The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 517

Chapter 517: Chapter 517 Have You Offended Someone?
“Are they gone?” Minerva asked with a small hiccup, her voice trembling.

“I don’t know,” Hera replied, shaking her head.

Minerva was still clinging to her, but the shaking had stopped long ago, soothed by Hera’s comforting embrace.

Though Minerva’s body was now blocking the camera on Hera’s race suit, none of the viewers had left.

They had seen everything, including the massive python that had slithered down the branch just behind Minerva.

The tension was thick as they held their breath, watching the scene unfold in silence.

“Should we move and hide somewhere else?” Minerva whispered, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

“No, we shouldn’t move,” Hera replied quietly, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

“Those men could still be nearby. Right now, that massive python is our cover. No one would suspect we’re up here with that giant killing machine slithering around.”

Hera paused, her mind working through the puzzle.

She had already guessed the reason the python hadn’t attacked Rafael and Minerva when they were in the tree.

It wasn’t just luck—it was the ‘male lead halo’ protecting Rafael. And as the second female lead, Minerva might also have her own form of protection, a ‘halo’ that shielded her just like Rafael’s.

In a strange way, the snake had become an unlikely ally, helping them without anyone realizing it.

Minerva nodded in agreement, stopping her search for an escape route. With Rafael in his condition, it was clear there was no way he could move, anyway.

“By the way, I heard you’re injured too,” Hera said, suddenly recalling. “Where’s your injury?” She hadn’t noticed before, as Minerva had been moving so freely.

Minerva pulled away slightly, her face flushing with both embarrassment and a touch of gratitude. “It’s my feet… and my legs,” she murmured, her eyes avoiding Hera’s for a moment.

Without waiting for Hera to ask, Minerva began to recount the events of the previous night.

“Last night, my brother came to rescue me from the underground cell with his two bodyguards. We tried to escape on an off-road motorcycle, but we were intercepted.”

“The two bodyguards got separated from us, and we have no idea what happened to them after that. There were other guards stationed at different locations to buy us more time, but eventually, my brother and I crashed somewhere along the way.”

“I injured my legs during the crash, so my brother carried me on his back as he ran. Along the way, I watched him leave subtle clues for our people to follow while hiding the more obvious ones.”

“He brought me up here to hide before darting off on his own. When he returned, he was bleeding heavily. I asked him where his coat was so I could use it to stop the bleeding, and he said he’d discarded it.”

Minerva’s sobs grew heavier as she continued, “Even though he was bleeding so much, he kept reassuring me. Luckily, the rain lasted for about half an hour last night, and it helped mask his blood trail. Otherwise, we would’ve been found by now.”

Hera’s expression shifted, her eyes growing serious. “Do you have any idea why they’re after you?” she asked, her tone cautious.

She suspected this might be tied to the report she received, something closely connected to Minerva and the crime of missing women, and she wanted to get more information.

Minerva shook her head, her face a mix of confusion and fear.

“Isn’t it for ransom?” Minerva whispered, her voice shaky.

“My family is wealthy, and my brother too,” Minerva said, her voice quiet but steady.

“So it’s not surprising that someone would try to kidnap me. But to think they would come for me even when I was in my own house… it doesn’t make sense. They must be after my family’s project, or maybe it was done by rivals. Those are the only explanations I can come up with.”

She paused, her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to make sense of everything. Despite her tear-streaked face and the redness in her eyes, she was pushing herself to think clearly.

“Right,” Minerva continued, her voice softening as she recalled the moment.

“Before we left, I overheard some other woman trapped in that underground cell too. We didn’t bring them with us because it would have been too dangerous with more people.”

“My brother said he’d come back for them once the backup arrived, but…” Her voice trailed off, uncertainty creeping back into her tone.

“Alright,” Hera replied, her tone steady. Without missing a beat, she typed swiftly on her phone, sending a message to let the backup team sent by Cindy know that they should head to the stronghold to help the women, ensuring their safety before returning.

Once the message was sent, she refocused her attention on Minerva, her expression serious yet reassuring.

“Do you remember if you’ve crossed any dangerous people? Maybe… the mafia, for example?” Hera asked, her tone intentionally dragging, laced with a subtle insinuation.

She watched Minerva closely, curious to see how she would react—whether guilt, frustration, or anger would surface, or if she would remain defensive, pretending to be unaware of any potential involvement.

Hera had expected a range of reactions, but Minerva’s response caught her off guard. She looked genuinely confused.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I can be arrogant and haughty, but that’s only with you or people I don’t like. I’ve never intentionally provoked anyone dangerous. The only person I know who might look like part of the mafia is my brother.”

Hera wasn’t sure whether to cry or laugh at Minerva’s response. She couldn’t help but understand why Minerva had said it, though.

Rafael did have that mafia boss vibe—his domineering presence, intimidating aura, and short temper.

When his patience was tested, he could become explosively violent, the kind of unpredictable behavior that was dangerously close to what you’d expect from a mafia.

What surprised Hera more than anything was how Minerva seemed completely oblivious to the situation.

Either she was an exceptional actress, or she was truly clueless about what was going on. Hera thought back to their time on the variety show, remembering how Minerva couldn’t mask her disdain for her.

With her arrogant attitude, Hera had expected Minerva to taunt her or let slip some hint of her involvement.

Instead, Minerva appeared genuinely confused, almost more lost than Hera was as to why she had become a target.

Hera took a deep breath, her gaze settling on Rafael’s face.

It seemed that she truly needed to dig deeper into Minerva’s possible involvement in the case of the missing and murdered women.

Rafael’s concerns might be valid—perhaps Minerva really was innocent in all of this, despite the doubts that lingered in her mind.

‘But who would be bold enough to place all the blame on Minerva? Could it be the mafia syndicates? Maybe, seeing that the authorities were closing in on them and others were starting to snoop around, they decided to shift the blame onto her.’

‘By putting Minerva in danger, they could manipulate Rafael into stepping in to protect her, using his loyalty over his sister to clean up their mess. It’s a plausible theory, but why Minerva? Was it because Rafael is a powerful, promising young man, fiercely protective of his sister?’