The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 816

Chapter 816: Chapter 816 Enemies Crossing Paths
Zen, left standing alone, looked almost like his soul had flown away with Athena. His expression was so innocently cute that Hera couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle as she glanced back at him.

Athena, meanwhile, was pulling Hera along as if she were running in a marathon, her face flushed with embarrassment. The sight was so endearing that it made Hera smile. Athena’s usual confident demeanor had melted away, leaving her looking like a flustered teenager, and it was hard for Hera to resist teasing her about it later.

‘Ah! Ah! I totally ship them!’ Hera squealed internally, her eyes narrowing with glee. Her best friend was finally getting a love life—and not just with anyone, but with someone Hera knew and trusted. How could she not root for them? Besides, if Athena got busy with her own romance, maybe she’d stop obsessing over Hera’s love life and blurting out nonsense every five minutes. The thought of finally getting a little peace made Hera chuckle to herself, unable to hide the growing smile on her face.

After they walked away and Zen was no longer in sight, Hera finally let out a quiet chuckle. Athena was still acting silly and flustered, letting herself be dragged around near the boarding gate. That’s when they spotted Alice, who was just standing up from her seat, preparing to board the plane.

Athena’s cheerful mood vanished in an instant. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.”Tsk! Can’t I have a little peace to enjoy? A white lotus just had to appear… or should I call her a green tea bitch now? She’s definitely leveled up.”

She cast a sideways glance at Hera, signaling her to keep moving. If Alice had once been a classic white lotus—always pretending to be sweet and saintly—now she was the full-blown green tea type, constantly acting pitiful and wronged. Athena had no patience for that kind of performance. She knew if she didn’t keep her temper in check, she might end up slapping someone—or giving herself high blood pressure.

Athena had always been straightforward, and with Alice’s manipulative vibe, she’d easily be cast as the villain. Fortunately, she had Hera by her side. Hera knew how to play the green tea game too—and Athena was counting on her to do it well.

Understanding exactly what her best friend was thinking, Hera could only manage a wry smile. She wasn’t sure how to feel—after all, it was Athena who had taught her the difference between “white lotus” and “green tea” types, and more importantly, how to deal with them. And with Alice constantly switching between acting innocent and pitiful, Hera realized she might really need those lessons now.

But since it was time to board, Athena didn’t dwell on it. She simply tugged Hera along, and Liz followed behind while gently pulling Minerva with her. They were surrounded by Hera’s bodyguards, who would be seated in the premium economy section just behind the business class.

As Liz brought Minerva over, Alice finally noticed her—and her expression subtly shifted.

“Oh!” Alice reacted with mild surprise, preparing to approach and greet Minerva. After all, it had been days since they last saw each other. She had even begun to suspect that Minerva might be avoiding her—but quickly dismissed the thought.

‘Minerva’s supposed to be my best friend,’ Alice reminded herself. She reasoned instead that Minerva had simply been busy recuperating, especially with her brother tied up in company matters. And besides, even if Minerva were around, it wasn’t like she could actually help Alice get closer to Rafael. So, Alice had chosen to let her rest and focus on the competition instead.

Still, seeing Minerva show up today caught her off guard.

Her gaze shifted, and her eyes trailed from Minerva to the woman beside her—Liz Goldsmith. Alice’s brows subtly furrowed. ‘What’s Minerva’s relationship with Liz Goldsmith?’ she wondered, suspicion quietly blooming in her chest.

But before she could dwell on that question, her eyes landed on two more familiar figures just ahead of them—Athena and Hera. Athena looked unmistakably irritated as she dragged Hera toward the boarding gate.

Alice took a step forward, her heart skipping a beat the moment she spotted Hera. She didn’t want to dwell on why Hera was here—because if she did, she might lose her composure. The thought that Hera could truly be ‘Andarta Aria’ crept into her mind, but she pushed it away.

That couldn’t be. More likely, Athena was simply dragging Hera along to join Liz Goldsmith on her trip to France. After all, wasn’t Athena quite literally pulling Hera forward right now?

That had to mean Andarta Aria still wasn’t participating in the competition herself and had instead sent Liz as her representative, while Athena and the others went along for support.

But then—what was Minerva doing with them?

Alice’s confusion deepened. Desperate to find out, she tried to move closer, hoping to speak with Minerva. But the moment she stepped forward, she was subtly blocked. The bodyguards surrounding them moved like a human wall—unobtrusive yet firm.

Though they were dressed casually, almost like K-pop idols—tall, stylish, and attractive—their sharp eyes and imposing presence made it painfully obvious that they were professionals. No one was getting through them easily.

Alice’s brows twitched in irritation as she found herself blocked by the silent wall of men, unable to get past them. Meanwhile, Hera and the others moved effortlessly toward the plane, slipping through the gate with ease. The airline staff had just begun boarding, starting with first class, followed by business class, then premium economy, and finally economy—leaving Alice to wait and watch from behind since she also holding a business class seat.

So, Alice had no choice but to wait patiently and settle into her seat first, planning to look for Minerva later. With the social standing of Minerva, Liz, and Athena, it wouldn’t be difficult to figure out where they were seated.

She didn’t bother thinking about Hera—assuming Athena was footing the bill for her, so she was probably just tagging along. As for the bodyguards surrounding them, Alice assumed they belonged to Athena too.

After all, Minerva never used to travel with bodyguards. What Alice didn’t know, however, was that ever since Minerva’s kidnapping incident, Rafael had made it clear that Minerva was never to go anywhere without protection. Even on the way to the airport, she had been accompanied by a security team.

It was only when she met up with Hera that her guards pulled back. Why? Because Rafael trusted Hera. He knew she never went out without elite bodyguards of her own, and having both his sister and his woman under Hera’s bodyguard’s protection gave him complete peace of mind—especially after witnessing firsthand the skills of Hera’s highly trained security team.

Once they were inside the plane, Hera, Liz, Minerva, and Athena were settling into their seats when Alice entered shortly after. Just as she was about to approach Minerva, a flight attendant walked up to Hera with a polite smile.

“Hello ma’am, may I see your ticket, please?” the attendant asked, her tone respectful and professional.

There was no hint of rudeness in her manner, but in Alice’s eyes, it looked like Hera was being questioned—perhaps mistaken for someone who didn’t belong in that section. A smirk crept across Alice’s face as she stood by, watching the scene unfold with thinly veiled glee, almost as if she were expecting Hera to be asked to move or reprimanded in some way.