The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 235

Chapter 235: Chapter 235 They are Present
Catching his father’s train of thought, Athena’s older brother pondered further. “Dad, do you think he was targeting only Athena, or were all the heiresses of prominent families at risk? If Hera’s suspicions are correct and this wasn’t his first attempt, could he already have other heiresses under his control, living a life that of a king? That might explain why he was bold enough to target Athena in the first place.”

Hearing her family speculate, coming so close to the chilling truth yet so unimaginable, made Athena shiver in fear. If what her brother said was true, did that mean Tyler Lennon already had a hideout filled with beautiful women he treated as both sex toys and money trees?

For women of higher status like them, reputation was paramount as it represented their social capital in marriage. A woman’s reputation not only mirrored her family’s upbringing but also influenced her husband’s family’s perception. Without a solid reputation, marriage prospects dwindled, as no one wished to face scandal that could also harm their business interests.

Upon reflection, reputation seemed like the most powerful weapon against young women from wealthy families, particularly heiresses. Athena pondered deeply, yet she couldn’t uncover the fate of the unnamed wealthy heiress who was meant to be drugged in the novel before the person who was supposed to deliver the drugged glass made a mistake and gave it to Dave instead. The narrative offered no clues to enlighten her on this mysterious incident.

But following her father and brother’s reasoning, this could be the truth of it. Tyler Lennon might not show fear and is likely acting boldly because he has his victims under his control. He’s confident that even if the Lowerys takes action, he can blackmail his victims and exploit their family’s influence to strengthen his own position, potentially bringing the Lowery family down.

Not only Athena, but all three men also arrived at this conclusion, while her mother grasped only the essence without fully understanding the complexities of the situation. If this scenario held true, Athena could only hope and pray that Hera had indeed uncovered some leads, allowing them to formulate a plan thereafter. With determination, Athena tapped furiously on her phone, crafting a detailed text outlining her family’s thoughts and speculations. Perhaps Hera had already considered these points, but ensuring everyone was on the same page seemed prudent.

She knew the three men would still be in Hera’s room, so she decided against calling her. Besides, she felt she could articulate her thoughts more clearly in a text, especially since she was feeling emotional at the moment.

However, understanding these details did little to alleviate Athena and her family’s frustration; if anything, it intensified. They couldn’t act decisively without knowing the full scope of Tyler Lennon’s activities. Therefore, they agreed to take initial steps and await Hera’s investigation for further clarity. While delaying Athena’s revenge was not ideal, they believed it was preferable than letting Lennon escape justice. After all, as the saying goes, revenge is best served cold.

They couldn’t believe there was no other way to deal with Tyler Lennon. They collectively decided to put the issue on the back burner and keep tabs on it, ensuring it didn’t spoil their mood or negatively impact their mental and physical well-being.

Back at the hospital, Hera found herself in a crowded room with tall, model-like men surrounding her bed, eagerly awaiting her explanation. Caught up in the commotion, she hadn’t realized that Athena had already gone home and even sent her a message. Before she could notice, Athena had turned the corner and the other three male leads rushed into her room, diverting her attention once again.

How did they find out Hera was in the hospital? Hera’s picture, being carried by Zhane, was leaked on the internet by passersby who had seen her. Multiple photos followed, fueled by Hera’s recent surge in popularity from the just-ended Variety Show. Her recent exposure made her easily recognizable to the public, keeping her fresh in people’s minds.

Seeing all five male leads again within a day, with Leo in the same room, gave her a surging headache. Fortunately, they weren’t picking a fight with Leo at the moment; they were too preoccupied with learning how Hera had ended up in the hospital. They seemed not to have noticed Leo, who was also in an IV drip, quietly sitting near Hera while he was silently peeling an apple for her.

Luke intervened with his composed demeanor and soothing voice that resonated throughout the room. “Alright, everyone, we’re all concerned for Hera’s well-being, but crowding her like this could make her uncomfortable.” His gaze then shifted to Rafael, Dave, and Xavier, who appeared particularly eager to approach Hera, especially Rafael, who seemed poised to interrogate her in hopes of uncovering what had happened.

“It’s good that you all understand restraint, but you’re making the patient uncomfortable,” Zhane interjected sternly. His expression suggested he was tempted to eject everyone from the room, not only because it was overcrowded and affecting the air quality, but also because it could overwhelm Hera. Whether this was a genuine concern or a pretext to use his privilege as a doctor to stay by Hera’s side while kicking everyone else remained unclear. If others knew his true intentions, they might challenge him on it.

“We were just fine earlier until you guys barged in and ruined the atmosphere,” Dave said, pouting slightly as he contemplated how to politely remove everyone from the room. Then, he added, “Actually, my mistake. We weren’t fine earlier. There was a grumpy old man and a brute who were also ruining the atmosphere.” Dave shrugged, openly displaying his frustration at having to share his time with Hera.

“Who are you calling a grumpy old man?” Zhane shot Dave a sharp, stern gaze. Dave immediately averted his eyes and started whistling a tune nervously.

“Who are you calling a brute?” Leo questioned Dave in a calm tone, as he carefully plated the apple he had peeled and shaped into an animal, placing it on Hera’s lap with a toothpick. It was only then that the three newcomers noticed Leo’s presence, their collective frowns indicating their confusion over why Leo was even there.

‘Why is he even calling Leo a brute? He’s such a gentleman,’ Hera thought, keeping her expression neutral.

“You took advantage of Hera and stole a kiss from her! If that’s not brutish behavior, then what is?!” Dave blurted out angrily, feeling jealousy gnawing at his chest at the thought of Hera kissing someone else. He had been in Hera’s bed last night but never got the chance to kiss her, yet Leo had managed it. Dave suspected it might have been more than just a kiss, and Hera was keeping it a secret from them. The bitterness and resentment swirled within him.

Hera suddenly felt a lump in her throat, resisting the urge to scold Dave for blurting out sensitive information that could have been better handled privately, knowing it might provoke different reactions from the others.

“What?!”

“What?!”

“What?!”

Three exclamations reverberated through the room, and before the noise had even died down, Rafael was already advancing towards Leo. Seeing this, Hera’s heart leaped with nervousness. Leo was still hooked up to an IV drip, and she knew he was still weak. She hadn’t even inquired about his examination results or his health status yet.

“Stop!!!” Hera shouted, her cheeks puffed up in anger like a furious chipmunk.