The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Chapter 337 How to Resolve This?
Rafael instinctively looked at Hera, waiting for her decision, ready to follow her lead. He felt that Hera held the key to resolving the problem. For the first time, he sensed an authoritative aura emanating from her, as if it was ingrained in her very being. Hera exuded a powerful presence, like a queen delivering her verdict to her subjects.

Gerald and Rafael stood like two guard dogs, their full attention on Hera as they awaited her words, holding their breath in anticipation. Hera finally spoke, “Since Rafael is already keeping his sister confined and under constant surveillance, let’s continue the investigation to uncover the full story. To get the complete picture, I suggest we reach out to people involved in underground business. They might have a better understanding or connection to this group of criminals than we do. Only then can we gather the evidence we need.”

“How can we find a willing party to help us infiltrate the underground business without getting busted? My team has been trying for years, but all I’ve been left with are dead subordinates and no information. The underground businesses value ranking even more than we do in the legitimate business world. Lower ranks don’t get any information about the major players, especially when everyone keeps their lips sealed.” Gerald said, his expression a mix of bafflement, frustration, and anger after years of hitting walls in his attempts to penetrate the underground business they called underworld.

Hera felt the urge to facepalm. She had been giving Gerald a cue to work with her, expecting him to agree so they could discuss things later, but he ruined her plan. Now, she couldn’t bring up what she wanted to say and felt choked by her rising anger. How could she now suggest finding that person to ask his help and make it seem like Gerald had stumbled upon the information himself? It needed to be a plausible excuse and Gerald was the best bet, especially since he had the entire Avery intel department at his disposal to back it up and make it believable.

If Hera now claimed to know someone who could help, wouldn’t that make her seem suspicious? It might even look like she was the one orchestrating everything, trying to frame Minerva while pretending to be kind and virtuous.

“I heard that Luke has some connections in the underworld—he mentioned it in passing. I’m not sure how deep his connections run, but I can ask him for a favor.” Rafael interjected, hope shining in his eyes. He felt it was the right moment to step up and show that he could contribute, especially after seeing Gerald’s frustration.

Gerald snorted. “I hope you’re not planning to ask your friend for help in framing someone to save your sister,” he said sarcastically. Despite noticing the frustration on Rafael’s face and the signs he was trying to atone for his past mistakes, Gerald remained skeptical. Rafael had condoned his sister’s past behavior and had grown accustomed to cleaning up her mess and erasing evidence to protect her. Changing such deeply ingrained habits wouldn’t be easy.

Gerald didn’t want history to repeat itself, especially now that they were discussing a crime. His Young Miss was clearly testing Rafael to gauge his true character. If Rafael turned out to be as morally corrupt as he feared, Gerald would not only feel disdain but also sadness that the marriage alliance would likely fall through.

Even if Hera chose to overlook it, Gerald wouldn’t tolerate someone with a questionable character being in a relationship with his Young Miss, just as Alexi did before. Previously, they were kept in the dark about Hera’s actions and whereabouts to protect her, but now that they know more, Gerald is determined to ensure she isn’t betrayed or harmed again.

“Gerald, be reasonable. It’s not as if you have any other solutions to offer. As you said yourself, you’ve been hitting a wall with the underworld and haven’t found a way through. This indicates there’s a powerful force behind those every move against your actions. The death of your subordinate is a clear warning to stop probing where you don’t belong. Since we have no leads and can’t penetrate their defenses, we should use someone who already has connections.” Hera said, giving Gerald a stern look. He backed down, bowing his head in resignation, though he shot a disdainful glance at Rafael, who was so absorbed in feeling protected by Hera that he failed to notice anything amiss.

He was so absorbed in his own sense of relief that he paid no attention to anything else. In that moment, he felt like Hera was supporting him and helping him find a solution. Her intervention in deflecting Gerald’s verbal attacks made him feel even more reassured and appreciative.

“I’ll call Luke now to see if he’s available,” Rafael said with determination. He pulled out his phone from his suit’s breast pocket, dialed Luke’s number, and put it on speaker as soon as it began to ring.

After three long rings, Luke finally answered the phone with a lazy yet amiable tone. “Yes?” There was a noticeable difference in his voice compared to when he spoke with Hera—while still friendly, it carried a hint of authority and detachment.

“Hey, Luke. I need a favor. I recall you mentioned in our group chat that you have some connections in the underworld. I can’t go into details over the phone—can we meet up so I can show you something?” Rafael said. Although his tone remained commanding and proud, there was a clear note of vulnerability and distress that even Luke could detect.

“I’ll help you with whatever you need, but I’m swamped right now and can’t meet up. Have your assistant send over any critical information that can’t be emailed, and I’ll review it as soon as possible and get back to you,” Luke said with a slight sigh. His usual warm tone sounded a bit cold and distant, clearly reflecting his fatigue and the pressure of his busy schedule.

“Alright, I’ll have my assistant send the files directly. Hera and I will have lunch and wait for your response in the next few hours,” Rafael said, feeling a bit relieved. Although he wasn’t sure if Luke could help, the prospect of having someone who might be able to assist gave him a glimmer of hope.

On the other end of the phone, Luke immediately perked up when he heard that Hera was with Rafael. Noting that they were having lunch when something urgent came up, Luke’s tone shifted. “Wait, you just reminded me—it’s lunchtime, and I haven’t eaten yet. I’ll come to you. Just send me your location.” His voice was now eager and accommodating. He shot a glare at his assistant, who stood frozen, still holding the takeout boxes Luke had ordered his assistant to order for his lunch.

Luke didn’t wait for his assistant to process his sudden decision and left immediately, leaving his assistant dumbfounded in the office amidst a mountain of revised contracts and financial reports. Despite being swamped with other aspects of his business, Luke felt compelled to act. Hearing that his friends were aggressively pursuing Hera’s attention and spending more time with her, he worried that his usual steady and gentlemanly approach might not make the same impact when compared to their more shameless tactics.