Chapter 793 What They Could Do
Meanwhile, Larry tried calling Hera but got no response. Not one to waste time, he quickly dialed Cindy instead, knowing she was likely with their young miss. Cindy answered on the very first ring.
"What’s wrong?" she asked immediately, her brows knitting together with concern. Seeing Larry’s name on the screen had made her assume something had gone wrong with the competition.
"There’s no problem," Larry replied, his voice steady and composed. "I’m calling to inform Young Miss that she’s officially been declared the champion of the IGI Expressions Competition. I just received the invitation to the finale in France—plane tickets, hotel reservations, and everything else included."
"Really?! That’s great!" Cindy’s gloomy mood instantly lifted, though she quickly lowered her voice and turned away from the group, making sure Hera couldn’t hear. As much as this was good news, Hera wasn’t in the right state of mind to celebrate—she was too upset and overwhelmed. So, for now, Cindy would rejoice on her behalf.
She and Larry chatted quietly for a few moments as he filled her in on everything that had happened. Cindy felt a mix of happiness and frustration. She was thrilled that Hera had won, but it irritated her that some people had mistaken Hera for a middle-aged woman.
Still, it didn’t matter anymore. Liz had already spoken out, and those critics would just have to wait for the finale—then they’d see for themselves.
The bigger concern, however, was whether Hera could actually attend. Cindy knew Hera was currently tied down because of what had happened to Leo, and Gerald was still in the middle of his investigation. He’d gathered plenty of intel from the prisoner, but there were still gaps he needed to fill himself.
After all, the entire situation was incredibly complicated, and knowing Hera’s bond with Leo, Cindy couldn’t help but worry about how deeply this would affect her. She stole a glance at Hera’s pale, anxious face.
She looked so fragile, as if a mere gust of wind could carry her away. It was such a stark contrast to the strong, determined woman who had once leapt from a moving helicopter just to rescue Leo.