And seeing Xavier in Hera’s penthouse earlier, coupled with her obvious exhaustion, confird his suspicions about him too.
Dave’s progress with Hera, on the other hand, felt frustratingly slow. This left him feeling left out, nervous, and—most of all—terrified of being left behind.
His possessiveness and jealousy bubbled to the surface, making him hyper-vigilant. The last thing he wanted was to deal with another potential rival swooping in to steal Hera’s attention.
In reality, Dave wasn’t the only one feeling this way—Luke was equally anxious.
That’s why, despite his packed schedule, he had made it a point to visit Hera early that morning.
When he discovered she was flying out of the country, and that Xavier would be accompanying her—especially after learning that Xavier had already been intimate with her the night before—Luke’s nerves only intensified.
It hit him hard that, just like Dave, he and Dave were the only ones who hadn’t yet had a chance to be with Hera.
The realization stung. It made them question whether Hera didn’t want them, or if they weren’t as appealing to her as the others.
That doubt was painful, igniting a flare of possessiveness and jealousy deep inside both of them.
Their growing anxiety and insecurity now burned with the fear that they might be left behind, and it was a feeling they weren’t ready to face.
So, without a second thought, Dave and Luke imdiately followed Xavier out of the penthouse and headed to the airport, quickly making a one-minute arrangent via text before they boarded the plane.
anwhile, Leo, noticing the three of them coming together to accompany Hera—aware of what they were all likely thinking—had no choice but to follow along.
He knew that without him there to keep them in check, Hera could end up exhausted by their constant competition.
Even though Leo was fully aware of what had happened between Hera and Xavier last night, and could clearly sense the tension between the others, he understood the importance of maintaining control.
He couldn’t let his own selfish desires, possessiveness, and jealousy cloud his judgnt.
He had to keep things in balance, for Hera’s sake, even if it ant putting his feelings aside for the mont.
If they all wanted to coexist harmoniously, they needed to make room for one another and share Hera equally.
This way, there would be no conflict, and they wouldn’t find themselves vying for more of her ti or trying to outdo each other.
Because if they let that happen, Hera would end up caught in the middle, bearing the brunt of the tension. It would be her who suffered the most, and none of them wanted that, especially him.
Leo let out a resigned sigh and shook his head, as if preparing to scold a mischievous child.
He grabbed Dave by the back of his collar and gently pulled him back, aware that his restless behavior was too obvious with so many viewers watching.
What they didn’t realize was that the viewers, many of whom were passionately shipping their own favorite couples, were going wild over the scene.
Fans were snapping screenshots nonstop, eager to capture every mont of their favorite "love team."
The loudest among them were the mbers of the ’Queen’s Harem,’ a fan group that shipped all six n with Hera and eagerly dissected every little interaction, assigning deeper aning to even the smallest gestures.
...
[Briley Family’s Group Chat]
[Minerva: Mom, Dad, did you know that brother already found a girlfriend?]
[Mother Briley: What? When did this happen? How?]
[Mother Briley: Is she beautiful?]
[Father Briley: What about her background?]
[Father Briley: I an, I don’t want any troublemakers around...]
[Minerva: (Picture.JPEG.Attached)]
[Minerva: You can see for yourselves.]
[Mother Briley: She looks innocent and sweet. Did your brother intimidate this poor girl?]
[Mother Briley: She looks so beautiful—are you sure she’s your brother’s girlfriend?]
[Minerva: ꉂ (´∀｀)ʱªʱªʱª]
[Minerva: Mom, I’m sure. My brother was so disappointing, he was sulking in the corner because his love rivals took his girlfriend away to participate in an event and left him behind in the hospital.]
[Minerva: (Picture.JPEG.Attached)]
[Father Briley: He really is disappointing. Why sulk like that? Is he waiting for soone to steal her before he does anything?]
[Minerva: Doctor Zhane won’t let him leave. (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)]
[Mother Briley: You seem to be enjoying your brother’s misery, huh?]
[Minerva: Mom, don’t get wrong, I think Hera is a great girl and she’s not intimidated by my brother’s scary mafia-like face. But he’s just too idiotic when it cos to love. He doesn’t take advantage of the chances to get closer to her when she’s in such high demand from other n.]
[Minerva: Look, he’s even circling his toe on the ground like a child while sulking.]
[Minerva: (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)]
[Minerva: Mom, help, I’m dying of laughter over here...]
[Mother Briley: Hmmm, if I’m not mistaken, you... about that Hera girl, just recently... ]
[Minerva: Mom, that’s all in the past now. I’ve woken up from my dream and seen things clearly. My brother even told what my good-for-nothing ex said while I was kidnapped.]
[Minerva: (◡_◡)]
[Minerva: I know I’ve worried you both too much, but I’ll do better from now on. Anyway, I just wanted to share my brother’s good news and the laughter, especially since we’ve never seen this side of him. I can’t stop laughing!]
[Minerva: (๑>•̀๑)]
[Father Briley: That’s good to hear, my princess. Don’t worry, that good-for-nothing ex wasn’t worth your tears. Daddy will send you a list of handso boys—just pick as many as you like, and they’ll pamper you to the heavens.]
[Mother Briley: Exactly, sweetheart. I’ve already prepared the perfect candidates for you, and I know you’ll love them.]
[Mother Briley: @Father Briley, trying to steal my credit, huh? Just wait for to discipline you later.]
[Mother Briley: ( ` ᴖ ´ )]
[Father Briley: Honey, I know I was wrong.]
[Father Briley: (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞]
[Father Briley: (๑﹏๑//)]
...
While everything was going smoothly for Hera, in another hospital ward, soone watched her livestream, unblinking, his gaze fixed on her beautiful face.
Surrounded by so many handso n, it was painfully obvious how much they admired her, and they didn’t even try to hide their feelings.
Their eyes lingered on her, full of affection. Hera looked radiant, even more beautiful than the last ti he had seen her, and the sight left a bitter ache in his chest.
"What are you even staring at?!" a woman’s shrill voice echoed through the ward.
"What happened to you that you ended up hospitalized like this? Shouldn’t we be demanding compensation for all this?!" Her words were sharp, laced with frustration.
Thankfully, they were in a private ward, but just the thought of the money they were burning each day while unable to earn anything made her stomach churn, as if each mont in the hospital was another stab to her heart.
"Alexi, why don’t you call that rich girlfriend of yours to pay for your hospital bill?" the woman’s voice grated on his nerves.
"You’ve been scorned by the public, your career’s ruined, and it’s all because of her! Is she running away now that she’s tired of you? How could we let this happen? Does she think that just because we’re not as wealthy as them, we’re easy to bully?"
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