Chapter 222 Hera Waking Up
Being part of the Everett family came with its own set of advantages. They received a generous monthly stipend and fully-funded education, courtesy of the Everetts. They also enjoyed complete freedom over their lives and choices. Essentially, they had everything they desired.
Even when the Everett Patriarch became aware of the deceit within the branch families, he chose to turn a blind eye out of respect for his ancestors and refrained from punishing them. However, if he discovered that they were bold enough to scheme against his family despite all the benefits they received from the Everetts, he would undoubtedly sever all ties with them. By then, though, the damage would have already been done, and trouble would have been stirred.
Back in the hospital, after some time, Hera slowly opened her eyes, feeling somewhat refreshed and with a clearer mind. She stared blankly at the familiar white ceiling, her thoughts drifting to the events of the day. As vivid recollections flooded her mind, her face instantly turned beet red. She couldn’t fathom how she would face Leo again without recalling what had transpired between them, including all the bold thoughts that had crossed her mind at the time or her bold actions.
She couldn’t help but cringe at the bold thoughts she had entertained. She could never have imagined herself being so open-minded and proactive. Just over a week ago, she had been preoccupied with how to manage all the main leads while scrutinizing the female lead for starting a reverse harem. She had even convinced herself that she could never be like the female lead.
Little did Hera know that those thoughts had been forcibly implanted by the storyline, coupled with the effects of the drug compromising her thinking process. She didn’t even notice whether the thoughts were her own or the storyline’s manipulation pushing her to complete a scene. Only later would she realize what had happened, as those thoughts were quite unlike her usual way of thinking. It was possible that her own thoughts had intertwined with the ones imposed by the storyline, resulting in her actions at that time without her fully realizing it.
What’s important now is to address the situation and find out who did this and for what purpose. She felt determined to uncover the reason behind her unfortunate ordeal. ’Well, not that I really sacrificed anything... Wait! I did! My innocence!’ she screamed internally, her attempt to downplay what had happened crumbling as she confronted the reality of her weakness and surrender to temptation and the aphrodisiac. Hera took a deep breath, trying to regulate her breathing and clear her mind so she could think straight.
"Are you done internalizing your thoughts?" Dave’s teasing voice broke through her reverie, making Hera jump in surprise. Her head snapped toward the source of the voice, right beside her. Dave was still seated on her bed, lazily leaning against the headboard, watching her with amusement. He had noticed when Hera suddenly opened her eyes and had expected her to start crying upon realizing she had become a victim like many other women. Instead, he found her lost in thought, her expression a mix of confusion and determination.
He had forgotten that Hera was different and never followed the usual patterns of the women he had encountered so far. Initially, he saw her staring blankly at the ceiling and assumed she was too traumatized to process what had happened, or perhaps in denial. However, within seconds, her expression shifted repeatedly—confusion, realization, embarrassment, determination, and many more—all playing out on her face and there were too many expressions her face went under in a fast phase that he failed to grasp everything. This rapid succession of emotions was quite amusing to him, as he tried to grasp what was going on in her mind.