The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 268

Chapter 268: Chapter 268 What Do You Want Me To Do?
“I know my sister wronged you and caused trouble for you on multiple occasions—I witnessed that myself. My words aren’t meant to ask for forgiveness or to erase what happened between you two. Your feelings are valid, and I appreciate your restraint in dealing with her, especially given our agreement. Your generosity hasn’t gone unnoticed. I admire that about you, and I realize now that I made a mistake by only hearing my sister’s side of the story.” With sincerity, he bowed slightly to Hera, but he had more to say.

“I realize this may sound hypocritical, as we are similar in essence. However, I sincerely disapprove of what my sister has become and fear your earlier warnings may prove accurate. I’m determined not to let her reach a point of no return. As her brother, it’s my duty to discipline her.” With that, he knelt before her, meeting her eyes on the same level, demonstrating his sincerity.

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Hera asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk on her lips that belied her lack of amusement.

Rafael pursed his lips, noticing his words hadn’t quite reached her. Suppressing his frustration, he instead looked crestfallen and sighed. “I know I’m not the best among my friends, nor am I a perfect person. But like everyone else, I hope you’ll give me a fair chance to court you. Things may have moved quickly; we’ve only known each other for less than a month and met only a few times. But denying my interest in you hasn’t worked, and if I continue, someone else might sweep you away.” Rafael’s chiseled face flushed with embarrassment, his cheeks tinged red.

“I don’t expect you to believe me right away, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove my worth. I’ll do anything to earn even a shred of your trust,” he said sincerely, pursing his lips. His eyes glazed over and the rims turned red with emotion. Sharing his feelings was new and difficult for him, and he struggled to convey the depth of his sincerity.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. He had witnessed the positive changes Hera had brought to his friends. Even the workaholic Zhane was now rearranging his schedule just to court her. The hopelessly lazy Dave had become serious about work, eager to prove himself as no less than the others. He had been the group’s mascot, never taking anything seriously and making unreasonable demands, but he didn’t want this image to affect his chances with Hera. Luke, usually calm and smiling, had turned serious and flustered, starting to compete with Leo, whom he saw as his biggest rival for Hera’s affection. Even Xavier, who loved nothing more than sleeping and acting aloof, was now doing his best to communicate his feelings and stepping out of his comfort zone to become a reliable person worthy of standing beside her.

On the other hand, he expected to be Hera’s least favorite and likely eliminated from consideration. Not only had he made a bad impression when they first met, but his sister was the one who continually caused Hera trouble. While he begrudgingly commended his sister for stealing Hera’s boyfriend—an act that allowed him to meet Hera—it also meant his sister had hooked up with someone unworthy.

But he couldn’t say this out loud; Hera might think he enjoyed seeing her hurt, which would only add to the list of reasons she might reject him.

“Oh… You’ll do anything?” Hera repeated, her lips curving up in amusement and her eyes shining with cunningness. Rafael noticed the glint in her eyes but pretended not to.

“No matter what it is, as long as you give me a chance to stay by your side,” Rafael said with solemn eagerness. He gingerly reached out for Hera’s soft hands, holding them so gently as if they might crumble under too much pressure. Hera didn’t pull away, waiting for him to continue.

She knew that asking him to die was out of the question since he wanted to stay beside her. It was a silent condition that he would do everything except sacrifice his life.

She decided to test him and asked nonchalantly, “Then, what if I asked you to hand over Star Ocean Entertainment?” Rafael’s entertainment company was his blood, sweat, and tears, the business he built from scratch. Asking for it was like asking him to die in the rubble, and Hera expected him to lose his temper and shed his gentleness in an instant for targeting the one thing he cared about.

To her surprise, Rafael sighed and gave a defeated smile, nodding tenderly. “Whatever I have is yours, and whatever you desire, I shall get for you,” he said. Hera felt a tremor inside her as her nerves surged, her brain exploded with the realization that these were the same words he should have said to Alice during his proposal.

Hera’s eyes widened in panic, and her words caught in her throat. It took her a couple of minutes to calm her wildly beating heart and her brain, which suddenly felt like it had stalled with just a single long beep sounding in her head. Despite this, her face remained calm and composed, betraying none of her inner turmoil.

But once she had composed herself, she asked again, “Are you sure about this? Will you not regret your decision? What if you fall in love with someone else?” Hera probed, knowing that giving him a chance didn’t guarantee he wouldn’t pursue Alice in the future.

Hera knew she might seem fixated on the storyline, but she had learned from past mistakes. She once believed changing her actions could alter her fate and lead to a better life with Alexi, who did improve how he treated and valued her. However, fate remained inevitable. She couldn’t expect Rafael or the other male leads to behave differently. Despite this, Hera was prepared to engage in a long battle against Alice’s destiny. Even if she couldn’t completely change her own fate, she was determined to seize every opportunity to alter it as much as possible.

This also meant seizing opportunities with the male leads, much like she had planned, and Rafael had just taken the first step by offering himself to her. Hera couldn’t help but smile triumphantly in her mind.

Rafael shook his head resolutely. “I have only one heart, and it’s not big enough to give to another person. I’m not generous enough to share my heart,” he said, making it sound like a solemn promise.

Hera audibly exhaled. “I don’t need grand promises. All I want is this: when the time comes and your sister crosses the line again, I hope you won’t interfere or aid her. If you can promise me that, I’ll give you a chance. And I hope you’ll choose my side, no matter what,” she said. She knew her request was asking a lot, especially the last part. Asking him to abandon his sister and side with her would be a profound betrayal to his family, not just to his sister.

But this is crucial because removing Rafael’s involvement and support from Minerva would significantly weaken her. In the novel, Minerva cornered Hera and offered her no way out after Hera had already given half of her inheritance to Alexi. This led Minerva to discover that Hera was the sole heiress of the Avery conglomerate, a realization that pitted her against a formidable opponent. Minerva took the initiative to corner Hera first, making her life miserable enough that Hera felt compelled to take her own life before the Averys could retaliate against Minerva.