Athena and Hera quickly nced at their social media ounts before setting their phones aside. By now, Hera had grown ustomed to the flood ofments and likes, so she simply turned off notifications altogether to silence the incessant buzzing.
Hera genuinely enjoyed using social media to share her experiences, not to boast, but because she had a passion for sharing with others. Whether it was exploring new ces or trying new foods, she found joy in giving others a glimpse into her world, particrly those who hadn’t experienced certain ces or cuisines. In a way, her social media activity resembled a personal blog, albeit one that had started long before she had any significant following. In those early days, it was only a handful of people who would asionally like orment on her posts.
Now that Hera was gaining recognition, she wasn’t overly concerned about her personal information beingpromised. Her social media profiles were carefully curated, with little more than her school mentioned publicly. asionally, she’d be tagged by ssmates in various activities or events, but beyond that, her online presence remained rtively private.
As Hera ate, she told Athena the events ofst night with Leo but chose to withhold certain details, knowing Athena would relish using them as ammunition for teasing. She glossed over moments like finding herself seated in hisp and other intimate encounters. However, she couldn’t shake the consuming thoughts that were beginning to spiral out of control, particrly concerning the incident at the infirmary.
"Babe, don’t stress yourself... Just let it naturally flow and don’t dwell on it too much. You’re just going to be consumed and for what? Hmm?"
So Hera decided to clear her mind of those intrusive thoughts and let things unfold naturally. However, she still sought a second opinion, knowing that overthinking might lead to paranoia and rigid thinking patterns. She understood the danger of bing consumed by her thoughts if she ventured too far down that path.
To unwind, Hera and Athena headed straight to the gaming room, expecting to find gaming consoles. However, upon entering, Hera realized she hadn’t purchased any yet. Despite this, the room was impressively set up with LED lights adorning the walls, arge TV screen facing a spacious circr couch, and ssic arcade machines like TEKKEN and Resident Evil shooting game. There were also racing car arcade machines and more. Yet, conspicuously absent were modern gaming consoles like Nintendo, PSP5, or Xbox.
Hera and Athena were in the mood to y Call of Duty Warzone, so they decided to head out to buy a PC and other consoles. As they made their way to the entrance, they encountered Cindy, who had just returned from her outing.
"Are you heading out with Miss Lowry, Young Miss?" Cindy inquired.
"Yes, we’re just going to buy a PC and other gaming consoles," Hera replied.
"In that case, would it be alright for me to prepare the PC andptop for you?" Cindy offered.
"Hmm, why? We’re going out anyway so we’ll buy in too."
"I actually forgot to mention that we usually customize the PCs andptops we provide to the masters. We ensure that the specs are top of the line and include our own software as an additionalyer of protection against hackers," Cindy exined, realizing she had overlooked this during Hera’s visit for the viewing.
Cindy didn’t borate on the fact that they also utilize the Avery-created chips to ensure that all iing data is fully encrypted. This prevents anyone from stealing important information. If someone attempts to forcefully extract information and decode the encryptions without the Avery’s assistance, they would only trigger a virus that steals their own data instead and will shut down their whole operation.
She continued. "Don’t worry, we already have a unit prepared in the inventory for you. I’ll just order it to be installed wherever you need it to."
"Ooooh..."
Hera and Athena exchanged a knowing nce before nodding in agreement. They opted to stay in and wait for the instation.
"And Young Miss, I actually met the assistant that Ms. Dwane has sent you downstairs," Cindy continued, recalling the timid girl who had been trailing her.
She observed a distressed girl at the front desk, on the verge of tears. Clearly, she hadn’t been briefed on the exclusive nature of the building’s address. Oblivious to this, she had driven directly to the location.
She underwent a rigorous check by the guards at the gate and another thorough screening at the front desk. These stringent measures were implemented following the recent incident involving the man who targeted their staff with physical violence. Unfortunately, Betty had not anticipated this, as she was unaware of Hera’s residence in an exclusive residential area. As they were about to contact Hera toe down, Cindy arrived and observed the situation.
"Um... Hello... Miss Ainsley... I-I’m here... I mean, I was sent by... Miss Dwane to assist." The girl stuttered nervously, her hands fidgeting as she cautiously navigated the room, wary of knocking over anything expensive. She feared that her sry wouldn’t even cover the value of the items around her.
"Don’t be nervous. Have you eaten? What’s your name?" Hera’s smile was warm and reassuring as she gently took the girl’s hand, leading her to the dining table. Meanwhile, Athena headed to the kitchen to request some food for the assistant. Despite her nerves, Hera managed to calm her, the girl seemed to be around their age, if not younger, so Hera and Athena made every effort to be as weing as possible.
"Daisy... My name is Daisy Evans..." Her face flushed with shyness as she felt overwhelmed by Hera’s kindness. "I will help with your packing for the Variety Show."
Hera couldn’t help but chuckle as Daisy seemed as timid as a rabbit in front of a wolf. She found her demeanor endearing.
"It’s okay, Daisy... Eat first. We won’t be able to do anything if you’re hungry, right?" Hera reassured her, except, they really have nothing to do. Hera simply smiled warmly at Daisy and watched her enjoy the delicious food served in front of her.