NOVEL NEXT Chapter 946 What About Your Acting Career?
"Sweetheart, does it feel good, or am I pressing too hard?" he asked softly, his tone gentle and indulgent, like a devoted concubine tending to his emperor.
Hera's eyes crinkled in pleasure as she enjoyed the massage, but then she remembered the decision she'd made last night. "Hmm… I'll call a nurse to take care of me while I recover, so you can focus on your work," she said suddenly.
Dave froze, then shot upright like a lion whose tail had just been stepped on. "Why, sweetheart? Are you sick of seeing my face? You'd rather hire a nurse than let me help you?" he asked, looking wounded. Hera felt her temples throb, caught between falling for Dave's pitiful act and feeling utterly helpless against it.
"It's not that, Dave. You're the Young Minister of the country, you have so much work piled up. You can't always keep me company, and it's not good to neglect your responsibilities," Hera explained, but her reasoning only seemed to infuriate Dave even more.
"Who tattled on me?!" Dave shot up to his feet, looking ready to pick a fight with whoever dared tell on him, making Hera sigh in exasperation.
"No one," Hera replied.
"Then—" Dave began, but Hera quickly shushed him.
"No one told me anything," she said gently. "But we both know you're doing something big for the country right now. Everyone is counting on you to win this war on drugs, so of course you're busy."
Her tone was warm and coaxing, and it made Dave's antics melt away almost instantly. A smile tugged at his lips.
"Alright, I'll listen to my sweetheart and work harder." Dave grinned from ear to ear. Hera could only shake her head. Dave was far too easy to coax; a few sweet words and praises were all it took to make him obey and melt.
Sometimes, she wondered if he had multiple personalities. From the side, Rafael chuckled at Dave's theatrics, which only earned him a glare from Dave, as if Rafael had ruined his moment with Hera. That, of course, made Hera laugh even more.
Men really were like children; the more they liked something, the more childish they became, and Hera wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Time passed pleasantly, and Rafael, agreeing with Hera's earlier suggestion, took the opportunity to contact Zhane to recommend a nurse who could help Hera move around.
Zhane readily agreed; after all, a nurse could care for her properly and assist her without making her feel self-conscious.
And so, Zhane arranged for a middle-aged nurse with extensive experience to be sent to Hera's penthouse. The moment the nurse reached the gates of the Green Dragon Manor, she couldn't help but swallow the lump in her throat.
Having worked at the Providence Everett Medical Center, she had cared for her share of powerful men and visited more than a few luxurious estates and mansions. Yet, the Green Dragon Manor radiated a different kind of understated luxury, one that demanded quiet respect.
Since she didn't have an access card for the private elevator, the receptionist personally escorted her to the top floor. When the double doors came into view, her heart began to pound in her chest. Then, Amy opened the door and greeted her with a warm smile.
Though the nurse maintained her professional demeanor, her eyes couldn't help but wander. Sunlight streamed into the room, bathing a beautiful young woman seated gracefully on the sofa between two strikingly handsome men.
The scene looked like a living portrait, captivating in its elegance. In that instant, she felt an inexplicable fondness for the girl. But when her gaze shifted to the man on the young woman's left, recognition struck. He was the Young Minister. Immediately, she straightened her posture.
"Good day, Ms. Hera. I was sent here by Director Everett to be your nurse. My name is Emerald," the middle-aged woman introduced herself. Amy quickly stepped forward to help carry the medical bag she was holding and placed it beside the couch.
"Hello, Emerald. Please, have a seat and relax," Hera said, offering her a warm smile. In truth, even with a nurse now assigned to her, the men around Hera still insisted on personally taking care of her whenever they were present.
This meant Emerald's work would be fairly light, mainly assisting Hera with bathing or using the restroom, as nearly everything else had already been handled.
And so, Emerald found herself with nothing to do. This had to be the easiest job she'd had since starting her career as a nurse. With no work on her hands, she decided to chat with Amy, who was closer to her age, instead of sitting beside Hera and being force-fed "dog food."
Not long after, Xavier returned, carrying a box of pastries. No wonder he'd taken so long; he must have wandered outside the Green Dragon Manor and ended up buying snacks for Hera.
Aside from the pastry, he also carried a stack of folders. After setting the pastry down, he went upstairs for a quick shower. When he returned, still holding the folders, Hera was already snacking on the pastry he'd brought back.
As Xavier approached, he gave her a quick peck on the forehead before settling into the single-seat armchair. His expression grew serious as he began reading through the papers inside.
Hera, Rafael, and Dave exchanged curious glances, but since Dave was the most outspoken, he finally asked, "What's that?"
Xavier, not wanting to keep anything from them, responded without hesitation."I've decided to inherit my family's legacy. The moment my old man heard the news, he immediately sent the butler over with the full inheritance property list, the companies I'm supposed to manage, and so on."
"I had to go through everything, review it all, and sign the documents so everyone could rest assured. But they seem so excited that they want me to finish it all in a single day."
He mumbled this while flipping through page after page, his answer leaving both Rafael and Dave stunned. After all, Xavier had run away from home precisely because he didn't want to be chained down by family responsibilities; he only wanted to pursue his passion for acting.
The fact that he was now taking a step back and agreeing to inherit the family fortune was huge.
His family must think it's a dream come true, which was probably why they were in such a rush to finalize the inheritance and dump all the work on him, making sure he had no chance to back out.
"What about your acting career?" Rafael suddenly asked. After all, Xavier was his most lucrative artist—his money tree. If Xavier left to become a CEO like them, wouldn't that directly affect Rafael? The thought made him uneasy. "Are you… going to quit acting?"
Xavier suddenly stopped flipping the page and looked up. "Who said I'm quitting? Don't other CEOs still manage to indulge in their passions while working? I can do it too. It's just that I'll have to tone down my acting workload, and I might stop accepting endorsement deals."
Hearing this, Rafael let out a long sigh of relief he hadn't realized he was holding. As long as Xavier wasn't planning to quit altogether, it was fine.
In fact, cutting down on endorsements could even work in their favor; limiting Xavier's projects might not harm his career but instead turn him into an even hotter commodity. An actor who was also the CEO of a powerful conglomerate would only heighten his prestige and demand in the entertainment industry.
Just the thought alone was enough to ignite Rafael's business instincts, and plans for how to further boost Xavier's market value were already forming in his mind. Without anyone noticing, his gaze was practically overflowing with the gleam of money.
Then Hera turned around and caught that familiar look in Rafael's eyes, the same one she'd seen when he was scheming to sign her as his company's artist. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself, thinking, 'This money grubber.'
She didn't know that Rafael loved making money that much, but maybe it made sense. After all, he'd pampered his sister like a princess since they were young, always buying her things.
Perhaps that upbringing had sharpened his drive to earn, and now that he had Hera too, of course, he wanted to bring in even more.
Still, Rafael could be surprisingly generous, so him being a money-grubber wasn't entirely unexpected.
Learning that Xavier would be taking over his family business sparked even more ideas for Rafael. They soon began discussing potential collaborations.
After all, Xavier's family owned an airline, and Rafael's ran an entertainment company. With Rafael's help, they could endorse Montague Airlines, a win-win for both Xavier and Rafael.
And so, they began discussing business while Xavier carefully scanned the contents of the folders. Dave occasionally chimed in with comments about rules and regulations, and Hera contributed her thoughts on the business trajectory.
Engrossed in their conversation, they didn't realize that lunchtime had already arrived. Xavier was just finishing up his review of the files.