NOVEL NEXT Chapter 955 Hera's Explanation
Leo, in particular, looked as though he might burn a hole straight through her forehead with his glare. Hearing Hera speak so tenderly to another man, right in front of them, made their hackles rise as if some intruder had wandered into their well-guarded territory.
And worse, the fact that it was a junior only fueled their thoughts.
'Does she like younger, cuter men? Am I already too old? Is she growing tired of us?'
One by one, their minds circled these insecure, possessive questions as they strained their ears to catch every word of her conversation.
Catching sight of them from the corner of her eye, Hera couldn't help but chuckle softly. To her, Logan was nothing more than a younger brother, someone her heart naturally leaned toward.
Perhaps it was because he reminded her so much of herself: a cannon fodder destined for a tragic end. That silent bond of shared pain made her kinder to him, even if Logan himself never realized it. If the world refused to show him kindness, then she would.
That was why she began looking out for him the moment she learned who he was. Maybe it was selfish on her part, but Hera couldn't help wanting to rewrite the script, to defy the cruel storyline that condemned those like them.
Why should the innocent be marked for misery? Was it a crime to have talent? Was it a sin to be born into privilege? Was it wrong to simply wish for a happy life?
No, they were not in the wrong. It was the storyline itself that sought to dictate their fate, forcing a tragic end upon them simply to glorify the female lead and her chosen circle. Such a script had no right to trample on their worth just to highlight another's shortcomings.
Yes, they were talented, gifted, and perhaps fortunate enough to be born into wealth. But that did not mean they had not worked hard or strived with all they had to live better lives. So then, who held the right to decide their fate? Who had the authority to write the ending of their story?
Hera's drifting thoughts returned to Logan, who was still on the other end of the line, quietly whimpering. It was as if he feared that if she heard him cry, she might come to dislike him.
Yet when she told him she would help, Logan only felt more vulnerable, so vulnerable that he wanted to let down his walls even further in front of her. A fragile warmth spread through his heart.
To say he wasn't affected by the malicious comments online, by the cold indifference of his parents and their blatant favoritism toward Lucas, or by the pain of seeing his heartfelt songs stolen while being accused of theft—would be a lie. Every one of those things pierced him to the core. His only way to endure it was to pretend he wasn't affected at all, to swallow it all in silence.
But now that Hera was by his side, Logan couldn't hold back his tears. Her kindness warmed him, made him happy, but at the same time, it hurt. The kinder she was, the more afraid he became of losing it, just as he had lost his parents' love to his so-called best friend.
He had truly treated Lucas as a brother. He shared everything with him, his parents, his dreams, even his songs. He let Lucas use some of his compositions for contests and events, simply because he wanted Lucas to have a better life.
After all, as his parents always reminded him, Lucas was an orphan who had suffered enough, and they should love him as family. Logan believed that… until the day he was tossed aside like an unwanted puppy.
The brighter Lucas shone, the deeper Logan was pushed into the shadows, as if his very existence was a threat that needed to disappear. He never imagined Lucas would go this far. If Lucas had only asked, Logan would have gladly helped him compose, as he always did. But instead, he was betrayed, so ruthlessly and so heartlessly, that it left him reeling.
Why would Lucas leave him no way out?
Was it because he feared that as long as Logan lived, the truth behind his so-called genius singer-songwriter would unravel? Or was he terrified that if Logan ever managed to rise again, fans would notice the striking similarities in their songs and composition, that Logan's talent would eventually outshine him and steal the spotlight?
Instead of risking that future, Lucas chose to crush Logan now, to strangle his growth before it could even begin, grinding him into the ground so he could never pose a threat.
Logan wasn't stupid; he understood exactly what was happening around him. He simply chose silence, because facing the truth meant facing pain he wasn't ready for.
But now, with Hera reaching out her hand, he finally felt as though there was someone he could lean on, someone who genuinely cared. And Hera knew it too. Logan was just a young man starved of love, so achingly similar to the Hera of the novel, who had once done everything for love only to meet a cruel, tragic end.
Thinking at him, Hera saw a reflection of her supposed self, and resentment stirred within her. She hated the storyline more than ever, for pushing them both into this despair, for disregarding their feelings, for dooming not only them but also the people connected to them.
The storyline cared only about giving the female lead a dazzling, exciting life. But what about the rest of them—the cannon fodder left to suffer?
"Don't worry, I'm here..." Hera said coaxingly. The moment those words left her lips, the four men's glares sharpened, jealousy burning hotter in their chests. Even Leo, who didn't yet remember his past with Hera, found himself acting possessive without realizing it.
Then Hera continued, her voice calm but deliberate. "Have you and the Music Director made sure all your songs are patented?"
At once, Rafael, who had been casually messaging Gerald, froze. His phone nearly slipped from his hand.
'Patent?' he thought, stunned. And then the realization struck him, Hera had already anticipated the possibility of plagiarism. She hadn't just been supporting Logan on the surface; she had been quietly protecting him from the shadows, setting safeguards in place and even laying a trap for whoever might try to exploit him.
If that was true, then didn't it mean Lucas really had plagiarized? And Hera had known it all along, that was why she urged Logan and the UE's Music Director to file patents for every one of Logan's songs.
But then another chilling thought followed: 'How did she know in advance? Did Hera know Lucas or Logan from before?'
Rafael stared at Hera's confident smile, his mind spinning with countless thoughts. Hera, however, wasn't concealing anything; she spoke openly, and as her words sank in, everyone began to piece things together.
Yet soon, the same question echoed in each of their minds, just as it did in Rafael's: 'How did Hera know?'
"Yes… We've completed all the patents," Logan answered, his voice trembling. "And thanks to your lawyer's help, the process was expedited. He guided me through everything, what documents to prepare, how to detail my creative process, the inspirations behind each piece, the dates I composed them… even the video recordings as proof." His words broke with a hiccup as he tried to steady his breathing.
"Good boy…" Hera said with a bright smile, her eyes crinkling like a cat that had just stolen a fish. "Now, just wait two more days. Let the topic fester, let the public fan the flames until it burns hot enough. Don't look online, don't react, and if your parents try to reach out, ignore them for now. When the uproar reaches its peak, that's when you'll do exactly as I told you before…"
Her calm, deliberate words made it clear to Rafael that Hera had been prepared for this outcome long in advance. But then, why was she still letting him investigate Lucas? Was it so he could see Lucas's true nature himself, ensuring he wouldn't stand in Logan's way when the time came to clear his name?
Realizing this, Rafael felt a surge of jealousy and resentment twist inside him—because Hera was protecting another man.
After coaxing Logan and making sure he was okay, Hera set her phone aside, only to realize that everyone's eyes were fixed on her. Curiosity, jealousy, and unspoken grievances filled their gazes, as though she had betrayed them somehow.
With a helpless chuckle, she raised her uninjured arm in mock surrender before explaining.
"Don't get angry. I only see Logan as a younger brother who needed protection. When I first met him, he was being low-key bullied by Lucas. That caught my curiosity. Why would Lucas, his so-called best friend, treat him that way?"
"The more I observed, the more uneasy I felt. Then I overheard Logan trying to send his self-composed songs to agencies, hoping for a chance. Out of curiosity, I listened to his songs, and I was instantly blown away."