The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress

What Silvia failed to realize, however, was that the Old Master already knew everything. He had eyes and ears throughout the entire estate. He simply chose not to expose her—for now. Not because he was blind to her schemes, but because he didn't want to provoke her into doing something reckless… something that could endanger his real granddaughter.

"Cindy, don't push your luck…" Silvia hissed through gritted teeth. But despite her anger, it was clear she was backing down after hearing Cindy's warning, and that was exactly what Cindy wanted.

She had no intention of clashing with Silvia; she had more important matters to handle than wasting time on petty arguments. More importantly, if she acted too protective of Hera, it might tip Silvia off.

"I'm only doing this for the Avery family. I don't want anyone tarnishing their name," Cindy replied calmly, shooting Silvia one final glance before turning away. It was wiser to walk away now than get pulled into a pointless argument, especially with someone like Silvia, who always insisted on having the last word.

Fortunately, Silvia still feared the Old Master, which made Cindy's threat effective. Silvia fell silent, though she looked like a volcano ready to erupt. Still, she had no outlet for her anger, not with Cindy or the staff, so she could only fume in silence.

Noticing Cindy's subtle glance, the staff quickly scattered, not wanting to get caught in Silvia's wrath again. Left alone in the living room, Silvia's anger only intensified.

"Arghhhh!" she screamed, clenching her fists in frustration as her rage boiled over.

"Cindy, just you wait!!" Silvia shouted after her, but by then, Cindy had already exited the mansion and returned to her car.

She heard Silvia's screech from inside, but she didn't even flinch. She wasn't the least bit worried. As one of the true heiress's trusted aides, Cindy was more than capable of handling someone like Silvia, no matter how many versions of her came her way. She had more important things to focus on… and Silvia simply wasn't worth her time.

Hera, on the other hand, felt a giddy thrill bubbling inside her, like a mischievous child who'd just tattled and gotten away with it. She had no idea what method Cindy would use to deal with Silvia, but she was sure there'd be some form of subtle threat involved.

And really, it wasn't like Hera went out of her way to stir up trouble. Silvia had brought it upon herself. All Hera did was ask for a little help to put her in her place, because if no one stopped her, Silvia would keep hiding behind the Avery name to throw her weight around.

Besides, how could she call herself petty if she wouldn't report someone when they deserved it?

Her inner villainess was starting to peek out, and honestly? She welcomed it. Because if people thought they could bully her without consequences, they were in for a surprise, Hera would bite back.

"Hera, let me carry you back to your room, okay?" Rafael coaxed gently as he leaned down, gesturing for her to wrap her arms around his neck. He was clearly preparing to lift her in a princess carry up the stairs.

As he moved closer, the collar of his shirt shifted, revealing his defined collarbone and a glimpse of his sculpted chest, an unintentional yet undeniably distracting sight that Hera's eyes couldn't help but fixate on.

Noticing her stare, Rafael let out a low chuckle. "You really are a greedy little cat," he teased, his voice full of amusement. "You can't eat me just yet because you're still injured. One intense workout and you might tear something."

"W-What are you even talking about?!" Hera hissed, flustered, snapping her gaze away as her face flushed bright red. She recoiled slightly, bristling like a startled cat caught doing something naughty. Her embarrassment only made Rafael laugh harder.

Behind them, Dave and Xavier, who had been following quietly, couldn't help but smirk as they overheard the exchange.

Seeing all three men looking at her like that, Hera could only pout and hide her flustered expression. Just like Rafael said, even if they wanted to do anything, they wouldn't, not while she was still injured.

Her condition came first, and they were all far more concerned about her well-being than indulging in any desires. Still, the thought of what might happen once she recovered made her heart race. If she dared to imagine it, she might not get a wink of sleep that night, or any night after.

Then, out of nowhere, a chill ran down her spine. The hairs on her arms stood on end as an inexplicable sense of danger prickled at her senses, like she was being stalked by a predator.

Little did she know, that eerie instinct wasn't wrong.

It was the very men walking beside her, her so-called escorts, who were already silently scheming their own plans for the moment she was fully healed.

After reaching the bedroom, Rafael gently laid Hera down on her large bed with the utmost care. Without needing to say a word, the three men fell into a smooth rhythm as they moved around the room to help her prepare for bed.

Xavier headed to the bathroom to warm a towel, knowing how particular Hera was about feeling clean before sleeping. Since she was still in a cast and couldn't shower properly, this was the best they could do for now.

Meanwhile, Rafael stayed by her side, carefully and slowly helping her out of her clothes. He took his time, clearly enjoying the way her cheeks flushed and how she avoided his gaze, flustered under his teasing smirk with each layer he removed.

Downstairs, Dave was already preparing a glass of warm milk and setting out her medication, wanting to make sure she could rest easily and comfortably through the night.

"Why are you so shy?" Rafael murmured, his voice dropping into a low, magnetic husk as his dark eyes locked onto Hera. She refused to meet his gaze, instead turning her head away, revealing the graceful curve of her swan-like neck and the soft flush spreading down her skin as more of it was revealed, until she was left only in her underwear.

Rafael leaned in closer, and a low, hungry growl rumbled from his throat."Fuck, baby... if I could, I'd fuck you right now, slow and hard," he whispered, his voice laced with restraint and desire.

His index finger began a slow trail from her collarbone, gliding over the swell of her breast through the fabric of her bra, then down her quivering stomach until he stopped at her navel.

Hera sucked in a sharp breath, trying desperately to steady herself and not show just how affected she was, but her flushed, jade-like skin betrayed her. She couldn't hide how turned on she truly was.

'I can't even lie, this man really is straight out of a mature romance novel. Just a few words from him and my insides are already churning in anticipation. Argh! Damn it!' Hera screamed internally, nearly losing her composure in front of Rafael.

But Rafael wasn't fooled. He saw right through her facade and let out a deep, amused chuckle, a sound so rich and velvety that it echoed in Hera's ears like music, making her flush even redder, like a cooked lobster.

She glared at him out of pure embarrassment, but the look only made Rafael's throat go dry. With her eyes fiery and cheeks flushed, she looked even more tempting in his eyes.

He wanted to keep teasing her, but the thoughts in his mind had already shifted from playful to wicked. He didn't want to just tease her… he wanted to pin her down and bully her properly.

Seeing the growing darkness in his eyes and the heat building in his gaze, Hera quickly averted her eyes. He might be right about a lot of things, but she was still injured, with cracked ribs no less.

Any strenuous activity could slow down her healing, or worse, misalign her recovery. And that was a risk neither of them should take… no matter how tempting it was.

Luckily, just in time, Xavier stepped out of the bathroom holding two warm, damp towels. He handed one to Rafael but paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the ambiguous and charged atmosphere between Rafael and Hera. The heat in the air was unmistakable, he had clearly interrupted something.

Xavier could feel it: Rafael had been just a breath away from doing something reckless. If he had arrived even a minute later, Rafael might have already pounced on Hera for a taste, though what kind of taste, only Rafael knew.

Maybe it would've been just a few stolen kisses or a wandering touch, but either way, it would've flustered Hera and stirred her already fragile body.

He shot Rafael a knowing look, but Rafael, ever the rogue, simply flashed a wicked grin and carried on as if nothing had happened.