The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 753

Chapter 753: Chapter 753 Was Cheating A Mistake?
And that was precisely why she let Athena step in. Their years of friendship had forged an unspoken understanding between them, so without needing a single word, Athena already knew what to do.

“Alexi, you know exactly where Hera draws the line. You knew it when you were with her,” Athena said, her tone firm but not unkind. “Cheating wasn’t a mistake—it was a choice. If it had been a simple mistake, she would have forgiven you without hesitation, without you even needing to ask for a second chance. That’s just who she is.”

She crossed her arms, eyes steady on him. “But you didn’t just make a mistake—you cheated. And worse, you hurt her in ways you can’t take back. If you wanted out, you could’ve been honest.”

“You could’ve talked to her, ended things properly. But instead, you made it ugly. You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Alexi. Life doesn’t work that way. And now? Now, you’re just facing the consequences of your choices. People don’t just sit around waiting for you to finally wake up and do the right thing.”

“Sometimes, letting go and moving on is the best thing for both people,” Athena said, exhaling a weary sigh. She didn’t know what else to say to get through to Alexi—to make him understand that it was over.

“I never wanted to hurt her… or torture her,” Alexi murmured, his head hanging low.

“But you are hurting her,” Athena snapped, her patience fraying. “And by refusing to let go, you’re just prolonging her pain. This is torture, Alexi. Just let her go.”

His hands clenched into fists. “How am I supposed to let go so easily when my feelings for her are real? How can I just walk away from the years we spent together? It wasn’t all bad, right?” He turned to Hera, his voice raw with desperation. “Baby, please… say something.”

“Alexi, like you said, not all of our years together were filled with pain,” Hera said, her voice steady but firm. “That’s exactly why I want us to go our separate ways now—before those good memories become tainted. At the very least, I want to keep them intact, to be able to look back and say we didn’t completely fail… we just grew apart.”

She met his eyes, letting her gaze linger for a moment, then turned away. Without another word, she walked off, leaving Alexi and the gathered crowd behind. She had no energy left to keep up this farce.

If she didn’t put an end to it now, who knew how long it would drag on? Maybe it never would—because Alexi seemed determined to keep chasing after her.

If he was trying to sway her with emotions, then she had no choice but to fight back with the same tactic.

Alexi stood frozen in place, speechless and dazed. By the time he snapped back to reality, Hera was already long gone, and the crowd had begun to disperse.

The man who had backed Alexi up earlier sauntered over, casually slinging an arm around his shoulder as if they were old friends. “Man, there are plenty of fish in the sea,” he said with a knowing smirk. “A woman like that isn’t worth chasing after. The more you lower yourself, the more smug they become—thinking they’ve got you on a leash, ready to tug whenever they please. This? This is nothing but a tactic—a retreat to make you chase harder, to keep you hooked and more obsessed than ever.”

He patted Alexi’s shoulder, shaking his head. “Trust me, I’ve been with enough women to know all their tricks.”

Hearing this, a flicker of hope reignited in Alexi’s withered heart. If the man beside him was right, then all he had to do was wait—no matter how long it took. If Hera wanted him to be her loyal dog, he would gladly obey. All she had to do was say the word.

But whatever Alexi was thinking no longer had anything to do with Hera. She walked away confidently, heading straight for Liz’s studio, while Athena jogged after her, wobbling slightly in her high heels.

“Babe!” Athena called out, catching up. “I don’t think that dumbass is letting go anytime soon. He is the second male lead, after all. And you know how they are—more obsessed than anyone, always clinging to a losing battle until the bitter end, like some unshakable glue. So, I’d say you better be prepared to be pestered… or better yet, just ship him off to Antarctica and trap him there.” She grinned mischievously.

“No need to go that far; he’ll get tired eventually,” Hera said as she pressed the elevator button.

The receptionist and guard didn’t stop them as they entered the studio—Liz had already informed them in advance. Besides, Hera had appeared on trending topics more than once, so they were already familiar with her.

“Well, you’re right. We might not need to deal with him—your lovers will,” Athena said as they stepped inside the elevator.

Hera shot her a look, but Athena only grinned wider.

“Anyway, more than Alexi, I think your biggest headache will be Alice. Even though you turned her own scheme against her, she was still the original female lead of this novel—the storyline is on her side. I doubt she’ll fall that easily. For all we know, she might already be plotting a comeback.”

Athena didn’t forget to remind Hera. She had noticed that Alice’s actions were becoming increasingly unscrupulous, completely unbecoming of a female lead. If she had to guess, she’d say Alice wasn’t the original heroine at all—she was the true villain of the story.

“Don’t worry. She can come at me with all the tricks up her sleeve—I’m not concerned,” Hera said with a confident smile, her gaze fixed on Athena. “After all, we’ve been preparing for this for a long time, haven’t we?”

If not for her best friend, Hera knew she might have been long gone—never understanding where she went wrong or what she did to deserve it.

Hearing Hera’s subtle praise made Athena smile smugly—who wouldn’t be happy being acknowledged for their efforts? With that, they shifted away from the topic and dove into a discussion about fashion and the entertainment industry.

Since Athena’s fashion show was a success, Hera was curious about her next steps, eager to support her best friend however she could.

Fortunately, Athena was thinking along the same lines—she wanted Hera to continue wearing her designs to boost their visibility online. Their conversation soon turned to the idea of Hera officially becoming the brand’s ambassador and when they would sign the contract.

After all, even between close friends—or even siblings—keeping things in black and white was necessary to avoid complications later on. Both Hera and Athena preferred to handle business professionally, and neither felt slighted or mistrusted just because they were discussing contracts.

So when they reached Liz’s presidential office, the two have already finalized their cooperation and sent a message to their assistant to prepare for it, in Hera’s case, she informed Betty about it so Betty could prepare to check on the contract and sign it before sending it back to Athena.

Since Hera was under the company, she didn’t need to personally sign every contract—her manager could handle them on her behalf. This was especially convenient now that she was busy preparing for the competition.

If not for her desire to see the finished product with her own eyes and the need for a short breather, she wouldn’t have stepped out at all and would have continued staying in her penthouse.

When Liz saw the two approaching through the transparent wall of her office, she happily stepped out to greet them.

“Hera, Athena! Welcome! What would you like to drink? I’ll have my assistant prepare it for you,” Liz said as she gently ushered them inside. Her assistant silently followed behind.

“Just lemon water, please,” Hera replied, while Athena ordered a macchiato.

With that, Liz’s assistant excused herself to prepare their drinks, including Liz’s own.

“You two, sit!” Liz urged, guiding them toward the plush couch on the right side of her desk. The room had a cozy ambiance, with a mix of vibrant colors reflecting her artistic side. It felt fresh and inviting, a perfect space for creative minds to gather.

“You have a nice office!” Athena quipped as she glanced around, taking in the details. A crystal vase near the bookshelves held fresh marigolds, adding a touch of warmth to the space.

Her gaze then shifted to Liz’s bookshelves, which were lined with jewelry design guides, fashion magazines, and historical records on the evolution of jewelry. Intrigued, Athena picked up one of the thickest books. The pages had yellowed with age, and as she realized it contained historical records, her touch instinctively became gentler while flipping through them.

“This is quite cool…” she murmured in admiration.

Liz giggled. “Hihihi, you’re welcome to come by and look through it anytime if you like it so much. But I can’t lend it to you just yet—I’m still studying it myself. My father got this from Myanmar…” she added, her voice brimming with pride and enthusiasm. It was clear how much she appreciated her father’s foresight in acquiring such a valuable resource for her designs.

“By the way, Hera, these are your orders,” Liz said, suddenly recalling the reason for Hera’s visit. Without hesitation, she reached for a large, velvety box—so big it nearly covered her coffee table.

With a smooth motion, Liz pulled open the first compartment, revealing several smaller royal blue velvet boxes nestled inside. She picked up one and handed it to Hera with a confident smile.

“Go ahead, check it for yourself.”