"Oh my god!" Someone gasped and shouted, "Look over there!"Heads turned. All eyes locked on Sierra, groveling before Halsey."Why is she groveling?""Who even is she?""I think she's that new transfer student, Sierra. I heard her family's in rough shape. A few days ago, her gambling dad showed up here, making a scene. He was trying to sell her off to some old guy for money.""That's awful! Poor girl.""But why's she groveling? Let's go check it out."Students started gathering around.Halsey had no choice but to stop walking and turn back toward Sierra.Zada was stunned. She rushed forward and tried to pull Sierra up. "What are you doing? There are so many people here! Why embarrass yourself like this? Get up before everyone laughs at you!"But Sierra knew this was her chance. After failing to win Shaun over and ending up in the hospital, she wasn't about to let things slide. She wanted to stir things up and get some kind of advantage from Halsey.She pinched herself hard
Shaun was in his CEO office, going through paperwork, when Halsey's message popped up. He replied instantly. [At work. What about you?][I'm at school. I need your help with something.][Go ahead.][Can you look into those guys who once tried to harass Zada?][Sure. I'll let you know when I find something.]That was all Halsey needed. Shaun was always decisive and fast. If he said he'd take care of it, she knew he would.Ding!Another message from Shaun appeared. [Is something bothering you?]Halsey's lips curved into a small smile. [Thanks for asking, but I'm fine.][Glad to hear that.]The heavy feeling in her chest lifted, replaced by warmth. Her mood brightened instantly. She pulled out her sketching pens and went back to working on her designs.Before long, it was lunchtime. Halsey got up and headed to the cafeteria.The moment she stepped in, she spotted two familiar figures—Zada and Sierra.Zada had told Sierra to take it easy and rest, yet here Sierra was, showin
Halsey nodded and said casually, "That's good. Let Sierra rest and recover for a while."Halsey's nonchalant tone made Zada frown. Thinking back to what Sierra had told her only made her more upset. "Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about Sierra?"Halsey tilted her head. "Didn't she already tell you everything that happened last night?""Yeah, she did," Zada replied quickly. "She went to your room to find you, but you weren't there. That was when she happened to see your fiancé. It was just a coincidence. You don't really think Sierra was trying to seduce him, do you?""She knows better than anyone whether she tried or not," Halsey said flatly."How can you even think that? Sierra may not come from money, but she's got a great character. She even stepped in and saved me—hardly any girls would've had that kind of courage. Please don't misunderstand her!"Halsey shook her head. "It feels like Sierra has brainwashed you.""What's that supposed to mean?" Zada shot back. "Ho
Sierra pinched herself hard, and tears started streaming down her face.Zada jumped. "What's wrong? Why are you crying all of a sudden? Don't cry! Just tell me what happened."Through her sobs, Sierra whispered, "I messed up last night.""What did you do?" Zada asked quickly.Sierra sniffled. "I was staying at Halsey's place. Last night, I went to her room to find her, but instead, I walked in on Mr. Lane taking a shower. He grabbed a shampoo bottle and threw it at me—hit me right in the head."Zada's eyes went wide. "Wait. Halsey's fiancé hit you?""It was my fault," Sierra said quickly. "I shouldn't have gone looking for her so late. He thought I was doing something else. It was a misunderstanding.""Then just explain it," Zada said.Sierra shook her head. "I don't think Halsey believes me. She thinks I went into her room on purpose… She probably thought I was trying to get close to Mr. Lane. Zada, you've got to believe me. I'd never do that. Yeah, my family doesn't have much
Could Sierra actually be Sienna Hawk?In that moment, Halsey knew for sure. Sierra was Sienna!No wonder Sierra had felt so familiar—she was someone from Halsey's past, just hiding behind a new face, getting close on purpose.How funny.Except… Sierra hadn't really gotten any benefits from this little stunt. Instead, she had ended up in the hospital after Shaun nearly knocked her out."Thanks, doctor," Halsey said.The doctor smiled. "No problem."Halsey walked out of the office and ran right into Shaun, his tall frame blocking the hallway. "What are you doing here?" he asked.She smirked. "Just asking about Sierra's condition."Shaun's lips pressed into a cold, thin line. "You really care about her, huh?"Halsey raised her brows. "She's my friend. It's normal to care about her. What's wrong with that?""You still haven't asked about how I'm doing," Shaun shot back.That made Halsey laugh. "You? Why would you need me fussing over you? She's the one who's hurt."Shaun ste
Shaun could've driven Sierra straight to the hospital himself, but instead, Halsey had Jocelyn call an ambulance.Sierra was loaded into the back while Shaun drove Halsey there in his own car.At the hospital, the doctor cleaned Sierra's wound. "Your cut is pretty deep. You'll need to keep it dry for a while. And there's a good chance you'll have a scar on your forehead."Sierra froze. "Wait, what? A scar? On my forehead?"She had spent a fortune on her face, and she hadn't even gotten the full payoff of her looks yet. Now, her forehead might end up with a permanent scar? It was like a bolt from the blue. She had planned to use her beauty like a weapon.The doctor nodded. "Most likely, yes. If you want to get rid of it later, cosmetic procedures are your only option."Halsey, standing by, nodded politely. "Thank you, doctor."When the doctor left, Halsey turned back to Sierra. "You should stay here overnight. They'll let you out tomorrow."Sierra pulled out a mirror. Her fore