Little did he know, Hera wasn’t particrly concerned about any repercussions from the dignitary. If she had been genuinely worried, she wouldn’t have taken such a direct approach. Coincidentally, the Korean chief officer responsible for the heritage site, which was a key aspect of Korean rtions with their country, happened to be closely associated with Hera’s aid, who was now managing their branch in that country.
Hera learned about this from casual conversations in their group chat, where her aide subtly hinted at their achievements without actually telling her what they had aplished so far. It was Gerald’s report that reminded her of the Korean dignitary staying at her hotel, and listening to what the old man had said helped her piece together the situation.
Without that aid, Hera wouldn’t have attempted to intervene. She only confronted the dignitary to impress Dave and demonstrate her loyalty to him, hoping he would value her actions and develop deeper feelings for her.
Dave was cunning and shrewd, but his emotional intelligence (EQ) wascking. He approached situations logically and politically, always calcting the potential benefits. His attraction to Hera grew because of her higher EQ, whichplemented his own deficiencies in that area.
"Hey Dave, why are you letting that dignitary push you around? That’s not like you," Rafael teased lightly. Despite his concern for Hera, he was confident that Dave wouldn’t let anyone, especially not in his territory, make a move on her.
"Tell me more about it! If he hadn’t brought his granddaughter around, hoping to hook her up with me while my mom is here, I wouldn’t be in this position with my hands tied, unable to make a move. I’ve been racking my brains for solutions ever since I found out I was being hunted by that old fox," Dave sighed in exasperation.
"You know my mom has always been concerned about my marriage, and since someone presented herself to me, she’s been over the moon. I even suspected she might have leaked my location to them, but when I confronted her, she denied it. Instead, I filled her in on what was happening, and that’s when I identally left my phone and wallet at home while I was on the run after she invited the dignitary’s granddaughter into my house," Dave said, looking aggrieved and annoyed.
If he hadn’t confronted his mom, she wouldn’t have known about the dignitary’s granddaughter, and she wouldn’t have gotten involved in this issue, backing up that woman and preventing him from taking action. Only after he had no other options left did he run away, fortunately with Rafael and Hera, and Hera even helped him out.
Now, he became even more determined to pursue a rtionship with Hera. In doing so, everyone would benefit: his mother would stop pestering him about marriage and blind dates, while other women would hesitate topete with someone who’s not only beautiful but also talented and smart.
Just thinking of that future made his heart swell with pride and lifted his mood. After the brief interruption in their dinner, they all resumed ordering their food. Rafael didn’t mind treating Dave to a meal; despite being rivals in love, they were friends first. Rafael also couldn’t resist teasing Dave, which lightened the atmosphere and helped them all get along well.
Although Dave and Rafael were not as attentive as Leo in serving Hera, they still made sure to offer her food. While eating, Dave couldn’t help but ask, "Hera, do you need help dealing with the scandal targeting you on the inte?" He then ced a te of escargot meat, separated from its shells, in front of Hera for her to take some if she wished.
Rafael took Hera’s te of steak and reced it with his own, which he had already cut into bite-sized pieces. This gesture allowed her to focus on eating without having to handle the food herself. After swapping the tes, he observed Hera’s face, slightly flushed with gratitude for being treated so well—like a queen—where everything she needed and wanted was being attentively provided by either Rafael or Dave.