He scooted over to her side and gently pulled her into his embrace.


    "Then let’s get some sleep. You have an early, long day tomorrow," Xavier said, burying his nose into Hera’s hair.


    He’d wanted to do this for a while;st night, during their sleepover at Dave’s chateau, only Leo and Luke got to sleep beside Hera, while the others either slept nearby or curled up at the foot of the bed.


    Naturally, he’d felt a bit envious, so now he intended to make the most of this moment, savoring the chance to sleep next to her while everyone else was upied.


    With a sigh, Xavier closed his eyes, feeling Hera’s small figure fit perfectly in his arms.


    He had expected to have a hard time sleeping, thinking that being so close to her might create an intimately charged atmosphere that would leave him torn between desire and restraint.


    But to his surprise, he felt at ease, as if he were truly at home with her in his arms.


    Hera, who was already feeling sleepy and easily tired from her period, also drifted off as soon as they settled under the sheets.


    It must have been their shared understanding and mutualfort that let them sleep so peacefully.


    When they finally opened their eyes, it was to Hera’s pre-dawn rm. The curtains were still drawn, keeping the room in darkness.


    As soon as Hera stirred, Xavier instinctively reached out, pulling her close as if he wanted to hold her even closer.


    He turned off the rm and returned to his spot, feeling as though he had never slept so well in his life.


    All he wanted was to drift back to sleep, savoring the warmth of simply lying there with her.


    Hera, too, felt no difort in her body—no aches in her stomach or navel.


    Perhaps it was due to Xavier’s warmth or the uninterrupted sleep, but she hadn’t even dreamed; everything had just been darkness, proof of how deeply she’d slept.


    Now, she feltpletely refreshed.


    "Let’s sleep a little longer," Xavier’s husky voice rumbled above Hera’s head.


    Hisnguid tone was enticingly sexy, as if coaxing her to close her eyes and drift back to sleep.


    Hera inhaled deeply, drawn in by his natural scent, which was incredibly soothing.


    As her nose brushed against his bare chest, she found herself wanting to nuzzle against him again and again, savoring the warmth of his skin.


    His skin felt smooth and stic, almost like that of a baby.


    Xavier could feel Hera’s affectionate gestures and relished the attention she was giving him.


    He pulled her even closer, encouraging her to rub her nose against his chest.


    Meanwhile, he gently massaged her scalp with his left hand, noticing her almost soft purring sounds in response to the massage.


    Delighted by her reaction, he continued, not wanting to stop.


    As a result, Hera inadvertently closed her eyes, while Xavier hadn’t even opened his in the first ce.


    <i>Knock, knock...</i>


    <i>Knock...</i>


    "Young Miss, hmmm... Young Master Leo, Young Master Luke, Young Master Zhane, and Young Master Dave have arrived and are now waiting in, hmmm." After knocking on the door, Amy hesitated for a moment before continuing.


    "Sweetheart, I’m here to pick you up," Dave’s overly sweet voice called from the other side of the door.


    "Hera, let me check how you’re doing so we can make sure you’ll be fer. I wouldn’t feel reassured letting you race if you might suddenly feel ufortable," Zhane said after Dave.


    Though his tone was sincere and concerned, there was an undertone that caught Hera’s attention.


    She instantly opened her eyes, but Xavier remained unwilling to move, still holding her close in his embrace.


    He knew that the four of them had arrived precisely at this hour—perhaps even earlier—but had hesitated toe up right away, not wanting to appear too desperate.


    They must have heard that Xavier hadn’t left Hera’s penthouse the previous night and were likely worried about him sleeping there with her, prompting them to rush over first thing in the morning.


    Xavier didn’t care about them; after all, he’d been sent overseas for a few days while they had all the time they wanted with Hera. Since he hadn’t had that same chance, he felt no obligation to step aside today.


    "Xavier, they came looking for you," Hera whispered, resembling a nervous wife caught red-handed by her husbands for ying favorites.


    Xavier chuckled, his chest vibrating as his Adam’s apple bobbed in front of Hera.


    "My little Hera is very perceptive, huh? I guess they won’t be able to keep up their pretense for long," he teased, continuing to hold her close and massage her scalp.


    "Let them be."


    After Amy’s knock and their speaking, the group heard no movement from the room, prompting the four to exchange nces.


    Leo raised an eyebrow, ring intently at the door, while Dave began knocking a bit more urgently.


    "Sweetheart, you can’t bete. W-we’ll all bete..." Dave stammered, trying to sound persuasive enough to coax Hera out of the room.


    As far as they knew, Xavier hadn’t spent the night in any of the guest rooms—Amy had already checked—so the only exnation was that he had stayed in Hera’s room.


    Dave, who knew firsthand how easy it was to enter her room since she rarely locked the door, suspected that Xavier had slipped in.


    He didn’t want to think about what might have happened, as it only fueled his jealousy. Already gritting his teeth, he kept knocking, determined to "smoke" Xavier out of the room.


    Leo cleared his throat and spoke directly. "Wifey, can Ie in? I missed you."


    He sounded so genuinely aggrieved and convincing that even Dave abruptly stopped pounding on the door, turning to stare at Leo, who truly looked like a lost puppy about to cry for his owner.