Chapter 165: Online Commotions

This environment was all too familiar to her. The dark and silence… She had lived through it countless times over those three years. Lowering her head, she hid the fear in her eyes and told herself there was nothing to be afraid of. The worst that could happen was reliving those three years all over again.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, the sound of a creaking door broke the silence. Steady yet urgent footsteps followed, and she instinctively looked up, only to see Jonathan walking toward her against the light.

At that moment, Sierra felt like she was dreaming. Otherwise, how could she possibly see Jonathan here?

Before she could react, she heard him say, “It’s over. Let’s go home.”

Go home? Sierra parted her lips, wanting to say something, but the next second, she was lifted into his arms. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck. The familiar warmth of his body made her realize she wasn’t dreaming. Jonathan was really here. He had come to take her home!

Sierra’s eyes welled up. Unable to hold back, she rested her head against his chest. She didn’t speak, but Jonathan soon felt the wetness spreading on his shirt.

His steps faltered briefly before he resumed walking as if nothing had happened. He only held her tighter, then lowered his head slightly, brushing his chin against her hair in silent comfort.

With Sierra in his arms, Jonathan stepped out of the police station. As sunlight poured down on them, Sierra felt a sense of warmth. It was Jonathan who had pulled her out of the darkness.

When he placed her in the passenger seat, Sierra had already calmed down, though her voice still carried a slight tremor.

“Thank you.” She knew Jonathan must have done something. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been released so easily.

“Sierra, I don’t want to hear that.” Jonathan didn’t start the car immediately. Instead, he reached out, gently cupping her chin and lifting her face so she had to meet his eyes.

“You can ask more from me. I want to be different from everyone else in your life.” At that moment, Jonathan was both serious and domineering, but to Sierra, his presence felt incredibly reassuring.

“Alright. Then I want the Xander family to get the punishment they deserve. Don’t let them off,” Sierra spoke slowly.

How could the years of suffering she endured be erased with a simple sorry?

Jonathan smirked. “Don’t worry. Even if I don’t do anything, the pressure alone will bring them to justice.”

Today’s incident had spiraled out of control. With billions watching the live broadcast, the internet had already exploded. Even if the Xander family wanted to cover things up, there was no way they could.

“And I have more good news for you.” Jonathan glanced at Sierra, a satisfied smile on his lips. “Denise is about to die.”

Jonathan started the car as he explained, “The Xander family is currently being interrogated at the police station. Denise is in the hospital.”

As a suspect, Denise should have been arrested immediately, but she had already fainted. On top of that, her heart condition had worsened, and she was still undergoing emergency treatment. Without the Xander family, whether she could survive was a real question. Now that they were too busy saving themselves, who would care about Denise?

Jonathan didn’t take Sierra back to her place. Instead, he brought her home with him.

“Get some rest first. Too much had happened today. What she needed most now was sleep.”

“Okay.” Sierra didn’t refuse. However…

Thinking of what Jonathan had said earlier, she hesitated before asking, “Can you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

Jonathan was momentarily stunned. Then, a delighted smile spread across his face. “Of course,”

Sierra was finally asking something of him. That made him happy! Jonathan held her as they drifted off to sleep. He knew she needed a sense of security right now.

Before closing his eyes, he put both their phones on silent. Meanwhile, outside, the world was in chaos.

First, Northwind University. Countless people had watched the live broadcast today. After the initial shock, all that remained was deep regret, especially for those who had once turned against Sierra. Back then, they had united to demand her expulsion, claiming they refused to study alongside a former convict.

Now that the truth was out, they realized just how wrong they had been. They had mistaken the real culprit for a victim, comforting and protecting her, while forcing the actual victim into isolation. If Sierra hadn’t been strong, she really would have been expelled.

Northwind University’s internal forum had completely crashed, flooded with countless apology posts. Among them, the ones written by Sierra’s classmates were the most popular and widely shared.