"That’s when our rtionship started to take a turn. But he was still my responsibility, as well as my parents because we all believed that his parents were still alive out there and might return for him someday, hoping he woulde back to his senses. Right now, Logan tends to use whatever leverage he can to deceive others, and I feared you might be a victim too, Senior. I care about you and only want what’s best for you," Lucas said, his face flushing red as he avoided Hera’s gaze.


    "Y-you care for me, really?" Hera looked surprised, her face turning red too.


    "Yes," Lucas answered softly.


    Hera hesitated, looking embarrassed. "Then, do you... like me?" She quickly withdrew the question. "Never mind, forget I asked." Avoiding his gaze, she turned away.


    Lucas’s eyes sparkled with Hera’s reaction. "Yes, I do. I always have."


    His answer left Hera baffled; after all, she was only a sophomore and Lucas was a freshman, so his response seemed unlikely. Her confusion was evident on her face. Lucas rubbed the tip of his nose before answering, "Actually, senior, I’ve noticed you for quite some time now."


    "You worked at a fast food restaurant that my friend and I used to visit often," Lucas exined, jogging Hera’s memory about her recent part-time job.


    "You did?" Hera asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.


    "Yes, I’ve seen you working there. In fact, I used to suggest to my friend that we eat there so I could see you," Lucas confessed, his words tinged with a hint of hesitancy.


    "But then, you suddenly stoppeding to work, and I thought I wouldn’t see you ever again. But here we are, meeting again at the university," Lucas added with a faint smile.


    "But aren’t you interested in Minerva or Alice? The girls who were with you just a moment ago?" Hera asked, her eyes scanning Lucas. He hadn’t changed his clothes, and these clothes must have been bought by Minerva since she had signed him to her brother’s entertainmentpany.


    She didn’t know how long have they been talking about business and their n to sign him in, but she knew that he was with them and he is Alice’s admirer if there is something, Alice might have put him into this, besides, with Minerva, it wouldn’t be hard to know where she worked before since Minerva was the one who cklisted her from thosepanies.


    Lucas waved his hand, flustered and a bit aggrieved. "Senior! Miss Briley only approached me earlier, but I’ve been scouted by her brother’spany for a week now. I sent them a recording of my work, hoping to get signed by anypany. Theirs happened to be the first to contact me, and we discussed all the details before school started," he exined, looking a little embarrassed.


    "Today was actually the first time I met Miss Briley and Miss Quinn. When they found out I was signed to SOE, they invited me out, but I only did it out of courtesy," Lucas exined, looking a little flustered as if he was genuinely concerned Hera might misunderstand.


    "Oh, I’m happy for you," Hera replied with a sweet smile. Lucas held his breath for a moment, struck by Hera’s charm. She was well aware of her appearance, having grown up with Athena, who taught her when and how to use her beauty to her advantage, though Hera herself remained humble about it.


    She didn’t usually resort to these tactics, but with Minerva and Alice working together, she couldn’t let her guard down. "I thought you liked one of them," Hera replied a hint of hesitancy in her voice, subtly implying her own interest in Lucas. She knew he must be aware of the ongoing scandal linking her to multiple men on the inte, and his approach meant something.


    Regardless of whether it was his own initiative or not, Hera suspected Lucas had something nned. She didn’t entirely believe his concern about Logan was genuine, and even if it was, she would reserve judgment until she saw it with her own eyes.


    But luck wasn’t on Hera’s side; she didn’t realize that Logan had been standing nearby the entire time, overhearing Lucas narrate the story to her and seeing her expression, which seemed to indicate she believed everything Lucas had said.


    Logan didn’t have much with him—just a few changes of clothes and some gadgets that had been with him for years. When he was about to leave the ce he’d grown up in, no one even bothered to ask where he was going; the only thing they asked was if he had seen Lucas.


    They seemed so happy with Lucas’ sess that they didn’t even notice Logan had found sess on his own, without anyone’s help, unlike Lucas, who had received much support, advantages, and help.