Chapter 45: Negotiating Freedom

Bradley lost his words as he noticed Sierra looking at him with biting sarcasm. So, they had known all along.

“How strange,” Sierra said. “If I remember correctly, all of you agreed back then.”

So, what was this little performance supposed to be for? Sierra always hated them for pretending to be the good guys while acting differently. Hypocrites!

Bradley, Evan, and Sean stood stiffly, speechless, as if they were slapped. Yes, they had all known. Even worse, they had agreed to it. They did not even feel there was a problem back then.

None of them could bring themselves to apologize. It wasn’t in their nature. Evan turned his head and said, “No matter what… don’t punish yourself like this.”

Sierra ignored Evan and looked at Bradley. “Please ask Mr. Franklin to come down. I have something to discuss with him.”

Bradley did not move. He just stood there and stared at Sierra’s calm eyes. In that moment, he was struck by the idea of losing this little sister for good.

Sierra headed straight into the living room and sat down. Bradley and the brothers suddenly noticed this was the first time Sierra had ever sat on the couch. She would usually stay in her room if she were ever forced to come back.

Bradley stared at Sierra for a moment before he finally went upstairs to fetch their father, along with Eleanor and Denise.

Denise quickly checked with Sierra with an expression full of concern. “Sierra, where have you been? Are you alright? Many people were asking about you today.”

Looking at those pretentious eyes, Sierra pulled her arm away and gave a cold smile. “Asking about me? I thought they would be asking about you. The picked-up stray off the street was trying to steal the nest of the rightful heir.”

Denise’s face turned pale immediately. Franklin shouted, “Enough! You created such a mess yesterday, and I haven’t said anything yet. And now you dare to bully your sister?”

Sierra looked at her furious father and the other people. All of them were frowning, clearly displeased by her words.

She smiled and said slowly, “The Xander Pharmaceuticals has suffered severe damage, and it won’t recover anytime soon. It is the main pillar for the Xander family. I’m afraid the Xander family would have already been pushed out of the circle of top-tier noble families by the time it recovers.”

Everyone’s expressions changed drastically as soon as they heard Sierra’s words. Franklin stared at Sierra, feeling surprised that she was aware of such things.

Sierra allowed them to keep staring at her. She remained calm and firmly controlled the rhythm of the conversation. “Isn’t this why you wanted to form an alliance with the Richardson family so urgently? Fine, I will marry Kason, but you’ll have to agree to the conditions I’ve set.”

Franklin asked after a long pause, “What conditions?”

“First of all, you will clear my probationary status,” Sierra smiled coldly. “I don’t want to be dragged around like a dog on its leash and forced to obey all your commands.”

Bradley did not even dare to look at Sierra. Why did he listen to Franklin yesterday? He knew how hard it was for Sierra, enduring all the injustice for three years in prison.

Franklin did not immediately give his response. He asked, “What about the second one?”

Sierra shifted her gaze towards Denise. Denise stiffened with an involuntary shiver. Then, she heard Sierra say, “My second condition is to transfer Denise to a different major. I don’t want to see her in class.”

“You’re going too far!” Sean could not hold back anymore. “I know you’re upset, but this has nothing to do with Denise. She knew nothing. Take it out on us if you’re still angry.”

Sierra let out a low and derisive laugh. She leaned back against the couch. Though she was thin and her figure was delicate, she radiated a dominance and undeniable presence, as though she were looking down on everyone else from a place of absolute authority.

“I used to envy her a lot. Every time I saw all of you crowding around her and treating her like she was the center of your world. I would wonder… if you treated me even one-thousandth as nicely as you did her, I would have been satisfied.”

Sierra continued, “I didn’t understand back then. I was your flesh and blood after all. Why did you hate me so much? Was it because I wasn’t good enough? Was it because I wasn’t obedient enough? But later, I finally understood. Once a person is biased, the perception will never change. It has nothing to do with whether I was obedient or well-behaved. I don’t care how you are going to spoil her. I just don’t want to see her in front of me again. She disgusts me.”

“You’re going too far, Sierra! How can you say that? We’re family!” Eleanor, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up. There was a flicker of guilt in her heart when she first heard Sierra’s words, but as Sierra went on, she sounded more and more outrageous.

Evan chimed in as well. “Stop making trouble. We’re all living under the same roof. How could you possibly avoid running into each other?”