"No matter what it is, as long as you give me a chance to stay by your side," Rafael said with solemn eagerness. He gingerly reached out for Hera’s soft hands, holding them so gently as if they might crumble under too much pressure. Hera didn’t pull away, waiting for him to continue.


    She knew that asking him to die was out of the question since he wanted to stay beside her. It was a silent condition that he would do everything except sacrifice his life.


    She decided to test him and asked nonchntly, "Then, what if I asked you to hand over Star Ocean Entertainment?" Rafael’s entertainmentpany was his blood, sweat, and tears, the business he built from scratch. Asking for it was like asking him to die in the rubble, and Hera expected him to lose his temper and shed his gentleness in an instant for targeting the one thing he cared about.


    To her surprise, Rafael sighed and gave a defeated smile, nodding tenderly. "Whatever I have is yours, and whatever you desire, I shall get for you," he said. Hera felt a tremor inside her as her nerves surged, her brain exploded with the realization that these were the same words he should have said to Alice during his proposal.


    Hera’s eyes widened in panic, and her words caught in her throat. It took her a couple of minutes to calm her wildly beating heart and her brain, which suddenly felt like it had stalled with just a single long beep sounding in her head. Despite this, her face remained calm andposed, betraying none of her inner turmoil.


    But once she hadposed herself, she asked again, "Are you sure about this? Will you not regret your decision? What if you fall in love with someone else?" Hera probed, knowing that giving him a chance didn’t guarantee he wouldn’t pursue Alice in the future.


    Hera knew she might seem fixated on the storyline, but she had learned from past mistakes. She once believed changing her actions could alter her fate and lead to a better life with Alexi, who did improve how he treated and valued her. However, fate remained inevitable. She couldn’t expect Rafael or the other male leads to behave differently. Despite this, Hera was prepared to engage in a long battle against Alice’s destiny. Even if she couldn’tpletely change her own fate, she was determined to seize every opportunity to alter it as much as possible.


    This also meant seizing opportunities with the male leads, much like she had nned, and Rafael had just taken the first step by offering himself to her. Hera couldn’t help but smile triumphantly in her mind.


    Rafael shook his head resolutely. "I have only one heart, and it’s not big enough to give to another person. I’m not generous enough to share my heart," he said, making it sound like a solemn promise.


    Hera audibly exhaled. "I don’t need grand promises. All I want is this: when the timees and your sister crosses the line again, I hope you won’t interfere or aid her. If you can promise me that, I’ll give you a chance. And I hope you’ll choose my side, no matter what," she said. She knew her request was asking a lot, especially thest part. Asking him to abandon his sister and side with her would be a profound betrayal to his family, not just to his sister.


    But this is crucial because removing Rafael’s involvement and support from Minerva would significantly weaken her. In the novel, Minerva cornered Hera and offered her no way out after Hera had already given half of her inheritance to Alexi. This led Minerva to discover that Hera was the sole heiress of the Avery conglomerate, a realization that pitted her against a formidable opponent. Minerva took the initiative to corner Hera first, making her life miserable enough that Hera feltpelled to take her own life before the Averys could retaliate against Minerva.