He found Hera stunning at that moment, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. Despite feeling unworthy, he couldn’t help but admire the woman before him. She radiated confidence and strength, qualities he felt werecking in himself. A fire ignited within him, awakening his dormant determination. He resolved to match her strength and brilliance, aspiring to be as resilient and inspiring as she was.
But he also knew that changing how he grew up wouldn’t be easy. Despite the challenges, he was determined to try. He now saw Hera as his role model, perhaps because she was his senior at the university who had noticed his struggles early on and offered him a helping hand that made it easier for him to ept her kind gesture.
He didn’t even know how things had ended up like this. Truth be told, Hera herself wasn’t entirely sure why she felt sympathetic toward Logan. Perhaps it was a pity, or maybe she sensed his determination despite his self-doubt and contradictions. Her motives weren’t particrly noble, and she didn’t want anyone to mistake her actions for that of a savior or anything simr.
She simply couldn’t bear the thought of a gem being left buried in the ground for no reason. Hera had convinced herself that she had indeed found a gem in Logan, and she was determined to help him shine brighter than ever.
This conviction guided Hera in all her decisions; she had a strong instinct that she was doing the right thing.
Soon after, they arrived at the parking garage of UE. Hera guided Logan into the elevator, and they ascended to the 12th floor where Betty’s office was located. Hera was well-known on that floor, and she greeted familiar faces warmly as they passed. She made no effort to act pretentious, smiling genuinely at everyone they encountered.
When Hera and Logan reached Betty’s assistant’s desk, the assistant was already waiting for them. She promptly led them into Betty’s office.
"Ma’am, they are here."
Betty looked up from the pile of papers in front of her and immediately smiled upon seeing Hera. "You’ve arrived! Please, have a seat. What would you like to drink?" She began tidying her desk, setting the stack of papers aside, before standing up to greet them properly.
"Tea would be fine for me," Hera answered, her smile blooming like a flower.
"M-Me too!" Logan replied nervously. He realized Betty was the A-list manager of UE, a big fish indeed, and he hadn’t expected that the manager Hera mentioned was Betty.
"Hmm? This must be the friend you mentioned?" Betty said, her head tilted in curiosity. She knew Hera was kind but didn’t act without reason, especially in business matters. Bringing someone along meant they were involved somehow, so she surmised this friend was a pleasant surprise with potential.
"Junior, why don’t you introduce yourself?" Hera said yfully.
Logan immediately stood up straight, feeling nervous. His arms were stiffly at his sides before he did a 90-degree bow in front of Betty. "H-Hello! My name is Logan Walker! Nice to meet you!"
Betty couldn’t help but chuckle at how endearingly nervous Logan was. "Hello to you too, Logan. I’m Hera’s manager. It’s nice to meet you."
She gestured for them to take a seat on the couch. Hera and Logan sat down, with Betty in a chair beside Hera. Betty looked curiously at both of them, raising an eyebrow before her gaze settled on Hera alone. Logan kept his head low, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. If he could, he would have blended into the background entirely.
"Where should we start?" Betty asked Hera knowingly.
Understanding Betty’s implication, Hera chuckled softly before replying, "Let’s begin with why you called me here."
Betty smiled in response just as her assistant entered the room, setting out tea for each of them. Once finished, the assistant discreetly exited the office, closing the door behind her to ensure their privacy for the business discussion.
Only then did Betty open her mouth to speak. "I called you here to discuss the direction of your career, more as a confirmation so that we’re aligned," she said, blowing gently on her tea before taking a small sip.
"Betty, I believed in your insight and knew that you have already prepared things for me, as long as it would not require me to do something under the table, I would follow your arrangements and I would also require your assistance in acquiring some information about the roles I would want for myself, I hope this isn’t too much to ask." Hera smiled warmly, aware that her requests, especially regarding roles she might need to wrest from Alice, could pose challenges. Nevertheless, securing these roles was essential to protecting her position and thwarting Alice’s advancement.