The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 389

Chapter 389: Chapter 389 Zhane’s Retort
Dave sneered as he stepped forward to stand beside Gerald, his arms crossed defiantly. “Do you really think your brother is all that? He’s nothing but a toad dreaming of swan meat.” Dave didn’t hold back, his words dripping with scorn. He was intent on provoking Sienna, not just because she had disrespected Hera, but because her insults had deeply unsettled him. Dave felt it was his duty to take a stand against the Lennons, not leaving everything to Leo and Zhane anymore.

At Dave’s insult, Sienna’s legs froze just short of the lobby exit. She whipped around, her eyes flashing with murderous intent. But Dave remained unruffled, his expression steady and indifferent.

He resolved to drive the final nail into the Lennons’ coffin to avenge Hera, convinced that she didn’t deserve to be tormented by a lunatic.

To accomplish this, he intended to leverage his position as the country’s young minister. Although his family preferred to avoid using their influence for personal gain, he was an exception—a black sheep among them. Once Zhane and Leo’s plan, with Luke’s assistance, came to fruition, he would take charge of the case, ensuring it gained significant attention. His goal was to impose the harshest penalties, convicting those involved of fraud and embezzlement, and making an example of them.

This would ensure that not only the Lennons but anyone who crosses him or harms Hera would face equally severe consequences.

Dave turned to Zhane, who was still standing guard over Hera. Seeing that Hera appeared unaffected, Dave let out a sigh of relief. “Zhane, I think you might need to get your eyes checked. Those glasses didn’t improve your vision; if anything, they made it worse. It’s really disappointing to think you’re engaged to someone like her. And honestly, your mom needs an eye exam too. I can’t understand what she has seen in this woman with a princess complex to think she was a good match for you,” Dave said with a shrug, his tone casual and indifferent, as if discussing something trivial.

“Does Auntie expect you to fix this lunatic?” Dave gestured to his head and twirled his index finger in a mocking circle, expressing his skepticism. His actions only made Hera bite her lips, struggling to suppress a laugh. Although she was trying to provoke Sienna into returning to her brother and breaking down, which would hopefully incite her brother to retaliate, Hera needed to maintain a serious demeanor and avoid laughing at Dave’s antics, and balance her acting.

While humiliating Sienna and undermining her family might provoke Tyler Lennon to lose his temper, it would also make his actions unpredictable and potentially destructive. This unpredictability could pose a significant threat, not just to Hera and the Avery family, but also to the male leads and Leo, who are close to her. Hera wanted to avoid escalating the situation to the point where Tyler might target everyone connected to her.

She aimed to provoke Sienna to shift some of the focus onto the Avery rather than placing the entire target solely on herself. If Tyler Lennon directed his attacks at both the Avery and her, it would escalate his crimes, making the situation more manageable since his attention would be divided between significant targets. However, if he lost all restraint and acted recklessly, he could become an indiscriminate threat, making the situation far more dangerous and unpredictable.

Hera wasn’t foolish enough to put herself in danger beyond what she could handle. Her strategy of sharing the target with the Avery was designed to provoke the male leads’ protective instincts and demonstrate that she could depend on them. Athena had once pointed out that by consistently portraying vulnerability and facing tough situations, a person’s perceived fragility could heighten a man’s protectiveness and stir his feelings, making him more fearful of losing her.

By adopting this approach, she would be well-protected, with the male leads actively defending her with all their might. In a sense, this would bind them to her, which is precisely what she needs. She has to pull out all the stops to secure the affection of all the male leads, as her limited time makes it impossible to spend quality moments with each of them individually.

Initially, Hera was reluctant to put herself in danger, as she didn’t want to worry her grandfather. However, Alice’s actions and Minerva’s involvement in a heinous crime were deeply unsettling. Hera realized that, while she was succeeding in winning the male leads’ favor, it also meant that the two female leads were straying from their original personas—or perhaps revealing their true selves. As the saying goes, one’s true character is exposed in times of danger and adversity.

Hera believed this was an unfavorable situation for both Minerva and Alice. Despite her initial resistance, she knew she had to face it, even if just this once. Her greatest hope was to keep this secret from her grandfather, as the revelation would undoubtedly break his heart and bring him to tears. The very thought of causing him such pain was unbearable to her.

“That’s right. Do you really think the Lennons could act so arrogantly on our turf and escape without consequences?” Gerald’s smirk was a chilling contrast to the tense atmosphere. As the crowd’s mocking gazes bore down on her, Sienna’s composure shattered, and she burst into tears as she fled toward the exit.

Claire, both embarrassed and furious, ran after her, shouting, “Wait, Sienna, wait!”

Dave huffed in indignation as he watched the two women run off, one chasing the other in a frantic escape. He glanced briefly at the granddaughter of the Korean dignitary, who was staring at him with wide, tearful eyes, but he chose to ignore her, remaining unmoved by her pitiable expression.

Dave didn’t even want to spare her a glance, instead striding back to Hera’s side. He shot a disdainful look at Zhane, as if to blame him for the entire debacle, rolling his eyes in frustration. Zhane, noticing Dave’s gesture, chose to ignore it, understanding that Dave’s behavior stemmed from his protectiveness over Hera. He didn’t take the remark to heart, recognizing the tension in the situation.

But Zhane wasn’t about to let Dave trample over him to prove his point to Hera. He retorted, “Dave, you can’t seriously badmouth me and my mother like that. You know my mom is mild-mannered and probably believed the Lennons were righteous. She’s a kind and empathetic person, even a fan of Hera. If given the choice between an ill-mannered woman and Hera, she’d undoubtedly choose Hera. Once she learned I was involved with Hera, she was eager to meet her and stopped any negative assumptions. So don’t assume we’re blind or anything.”

Zhane’s eyes crinkled slightly as he noticed Dave’s furrowed brows. He pressed on, “And let’s not forget, wasn’t your mom the one setting you up on blind dates one after another? What makes you so certain you won’t fall for the same trick? Also, isn’t it a bit suspicious how your location was always conveniently leaked to the Korean Dignitary, making him able to setting up chance encounters with his granddaughter? Do you really believe that wasn’t orchestrated by your own family?”

Dave’s eyes widened as Zhane’s words sank in. He began to realize that the consistent leaks about his location might indeed be connected to his own mother.