reach them; her current concerns were elsewhere.

“It’s the Xander family, isn’t it?” Jonathan guessed.

Sierra hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Unlike others, she didn’t feel the need to hide things from Jonathan. “They’ve been acting… strange. Her three brothers, who had always neglected her, were suddenly spoiling her. Expensive clothes, luxury cars, concert tickets, credit cards. It was as if they were making up for years of neglect, trying to compensate for everything overnight. They even check if she was struggling, even wonder if she was being bullied at school. Three years ago, if they had treated her this way, she might have burst into tears from happiness. But now? It felt absurd and deeply suspicious. I have no idea what they wanted from her. I had spent days trying to figure it out, but she was still in the dark.”

Now that Jonathan had asked, she decided to voice her concerns aloud. Jonathan studied her, his dark eyes resting on her delicate, unreadable face. Then, he said calmly, “People don’t change suddenly without a reason. They want something from you.”

Sierra frowned. “But what could they possibly gain from me?”

Jonathan’s lips curled into a subtle smirk. Sierra might not realize her value, but he did. If her research was completed, it would be groundbreaking in the medical field—a breakthrough that many powerful figures would fight over. The Xander family might lack vision, but even they had to recognize the worth of a pretty face.

He spoke indirectly, “Didn’t they say they’re throwing you a birthday banquet? Pay attention that night; you’ll understand everything soon enough.”

Sierra’s eyes darkened slightly in thought. Over the next few days, she continued to test the waters, trying to figure out their motives. But none of them slipped up. Then, finally, the weekend arrived. From early morning, the entire Xander mansion was bustling with activity. Servants rushed back and forth, busy with decorations. The outdoor lawn had been converted into a banquet area. Even the interior of the house was lavishly decorated. Standing in her room, Sierra stared at the luxurious gown that had been sent to her. After a long pause, she decided to wear it. She needed to see for herself exactly what the Xander family was planning.