Chapter 84: Question Everything

“Be confident; it’s not just an indirect admission; it’s an outright statement that Northwind University is picking on you, a young woman. What about in?”

“Although… isn’t this a bit too much? I’m almost embarrassed to say I’m from Northwind University.”

“Northwind University made headlines today; have you seen the trending searches? We shot up to number one.”

The school’s leadership probably never imagined they’d get famous this way. Indeed, the issue had escalated beyond campus gossip to dominate online discussions. Northwind University had single-handedly pushed the story to the top of the trending searches. Sierra had previously been doxxed because of Sean, and the buzz was still hot; now, her sudden appearance rocketed her back to the top. And this time, she was clearly being bullied. Ricky was unaware of the online furor, though he could guess some of it, his face turning from pale to green to dark—a sight to behold.

Sierra, ever so understanding, said, “Mr. Ricky, do you need some quick-acting heart relief pills? I think you might need…”

Ricky felt like he was about to spit blood but held back, fearing that speaking further would only worsen his situation. Knowing the current climate was against the school, he thought for a moment and then said, “Now, please explain how you managed to finish this set of questions in forty minutes and get them all correct. If you can’t explain, I must suspect you of cheating. Yes, even though you were under my supervision and constantly monitored, who knows if someone leaked the questions to you beforehand?”

He glanced at Jonathan inadvertently. He didn’t mean anything by it; it was just an instinctive reaction because he felt Jonathan was overly concerned about Sierra.

Sierra’s expression darkened slightly, and before she could speak, Evan, somewhat annoyed, interjected, “Mr. Ricky, what are you rambling about?”

He also glanced at Jonathan nonchalantly. They thought they were being discreet, but little did they know, multiple cameras in the classroom captured every expression and gesture. Their actions sparked new speculations among the students.

Ricky is right; it’s just not possible. I’m a PhD student and couldn’t complete it; how could she? Of course, unless she memorized the answers beforehand.

“Who leaked the questions? Is it who I think it is?”

“I heard the professor takes good care of her. Look, she just asked for the professor to grade her paper, and despite his busy schedule, he came.”

“Not to say too much, but there is one thing I know: the lecturer from the biochemistry department, Evan, is her close kin. Don’t underestimate him; he’s gone straight from his master’s to a postdoc, and if not for his lack of experience, he’ll be an associate professor by…”

“Yes, Mr. Evan from the Xander family may not be as extraordinary as the original professor, but he’s a genius among…”

As the internet erupted in chaos, Sierra didn’t care about the online noise, but she was bothered by Ricky and Evan’s recent glances. Her eyes narrowed, and she confronted Evan directly.

“You, just now, what did that mean?”

Evan frowned, puzzled as to why Sierra would cause a scene at this moment. Before he could respond, Sierra pressed on.

Chapter 84: Question Everything

“Sierra!”

Evan couldn’t help but shout at her. Did she have no limits to her antics? Some things weren’t meant to be spoken aloud. Watching his angry yet evasive demeanor, Sierra found it almost amusing. What they thought of her didn’t matter to her, but questioning Jonathan was out of line. Their sordidness made them assume everyone else was as corrupt. She might allow them to slander her, say whatever they wanted—she didn’t care about that. But to speak ill of Jonathan? Unacceptable. Jonathan was supposed to be unblemished, pristine.

With this thought, she calmly stated, “Don’t yell at me; you’re not qualified! And don’t presume to know others’ intentions. Mr. Yeager wouldn’t do such a thing, nor would he stoop to it.”

Hearing Sierra defend him so publicly, Jonathan didn’t feel pleased but rather found it absurd. A wicked thought crossed his mind. How virtuous do I appear in Sierra’s eyes? What would she think if she ever discovered I wasn’t the man she imagined!