Chapter 286 Rafael Disciplining his Sister?
In fact, the Avery family’s influence over the country and its economy was akin to that of an emperor in ancient times. This immense power made them a prime target for numerous forces seeking to dismantle their dominance. Many aimed to either replace the Averys or at least take a piece of their power to fortify their own positions.
This is why Gerald believed that Hera needed the marriage alliances with the men surrounding her. He had thoroughly investigated their backgrounds to ensure they had no intentions of using Hera, especially since they were still unaware of her true identity. This only reinforced Gerald’s belief that their feelings for Hera were genuine.
He was also aware that Hera had a marriage alliance arranged with the Hendrix’s sole heir. However, given that the Hendrix’s power had weakened due to constant attacks, he believed this alliance alone was insufficient, especially when facing those who controlled half of the economy.
If he were to put it into words, the Avery family was like an emperor with vast lands and loyal subjects. The Hendrix family, once their equal, had become weakened due to constant attacks, leaving their lands and people damaged. Meanwhile, their enemies, if united, were like neighboring countries that could easily isolate and cut them off from the rest of the world.
He even believed that their enemies would readily conspire with other countries at the slightest opportunity to bring down both the Avery and Hendrix families.
Gerald believed Hera needed to form multiple marriage alliances to consolidate power. However, this was challenging since the country doesn’t support polygamy, a measure intended to prevent families from amassing power through marriage. Despite this, people often adopt creative strategies to forge alliances. Even the Avery family, once humble farmers, managed to rise to their current status as a powerful conglomerate.
However, it was precisely because of their remarkable rise that many long-established aristocratic families couldn’t stand the Averys and targeted them. The Hendrixs, too, faced different enemy groups due to their own historical conflicts.
Gerald couldn’t tell if Hera had considered using a beauty trap to form alliances or if her actions were purely coincidental. Either way, he trusted her intelligence and believed she knew what she was doing. Little did he know, his deductions were far from the real reasons why Hera kept all six men close.
"Did you obtain the evidence against them?" Hera asked. She didn’t dwell on Zhane’s fiancée much, as she knew male leads often had arranged fiancées or families interested in them. After all, in the novel, the female lead often faced antagonistic females who became villainesses due to unrequited love for the men they so adored.