Chapter 180 Apologize?
"Now, Mr. Briley, feel free to speak your mind," Hera maintained her polite demeanor as she smiled at Rafael. She could sense his guilt and discomfort under her gaze, and rightfully so, considering the trouble his sister had caused her during the show’s filming. She had no intentions of holding back this time. Previously, she had avoided confronting Rafael directly, simply to distance herself from trouble involving the original female lead and her male leads, including Minerva and Alexi.
However, upon realizing the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in achieving her goals and the meddling of fate and the consciousness of the world they lived in, she made the decision to confront the issue head-on. This involved attempting to alter the course of events and steal Alice’s fate, which included taming Rafael and directly addressing his short temper.
While she couldn’t employ the same tactics as Alice did to win over Rafael in the novel, given Minerva’s evident hostility towards her, Hera acknowledged that there must be alternative approaches to handling the situation. After all, there’s more than one way to navigate such challenges, isn’t there?
Rafael took a sip of the red wine in his hand, hoping it might alleviate his nervousness as he faced Hera. It took three mouthfuls before he could gather the courage to speak. "I want to apologize on behalf of my sister," he finally said, pursing his lips afterward, waiting for Hera’s response.
Hera tilted her head, her lips twitching with disbelief. ’Is that all?’ she mused. ’Did Rafael truly expect me to let things slide just because he apologized on behalf of his sister? Where’s the accountability? Where’s the commitment to make things right?’ A surge of anger bubbled inside her. Perhaps she had given Rafael too much credit, hoping he would take responsibility for his sister’s actions and rectify the situation.
Sensing the tension and Hera’s silence, Rafael grew uneasy. Though Hera appeared composed with her gracious smile, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Puzzled, he replayed his words in his head repeatedly, searching for any potential misstep. He had already apologized and humbled himself, yet he couldn’t pinpoint the cause of Hera’s displeasure.
Now, despite harboring a positive impression and a hint of interest in Hera, Rafael wasn’t about to abandon his sister or allow Hera to dictate his actions. While he acknowledged who was in the wrong, his stubbornness, arrogance, and aversion to being told what to do left him feeling apprehensive about the situation. Old habits die hard, and Hera was well aware of this. Despite this, she refused to relent, maintaining her silence as she fixed her gaze on Rafael.
As much as Hera hoped Rafael would come to understand the situation on his own, his stubbornness made it nearly impossible. Had his sister not faced such backlash, Rafael might have remained oblivious to the problem. It was a classic case of the typical male leads in novels, as Athena had mentioned in passing.
They often remained oblivious to their family’s actions until those actions directly impacted them personally, their businesses, their families, or their relationships with the female leads. It was only when faced with these repercussions that they began to take notice of their surroundings. Rafael is the best example of this archetype of a male lead in the novel, particularly with his troublesome sister.
Feeling overwhelmed by the silent treatment he was receiving, Rafael grew impatient and added, "Surely, you’re not implying that I harshly discipline my sister, are you?" He raised an eyebrow in question.
Hera smirked inwardly, tempted to retort, ’I mean exactly that.’ However, she knew this would only make Rafael more apprehensive and could backfire, especially now that he seemed ready to compromise. "Surely not, Mr. Briley. How could I tell you what to do? You are a successful businessman at such a young age. I believe you already know what you’re doing and what needs to be done. I trust that you want what’s best for your sister, which includes correcting her behavior. We’re fortunate that it was me she offended this time and not someone vengeful who might retaliate against Minerva in harmful ways."