Chapter 65 Going back Inside
Hera felt overwhelmed under the gaze of his deep blue eyes, her throat tightening with emotion. "N-no need," she managed to say, her voice strained. She cleared her throat, averting her gaze from his. "I didn’t do it for rewards or anything like that. I just did what I felt was right."
Hera couldn’t quite grasp the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. In just a few short minutes, so much had transpired between them that her feelings had become a tangled mess. She knew she wasn’t alone in this, and neither was he. She found herself oddly impressed by his remarkable self-control, resisting impulses that would have overwhelmed others in his state.
Leo couldn’t help but smile at Hera’s response. He knew that Hera couldn’t see his expressions because of their position but he was happy because it was her who had found him in this dire situation. He was happy that Hera did not repulse his touch that much.
"Could you assist me in finding my grandfather?" He gently withdrew from her, fixing his gaze on hers. His usual domineering and assertiveness gave way to a more vulnerable demeanor, fitting for the time and situation. "Given what occurred today, I don’t feel comfortable trusting just anyone to guide me."
He wore a vulnerable expression, hoping it would soften her stance towards him. He knew it was a form of manipulation, yet he couldn’t resist the opportunity to draw nearer to her. He acknowledged the selfishness of his actions, but he was willing to take the chance nonetheless.
He also grasped the importance of appearing weak and vulnerable in front of the woman he liked. His grandfather often stressed that in the long run, women grew weary of domineering CEO types and preferred the nurturing, sometimes even adorable, type of man. While he didn’t naturally fit that mold, he was willing to heed his grandfather’s advice in his pursuit of the woman he desired. After all, he had already lost her once to someone who embodied the approachable persona his grandfather had described.
Hera wasn’t typically one to bend over backward to please others, but she felt compelled to help those close to her. At this moment, she found herself unable to refuse his request even when he was supposed to be a stranger but she couldn’t find any problem in his actions. His vulnerability and the harrowing situation they had just experienced made it understandable why he would have trouble trusting anyone right now.
She empathized with his situation, imagining how she would feel if she were in his shoes. With that understanding, she nodded in agreement, realizing they were headed in the same direction anyway and she had nothing to lose by helping him.
She gently pried his hand off her waist, unlocked the cubicle door, and gestured for him to follow, but he remained motionless, causing Hera’s eyebrow to twitch in frustration.