Though Hera’s emotions remained tangled, she felt a sense of calm wash over her.
Despite theplexity of her thoughts, there wasfort in knowing that she was slowly changing her fate—a shift that extended to her family and the legacy of her ancestors.
The weight of it all seemed a little lighter now.
She ced her phone back on the nightstand and nestled into Luke and Xavier’s arms, the warmth of their embraceforting her.
As they all drifted into sleep, it felt so natural, as though this had been the way it was always meant to be.
Only when Hera returned to their arms did Luke and Xavier finally rx, slipping back into peaceful slumber, their hearts at ease.
The Lennons, however, tried to escape the country with the little money they managed to scrape together from the fire sale of their businesses, which had been sold for a fraction of their true worth.
With no other option, they reluctantly epted the meager amount offered to them, knowing they would get nothing if they refused.
The humiliation of it all burned deep as they turned their backs on their homnd.
But when they arrived at the dock, preparing to be smuggled out, they found themselves trapped.
Dave’s men were already waiting for them on the cargo ship, armed and poised, ready to capture the rats as they entered the cage.
"Dave, please, don’t do this to us. Give us a way out," Sienna pleaded, her voice trembling as she clutched her bag tightly to her chest.
Fear gripped her heart as she realized the full extent of their fall.
Just moments ago, her family had basked in glory, with countless socialites vying for her favor, fawning over her every move.
She had felt untouchable, standing at the pinnacle of the socialdder.
Now, everything hade crashing down.
Her family’s wealth and status were gone, and her so-called friends had turned their backs, pretending they never knew her.
Worse yet, she was mocked and scorned, her every move ridiculed.
Seeing Dave standing before them, nked by his men, Sienna couldn’t help but feel a mixture of bitterness and a faint flicker of hope.
Perhaps, she thought, he might feel some sympathy for her family’s downfall.
But sympathy was thest thing in Dave’s vocabry.
As the Young Minister, the one who controlled the political scene, he had no room for emotions in his decision-making.
In fact, his sess in his position was due precisely to hisck of sentiment, his ability to remain detached from anyone or anything.
Sympathy, he knew, would only leave him vulnerable to exploitation—by his enemies and people like Sienna.
"You should have considered this oue when your family made the choices they did," Dave said coldly, his expression unreadable as he made no move.
"Why are you punishing our entire family for what my brother did?!" Sienna’s voice cracked with anger, her temper ring.
She no longer cared about her brother’s reputation or throwing him under the bus; all that mattered now was avoiding jail and the further humiliation that had already shattered them.
Her family members, equally desperate, exchanged nces and nodded in agreement.
To them, they hadn’t done anything wrong. In the cutthroat world of business, survival was paramount, and scheming against rivals was just part of the game.
Tyler, who had been fleeing alongside them, felt a cold emptiness settle in his chest.
Everything he had done, every scheme, every maniption, was meant to elevate his family, to propel them to new heights.
His family was ambitious—too ambitious, perhaps—but unfortunately, he was far from a business genius.
He had always known his limitations, and now it seemed hisck of skill would be their downfall.
If he did nothing, they would be devoured by people like Luke and Rafael, who were considered geniuses in their fields.
Even if it wasn’t those two, there were plenty of other sharks circling, all too eager to sink their teeth into the Lennons. He feared his own ipetence would drag them all down with him.
In the end, Tyler hade to the bitter realization that scheming was his only option to achieve anything of worth, but deep down, he knew it wasn’t solely his doing.
His family had reveled in the wealth, recognition, and power they amassed, but they had also abused that power to manipte others into serving them.
They were as much to me as he was.
They had encouraged him, pushing him to scheme, to expand their influence, all while enjoying the fruits of his efforts.
Now, when the consequences were upon them, they were quick to throw him under the bus to save themselves, abandoning him to bear the full brunt of their collective sins.
Tyler couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile as he sank to his knees, surrendering to the inevitable.
He had no fight left in him. He didn’t want to struggle for his family anymore.
It wasn’t as though he had ever asked to be born into this kind of life.
All he ever longed for was their recognition and love—but he had only ever received it when he brought in more wealth.
In truth, he had always envied his sister. Though she was just as useless, if not more so, their parents adored her, showering her with affection that he could never seem to earn.
As the older brother, he was expected to dote on her, yet he was left starving for the same attention. The unfairness of it all weighed heavily on him.
In a way, Tyler also resented his family, especially Sienna.
She could be arrogant, willful, and utterly careless about the consequences of her actions, knowing that he was always there to clean up after her—like her personal butler.
The reason he even considered using that scheme against the sole heiresses of other families was to redirect his simmering resentment for his family, and particrly his sister, toward someone else.
The unfortunate victims bore the brunt of all his pent-up anger and bitterness, and in dominating them, Tyler finally felt a twisted sense of power. It was the only time he felt like he truly mattered.