The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress

Seeing the Dean cower, Gerald’s smirk widened with satisfaction. He had heard everything the Dean had said because Hera had kept her phone on a call with him, ensuring he was informed if he needed to intervene. Hera had initially preferred to let the Dean resolve the issue himself, but seeing his stubbornness about expelling her, she decided a more decisive approach was necessary, a quick fix if you may. Gerald’s presence was meant to swiftly address the situation and ensure the Dean’s attempts to expel Hera were thwarted. Hera had anticipated Alice’s attempt to sabotage her from the moment she learned of the plot against her expulsion and scholarship. To counteract this, she had already set her preparations in motion. She dispatched Gerald to investigate the situation and kept him on standby while simultaneously alerting the police.

While Hera was on her way to the Dean’s office, Gerald had already sent his men to investigate the campus forum and trace the IP addresses of the students who spread the malicious rumor. The rumor had twisted the truth, accusing Hera of using her body for favors, claiming she had many lovers, and using the online article along with Leo and the others’ appearance at the university as evidence of her chaotic private life.

Well, about the many lovers—none of them were actually her lovers, yet, so that part was only partially true. And yes, her private life was indeed chaotic, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that targeting her scholarship and attempting to get her expelled from the university was a direct attack on her future, aiming to ruin her life and make her a wastrel. This was no longer mere bullying.

"And it appears you didn’t even bother to check the facts," Gerald said, giving the Dean a side-eye before scanning the students behind Hera, who stood defiantly in front of the Dean, looking so disappointed in him. "Hmm, what fine young people we have here," Gerald gently praised the students, aiming to amplify their sense of injustice for Hera and validate their actions in standing up for her.

Sure enough, the moment Gerald praised them, their eyes sparkled with reverence. Who didn’t know of Gerald? He was one of the most renowned aides of the Avery heiress, who ran many of the Avery companies receiving international awards. Nearly every fresh college graduate dreamed of applying to Avery, even to its smallest subsidiaries, because of the high standards and the compensation, which was always three times higher than that of other companies.

Seeing Gerald standing before them, appearing to assist one of the top scholars, reinforced the notion that Avery valued its future employees. This act solidified Avery’s positive image in the hearts of the college students who already admired the company.

This was like killing three birds with one stone. Why three? It was simple: they wanted to punish those who started this whole ordeal and clear Hera’s reputation, present a positive image to the university students so that the Avery Consortium would be their first choice upon graduation, and finally, clean up the university by exposing corrupt individuals like the Dean. The Dean had been accepting bribes, using his authority to admit his relatives without proper qualifications, and falsifying documents to make it appear that his relatives and those who bribed him had good grades, just to help them get into prestigious positions.

This all came to light from Gerald’s impromptu investigation, during which he uncovered the Dean’s connection to the girl who posted the photos. He had come prepared to back up his Young Miss. This was also why Hera had been holding on for so long, dragging things out. A bad record on her profile would follow her even when she inherited the Consortium and could be used against her, casting doubt on her ability to lead the powerful conglomerate family.

Eventually, that record alone could be a fatal weapon against her, something their family’s enemies could use to prevent her from stepping up. That’s why she didn’t want to back down and even escalated the issue. She also wanted to use this situation to add to the list of evidence she had gathered, present it to the netizens, and guide them to piece it all together. This way, they could see who the real cheater was and uncover the person conspiring against her.

In fact, this saga provided her with more opportunities to increase her presence in the entertainment industry. Always trending on top, it gave her a spotlight and a better platform to stage her revenge against Alexi and Minerva.