Chapter 42 After parting ways with Shermaine , Leslie went back to the classroom to study . with anger . He was still fuming over Shermaine's repeated rejection , his face dark But after thinking it over , he decided he shouldn't rush things . Tomorrow was the midterms . Once the results came out , Shermaine would see for herself how harsh reality could be . By then , he'd go find her again- there was no way she'd turn him down then . When that time came , he'd go to her again . In short , he just didn't believe Shermaine's grades would be anything impressive . What he didn't expect was that Alice would question Shermaine due to his visit , causing Shermaine to be taken away by the dean . When Leslie heard this news , his mood soured even more . He knew Alice had feelings for him , but he hadn't agreed to anything . That was because his studies were demanding at the time , and while Alice was pretty , she wasn't his type . Honestly , if Shermaine hadn't come into the picture , he might have considered dating Alice after graduation . But now , things were different - he liked Shermaine more . Even though Shermaine had a fiancé , if she were to fall for Leslie , she could break off the engagement with the York family . Leslie believed that Shermaine , being so young , wouldn't be happy after marrying Joshua , and that she should be enjoying a passionate romance . Then news spread that Shermaine had made a bet with the dean - if she didn't get straight A's , she might drop out . Leslie thought to himself , ' Is she out of her mind? Where does she get the confidence to make such a bet ? The exam is tomorrow , and she doesn't even have time to prepare . ' There are six classes , and as far as I know , she's taking an honors class . Unless she is as exceptional as I am , there's no way she can pull it off. " Most of the students thought Shermaine was being too reckless to have made such a bet . Some felt sorry for her , while others thought she had overestimated herself . For Shermaine , though , the bet didn't seem to add any pressure . That night , as usual , she did a live stream to help her classmates with questions while completing her own tasks . By midnight , she turned off the lights and went to sleep . Before that , Joshua had brought her a glass of milk and reminded I her , " Be careful these next couple of days . Don't go anywhere without the driver . " Shermaine instantly realized that those people still had a grudge against her . She took the milk and drank it right in front of him , finishing it off quickly . " If they want to kill me , it won't be that easy , " she said . Then she handed the empty glass back to Joshua . " Thanks for the milk . " Joshua noticed a bit of milk at the corner of her lips and said , " You've got something at the corner of your lips . " " Left or right ? " " Left . " Shermaine stuck out her tongue and licked the corner of her lips clean. Joshua's dimmed with longing . The next day , it was Shermaine's first exam since transferring to this school . In the morning , she had math , and in the afternoon , physics and economics . For Shermaine , the test was ridiculously easy . Problems that took others over ten minutes to solve were done by her in half a minute . In less than half an hour , she completed the entire paper . She and took a nap . wrote her name and student ID number . Then she stretched , rested her head on the desk , 1/3 Chapter 42 The same thing happened in the afternoon exam . After finishing the physics paper , Shermaine asked , " Sir , can I turn in my paper early ? " Turning in the paper so soon - does she think the physics exam is too hard and decides to give up ? ' the proctor thought . He recognized Shermaine . Ever since Shermaine's bet with the dean , her name had spread across the entire school . Many of them thought she was arrogant and clueless . The proctor , seated at the podium , glanced at Shermaine , checked the time , and replied indifferently , " It's up to you ." After leaving the classroom , Shermaine had no intention of wandering around and planned to take a taxi back to the Riverswood Villa . But she ran into some trouble . As she stepped out of school , she realized she was being watched . It seemed that the parents of those spoiled rich kids , who were about to face jail time , wanted to take revenge before their families completely fell apart . Shermaine deliberately turned into a deserted alley , stretched lazily , and waited for her pursuers to make their move . About ten minutes later , a man with a scar on his face was left in nothing but his underwear , his arms and legs bound with his own clothes . When the police arrived , they couldn't believe this was the killer who had taken the lives of more than ten people . Back at the Riverswood Villa , Shermaine entered the password and stepped inside . The housekeeper wasn't around , probably out shopping . But just as she got to the second floor , Joshua came out of the study . He seemed to be there to grab some documents , holding a file in his hands . When he saw the blood on her and sensed the fierce aura around her , his eyes darkened , and he said in a low voice , " I just told you to be careful yesterday . Have you already forgotten ? " Shermaine hadn't forgotten ; she just figured , since the guy was alone , she could handle him herself . She didn't give it much thought and just executed her plan . " I've already handed him over to the police . " She couldn't help but notice that Joshua seemed a bit angry , but she wasn't too sure . Joshua stared at her for a moment before asking , " Are you hurt anywhere ? " Shermaine wasn't too concerned . " My hand was dislocated , but I popped it back in . My back hurts a little . Can you check it for me ? " The assassin those parents hired had killed over ten people and was pretty skilled . She wasn't invincible , so it was inevitable that she got a few scrapes . Her back hurt , but she couldn't see the spot . Joshua said , " Wait for me in the study ." Without hesitation , Shermaine headed to the study. It was the first time she had been inside since moving in . The room smelled faintly of ink . The computer was on , and several documents were scattered across the desk . But what caught her attention the most was the massive bookshelf - at least seven feet tall and very wide . It was filled with countless books , many of which were rare editions . She didn't wander around or touch anything . Instead , she set her bag down and sat on the couch , waiting quietly . Joshua came in with a first - aid kit , sat down , and then said , " Turn around and lift your shirt . " Shermaine didn't think much of it when she lifted her shirt ; she just saw Joshua as a " nurse . " She lay on her stomach , huggin low . But when his fingers brushed against the skin on her back , a shiver ran through her . That was when she realized - she couldn't exactly think of him as just a " nurse " anymore . The injury on her back was swollen . When Joshua's fingertips pressed lightly against it , a sharp sting shot through her , making her let out a soft moan . Joshua applied some ointment to the swollen spot and began gently massaging the area to reduce the swelling . Clutching the pillow , Shermaine felt her ears grow warm . The massage didn't just bring the familiar sting and soreness ; there was something else mixed in , something she couldn't quite name . Her body , hypersensitive , instinctively pulled away . Joshua firmly gripped her waist with his other hand . " What are you doing ? Don't move . " 3/2 12:45 Mon , 2 Jun Chapter 42 Shermaine had no idea why she had done that . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!