Chapter 80: Sierra’s Showtime

Seeing Lily’s disbelief, Sierra forced a smile and explained, “It’s true, Grandma. Mr. Yeager is really impressive; he’s not even thirty yet, and he’s already a big shot. I admire and respect him!”

Yes, her feelings towards Jonathan were just respect and admiration.

Hearing this, Lily relaxed a bit. She had been around the block a few more times than Sierra. Jonathan seemed approachable, but Lily could sense a deep-seated aloofness in him. Getting close to such a person could only end in getting hurt. Moreover, even without Sierra saying so, Lily could guess his status from Jonathan’s clothes, his demeanor, and the car he drove.

If Sierra had been on good terms with the Xander family, perhaps there might have been a chance for her and Jonathan. But now that Sierra had distanced herself from the Xander family, the gap between them was just too large. At the end of the day, she just didn’t want Lily to get hurt.

The third day arrived quickly, the day Sierra and the university had agreed upon for the exam. She dropped Lily off at the hospital early in the morning before heading to the university. By now, she could be considered a celebrity at Northwind University. As soon as she entered the campus, everyone turned to look at her, all aware of what was supposed to happen today.

Along the way, she overheard conversations and realized that today’s exam was going to be live-streamed, supposedly for “fairness.” As she approached the academic building, Evan stopped her. He lowered his voice and said, “The live stream can’t be changed now, and there’s no way to alter that. Just do your best during the exam, and don’t feel pressured. About the test itself, don’t worry, I’ll help you switch it out.”

Sierra went quiet. Looking at Evan, who seemed genuinely concerned for her, she felt it was laughable. Did he really think he could manipulate everything? Had he considered what would happen to her if things blew up? And judging by how smoothly he spoke, she guessed, “Is this how Denise got into the biochemistry graduate program?”

Evan’s expression changed instantly. “What are you talking about? Sierra, can’t you stop being so prickly? I’m trying to help you!”

“No thanks, I can’t afford your kind of help.”

She feared the consequences that might follow.

“I meant what I said the other day. I won’t bother you, and please, stop doing things you think are for my good. I can’t handle them.”

Evan was truly annoyed. He hadn’t had any ulterior motives today, but Sierra didn’t believe him, which frustrated him. They all thought the same—that even if Sierra had nominally severed ties with the Xander family, they were still family and would reconcile eventually. They always thought Sierra was just throwing a tantrum, and they were annoyed by her unyielding behavior.

Seeing he wasn’t moving, Sierra lost her patience. “Please move! Or would you like me to make your offer public? I think they might find it very interesting.”

Ivan looked at Sierra angrily, unable to comprehend why she was threatening him when he was only trying to help. He stepped aside and said coldly, “We’ll see how you cry later.”

Sierra ignored him and entered the designated classroom. Sure enough, several cameras were aimed at her, making cheating impossible. The head of the department officiated with a formal tone, claiming they were adhering to principles of fairness, integrity, and transparency, and he hoped she wouldn’t mind.

Sierra smiled faintly and said, “I hope you really can be fair, just, and open!”

The department head replied with a forced smile, “Of course we will be fair. Today’s method was chosen to give everyone a clear account.” With that, he signaled for the exam to begin. Sierra glanced at the questions and furrowed her brow.

At that moment, Jonathan was also watching the livestream. Seeing Sierra’s troubled expression, he had someone get him a copy of the exam. The moment he saw it, he scoffed. So much for fairness, integrity, and openness! These questions were so tough they wouldn’t even be fair for a graduate student, let alone an undergraduate. It was clear they were going to extremes to drive Sierra away. If it were anyone else, they might have already failed. But this was Sierra, and it was still uncertain who would end up embarrassed.

Jonathan’s gaze softened with pride as he returned his attention to the screen. At the same time, Evan also saw the exam questions and immediately knew something was off. He quickly sought out Wagner.

Wagner glanced around to make sure no one was listening and then said, “Mr. Evan, this issue has gotten too big. We truly had no choice; the school had to act, or the students wouldn’t stop causing trouble.”