The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 295

Chapter 295: Chapter 295 I Will Use All My Power To Protect You
And then there was Minerva. Dealing with her wouldn’t be as straightforward. Unlike Alexi, Minerva had no attachment to the entertainment industry. She was only there to be close to Alexi and guard him from anyone who might try to seduce him.

After all, she had stolen Alexi from someone else. Her fear was valid; if he could betray the woman he claimed to love, what might he do to someone he was merely using?

Hera believed that Alexi only loved himself and no one else.

She didn’t want to leave a ticking time bomb near her. However, since Rafael was one of the male leads, having Minerva around was inevitable. Hera was certain that Minerva wouldn’t accept her relationship with Rafael and might even escalate her actions to drive Hera away. But Hera had anticipated this.

If she remembered correctly, among the ‘White Flower Tactics’ Athena mentioned before, there was one tactic that involved always playing the victim in front of the male lead. This strategy aimed to make the male lead deeply hate and misunderstand the female lead. It would only be successful if the female lead had past actions that could be used against her, such as being arrogant, destructive, and short-tempered.

Then frame the female lead as someone who has hurt others, repeating this process until she becomes hated and her reputation falls to the ground, shunned by the entire circle. This tactic also highlights the differences between the female lead and the other party, elevating the latter onto a pedestal as someone kind and forgiving. No matter what the female lead does to her, she would always be the first to check in and show concern, further cementing her status as the epitome of grace and compassion.

Hera thought she didn’t even need to employ the ‘White Flower Tactic’ against Minerva. Even if she just stood there, Minerva would still find something to pick at and would do anything to vent her dissatisfaction with Alexi through Hera.

This would be a great chance for Hera to reveal Minerva’s true nature to Rafael. By allowing Minerva to continue her actions, Rafael would eventually become disappointed and direct his frustrations towards her. However, Hera knew that the person she needed to be wary of was the female lead, Alice. Hera believed that Alice was using the ‘White Flower Tactic’ to establish her persona as angelic and kind, just like in the novel.

This was also one of the reasons why no one blamed Alice for attracting the love of five men. They believed that someone as kind as Alice deserved five knights in shining armor to protect and love her. It was seen as a way to offset all the pain and suffering she had endured and as a gift from the gods for her unwavering resolve and pure heart, even after everything she had been through.

Just thinking about it made Hera snort unintentionally. Leo, driving beside her, noticed the soft sound and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He saw her head lowered, staring absently at her phone, its screen already black. Her knuckles were turning white from the force with which she clutched the device.

Although Leo noticed this, he felt like Hera was in deep thought about something important or maybe she was sorting something inside her head, so as tactful as he could, he did not say a thing and continued driving steadily on the road so Hera wouldn’t feel uncomfortable on her seat.

Hera didn’t harbor bitterness or jealousy towards Alice because, in the novel, Alice’s life seemed to flow effortlessly towards a happy ending without interruptions or agony, thanks to the protection of the five male leads. In Hera’s perspective, however, Alice appeared more like a decorative figure in the story. Why? Because aside from her role in pushing them to assist Minerva in dealing with the Avery consortium, Alice’s presence seemed limited to being in bed with one or all of the male leads simultaneously.

Her role had reduced to simply being their romantic partner, and even her success in the entertainment industry seemed handed to her by the male leads, there was none she really needed to work hard for to get, just as it was written in the novel, the male leads pampers her to no end that they wanted to give the world to her and clear her thorny path because they didn’t want to see her hurt.

Hera could only commend Alice for her adeptness at getting what she wanted. She could discern the desires of the male leads and adapt accordingly, that’s why she has never really believed Athena’s portrayal of the angelic and kind Alice from the novel and was always suspicious about it. If there is the main culprit from who brought her family down, it would be Alice.

It was Alice’s persistence that prompted the male leads to consider opposing the Avery Consortium. Despite their influence and reputation as the foremost scions of their generation and beyond, the male leads knew they couldn’t match the deep-rooted power and century-old history of the Avery Consortium.

It was Minerva who initially pleaded, but it was Alice who relentlessly pushed the idea forward. The male leads, fully aware of their prestigious lineage and formidable capabilities, understood they couldn’t confront the Avery Consortium head-on. Despite this, Alice’s persuasive influence swayed them, and all she had to do was sit back and watch as they executed what she wanted, ensuring their success. Subsequently, she reaped the rewards of their efforts, enjoying a comfortable life. However, their tranquility was short-lived when the true antagonist emerged, targeting not just the male leads but Minerva and Alexi as well.

Even throughout the fighting scenes and the story’s progression, Alice remained merely a decorative figure as the male leads battled against the true antagonist who consistently bested them. The only lingering issue now was Athena’s omission of the information about the true antagonist. It’s possible she overlooked mentioning it amid her focus on the male leads and their narrative.

Hera’s train of thought was interrupted when Leo gently reminded her, “Hera, we’ve arrived at your company.” His voice was soft as he lightly shook her shoulder, bringing her attention back from her reverie.

As Hera snapped out of her thoughts, she glanced at Leo and blinked several times, her gaze refocusing on his strikingly beautiful ocean-blue eyes filled with concern. Leo’s brow furrowed slightly as he regarded Hera with worry.

Despite his concern for Hera, Leo refrained from prying into her private life. He sensed she might be dealing with troubles or something weighing heavily on her mind. However, he held back from asking, fearing she might misinterpret his intentions as meddling in her affairs.

“Hera, if you’re in trouble or need help, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do everything in my power to aid and protect you,” Leo said, gently reaching out to take Hera’s hand, which rested on her lap. He brought her hand close to his lips and kissed it tenderly, his eyes closing as he spoke.

Hera noticed Leo’s long eyelashes fluttering delicately, casting gentle shadows on his cheeks like the wings of a butterfly.