The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 181

Chapter 181: Chapter 181 The Contract
But someone as proud as Rafael would naturally believe he hadn’t done anything wrong during their previous meetings. However, Hera could see he wasn’t a hopeless case. She noticed patterns in his behavior likely shaped by his upbringing, which explained how his parents were raising Minerva similarly.

She had heard from a friend that people often use their family as a benchmark for how others should treat them. In Rafael’s case, being spoiled and coddled by his family led him to grow up arrogant and egotistical. This upbringing explained why Minerva became a spoiled brat and Rafael developed such a haughty attitude. Among all the male leads, Rafael was the most arrogant.

Hera might not be a psychology major, but her experiences in customer service have taught her a lot about reading people and adapting her behavior accordingly. Customer service is one of the hardest jobs out there—why, you ask? Because every interaction demands enthusiasm, even on bad days. You have to smile even when you want to cry because of the last difficult customer, and you have to keep going, undeterred by harsh words or curses. This industry also teaches patience, as customers often push you to your limits.

In a way, Hera learned to become numb to what people said about her while also honing her ability to read them. She learned when to push forward and when to back off to keep customers comfortable, mastering the art of choosing her words carefully. Though it wasn’t always perfect, these skills proved to be immensely helpful.

It didn’t mean she lacked a temper; she was simply being patient. Now, seeing Rafael’s stance, it was time to settle the score. She needed to make it clear that she wouldn’t tolerate this behavior again, lest he assume she was a pushover who would endure such incidents repeatedly.

“Since we’re on this topic, Mr. Briley, I hope you haven’t forgotten about our contract. I assure you, I never provoked your sister, and I have thousands, if not millions, of witnesses to back me up.” Hera’s sudden reminder caught Rafael off guard. He was indeed surprised and seemed to have forgotten about the contract they had signed just last week. Perhaps he hadn’t anticipated Hera would bring it up, or maybe it had simply slipped his mind.

Rafael choked up upon hearing her reminder and suddenly recalled the contract they had signed. It stipulated that he would owe Hera $100 million in compensation if he failed to prevent his sister from causing trouble with her. Both he and the netizens had clearly witnessed who was instigating the trouble. It was evident that Hera had never once provoked Minerva, yet Minerva had shamelessly slandered Hera in front of everyone and the cameras without remorse.

He had been the one to initiate the contract, ensuring that Minerva understood multiple times not to seek trouble with Hera again. He had even barred her from going out for days to contemplate her actions, but it seemed useless. Not only had he failed to teach his sister a lesson, but he also lost the opportunity to sign Hera as his artist. The contract with Hera was meant to show her how much he valued her and that he wouldn’t allow her to be bullied by his sister in his own company. He wanted her to feel assured enough to sign under his entertainment company. Instead of winning her over, he ended up losing $100 million.

Rafael gritted his teeth as he confronted the consequences of neglecting to discipline his sister and his parents coddling her with her antics. While he had always been aware that his sister had a way of manipulating their parents, he hadn’t seen it as a significant issue beyond the incident with Alexi. After all, she had always been their princess, and they had spoiled her accordingly. However, now he realized the gravity of the situation. Their indulgence had prevented his sister from considering the consequences of her actions.

She didn’t even consider his words now. While $100 million might not cripple his company or drain his personal finances, it was still a significant sum that his company had to work hard to earn from big clients. So, the loss was considerable, and as a businessman, he felt the sting of it deeply. It was a blow unlike any other he had experienced, even in his early days. This loss hit hard, and he couldn’t help but direct his disappointment and anger inward, toward himself and his family, especially his sister.

He never even considered directing his anger toward Hera; she was, after all, a victim in this matter as well. Besides, she had been kind enough to remind him of the possible repercussions if his sister continued acting this way. The real source of his frustration was his sister’s actions. If she could already cause such significant losses now, what would happen in the future? Then he remembered Alexi. His sister had also been behind that situation, essentially using his power and money to support that man but he usually thinks of him as a gigolo.

Rafael harbored no respect for Alexi; he scorned him for his reliance on a woman for success. Learning of Alexi’s intentions to exploit his sister to advance while scheming to monopolize Hera only fueled Rafael’s fury. Yet, amid his rage, Rafael found himself growing to appreciate Hera even more.

Rafael collected himself and nodded at Hera with a heavy sigh. “I understand what must be done. Please provide me with your banking details, and I’ll instruct my assistant to transfer the amount without delay.” Though he spoke with a tone still tinged with arrogance, Rafael’s resolve was evident.

Content with her accomplishment and the additional earnings, Hera offered a gentle smile, carefully concealing her enthusiasm to avoid giving Rafael the wrong impression. “No need to rush, Mr. Briley. I’m in no hurry, so please take your time to make the arrangements.” Despite her display of patience and understanding, Hera remained firm in her resolve; she wouldn’t let the matter be forgotten.

Despite her financial stability, this matter extended beyond monetary compensation for Hera. She hoped Rafael would address the root issues and rein in his sister’s disruptive behavior, particularly for Hera’s safety. Aware that Rafael likely witnessed their confrontations during the live stream while she was in the village, Hera noted that Minerva consistently failed to prevail against her in those confrontations. Instead, Minerva tarnished her own reputation through her futile attempts.

Given Rafael’s egotistical and arrogant nature, Hera knew that confronting him directly or questioning his family’s values would likely result in resistance rather than cooperation. Instead, she opted for a more indirect approach, hoping Rafael would interpret her concern as genuine. By using the word “we,” she aimed to subtly align herself with him, implying a shared interest in resolving the issue. Surprised by its effectiveness, Hera found herself in a remarkably good mood, pleased with the outcome of their conversation.

“Mr. Briley, please make yourself at home and help yourself to anything you’d like,” Hera said generously, pleased with Rafael’s response thus far. It seemed to be the best reaction she could expect given his personality.

“Rafael…” His frown deepened, and his voice carried a hint of irritation.

“Huh?” Hera was taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor and instinctively questioned him further.

“You want me to feel at home in your place, so call me Rafael,” Rafael stated, his tone commanding and implying that he wouldn’t accept any argument. He had noticed Hera referring to Xavier as ‘Brother Xavier’; why then was he only addressed as Mr. Briley? The repeated use of the title grated on him, he felt like his ears would fall off hearing her calling him Mr. Briley here, Mr. Briley there. and he felt a growing irritation with each instance.