Had she been paying attention, she would have realized Minerva wasn’t resting as she thought.


    Minerva had quietly left the room and followed her out after a nurse assisted her, heading to her brother’s room next door.


    As his sister—the one Rafael protected fiercely, even at the cost of his own life that was luckily saved—Minerva had wanted to be there when he woke up, but seeing Alice there alone made her feel a twinge of difort.


    It felt wrong, like she had been left out, as if Alice had been using their connection to gain ess to Rafael, something Minerva could sense but didn’t know how to confront.


    Minerva wasn’t unfamiliar with that feeling.


    In fact, it had be all too familiar. So many women had used the same approach over the years—pretending to befriend her just to get closer to Rafael.


    She had seen it countless times when she was still studying, girls eager to meet him in private and try their luck.


    But once Rafael rejected their confessions, those same girls would turn their backs on her, as if the friendship they had once shared meant nothing.


    The cycle had grown so repetitive that Minerva had be numb to it, each betrayal dulling her sensitivity to the sting.


    Minerva had heard everything that was said in her brother’s private room, and with every word, the crease in her brows deepened.


    She hadn’t even known that Alice had been sent to check on Rafael and that, it was supposed to be her who had sent her without her own knowledge, and it was at that moment, more than ever, that Minerva truly felt like she was seeing Alice for the first time.


    She hadn’t realized that Alice harbored feelings for Rafael, and the realization that Alice had been using her to get closer to her brother left a bitter taste in Minerva’s mouth.


    For the first time, Minerva felt not just disappointed but deeply saddened—used in a way she hadn’t anticipated.


    Conflicted by the emotions swirling inside her, Minerva didn’t know how to face Alice—not yet.


    So, she chose to pretend to be asleep, hoping to avoid the confrontation.


    There were so many emotions tugging at her heart.


    Unlike Alice, who was supposed to be her closest friend, her best friend even. Minerva had always seen Hera as her enemy due to her ties to Alexi.


    Yet, learning that her brother was courting Hera didn’t make her feel anger or resentment.


    In fact, it brought a sense of calm and relief—at least she knew where they stood. But Alice... Alice felt like a betrayal. That hurt in a way she hadn’t expected.


    Minerva remained still, listening to Alice’s muffled sobs from the sofa.


    She had no intention offorting her, not when Alice had done nothing to earn it.


    After all, Minerva was no stranger to harsh treatment herself—she’d often faced it from Dave.


    While Rafael and the others were friends, it didn’t mean they would tolerate her bratty attitude.


    Minerva didn’t enjoy being around Dave or the rest of them either, and she certainly wasn’t about to sympathize with Alice’s tears.


    Minerva knew all too well how sharp Dave’s tongue could be when he was irritated.


    To hear her brother’s annoyance so clearly, made her realize it was Alice’s own fault for staying in the room after being told more than once that she wasn’t wee.


    It was a case of Alice reaping what she had sowed.


    Minerva closed her eyes, trying to block out Alice’s relentless sobbing, which was starting to grate on her nerves.


    A soft, shaky sigh escaped her lips.


    <i>’Maybe I’ve been pretending to be blind for too long,’</i> she thought to herself.


    While Minerva could be bratty and na?ve, she wasn’tpletely oblivious.


    She had seen the signs — Alice’s clear affection for her brother and the subtle jabs at Hera earlier.


    Minerva had only realized it after Hera had left the room, but now, looking back at the whole scene, it became evident that Alice’sments were aimed at Hera.


    At first, Minerva had assumed Alice’s bitterness was due to their friendship and she was standing up for her, but now it seemed clear that Alice’s jealousy wasn’t about her at all — it was about Rafael’s feelings for Hera.


    Minerva felt a wave of conflict rise within her.


    She didn’t want to be caught between her brother and her best friend, especially when her brother clearly disliked Alice for reasons she couldn’t fully understand.


    Perhaps it was because, like her, Rafael had noticed Alice’s subtle jabs at Hera.


    Minerva could only hope Alice wouldn’t make the same mistake with Hera again, because if she did, Rafael wouldn’t hesitate to show a side of him that even Minerva feared—his terrifying, unyielding side. And once he did, there would be no going back.


    As Minerva pondered all of this, exhaustion finally overcame her, and she drifted off to sleep.


    Alice’s sobs became nothing more than background noise, like the soft patter of rain outside.


    Meanwhile, in Rafael’s room, the atmosphere had returned to its usual calm after Alice’s departure.


    The group resumed their conversation, with Leo, looking utterly drained, sinking into a chair beside Hera.


    He rested his head on her shoulder, quietly recharging his energy from her warmth, his personal human charger.


    "Man, you look like shit... What happened to you?" Dave asked, leaning in to get a closer look at Leo, as if trying to check if he’d even bothered to shower.


    "Don’t worry, I showered..." Leo mumbled, eyes still closed. Dave, still edging closer, let out a yelp and jumped back, startled.


    "Man! Do you have eyes on the back of your head?" Dave eximed, patting his chest, trying to y it off. He’d been discreet in his approach, yet Leo had caught him in the act.


    Hera chuckled from the sidelines, amused by their banter.


    "If you weren’t breathing so heavily down my neck, I wouldn’t have noticed," Leo shot back, his voice still thick with exhaustion. Barely a secondter, Hera could hear his soft snoring filling the space.