The real issue? Athena had read the novel on a pirated site, which more often than not is notorious for missing Chapters, jumbled text due to copying errors, and aplete disregard for quality. Their only priority is driving traffic for profit, regardless of how much of the original story gets lost or distorted.


    And because of that, Hera had spent all this time testing people’s loyalty over a gap in Athena’s memory that shouldn’t have even existed.


    Earlier, when Hera decided to give Liz a tip, it had been purely to make her happy. But then Athena had sent her a subtle hint through a text, prompting Hera to turn the gesture into another test of Liz’s character.


    Since she had already tested Liz before, there was no reason to feel guilty about it—especially if it reassured her that Liz wasn’t the type to be swayed by quick profit.


    Of course, there was always the possibility that Liz recognized Hera as the real gold mine after seeing her ck Dragon Card.


    Even if that were the case, she still could have easily kept the entire $5 million for herself instead of sharing it with her team. The fact that she didn’t only proved that Liz wasn’t the hidden variable Hera was looking for.


    First, Liz had no clear motive. Second, she couldn’t be swayed by profit and had a strong sense of right and wrong. Third, Liz seemed to have an upright character, a little too straightforward, yes, but ultimately a good person.


    In fact, her personality was so simr to Athena’s that the three of them naturally got along. Hera was convinced that Liz valued rtionships more than anything else.


    With all this in mind, Hera officially took Liz off her list of suspects. The only clue Athena had given her was that the hidden variable would get close to Hera. Technically, this was supposed to happen to Alice, the original female lead.


    But since Hera had been stealing Alice’s female lead halo, they couldn’t assume that all the drama and danger would only center around Alice anymore. Instead, it seemed like trouble was now being drawn to Hera—like a ma.


    This hidden variable was someone who would put the female lead’s life in danger, serving as a catalyst for the male leads to realize just how much they loved her—and that they couldn’t live without her.


    This event was meant to deepen their emotions and strengthen their rtionships with her.


    If, before, their connections were mostly physical with little emotional depth, the presence of this hidden variable would change everything, causing their emotional attachment to the female lead to grow by leaps and bounds.


    The real problem was that this hidden variable wouldn’t just be a mere obstacle—they would resort to psychotic means to harm the female lead. They woulde dangerously close to killing her, kidnapping her, and keeping her hidden for months.


    During that time, she would be subjected to relentless torture, just like in any other novel where dark, dramatic events are used to highlight the female lead’s mental resilience and determination, as well as to showcase the depth of the male leads’ love for her.


    But Hera—why would she sit back and wait for this to happen to her? Why should she allow herself to be caught off guard, abducted, and erased without a trace?


    No. Instead of letting this hidden variable get close enough to lower her defenses, she would find them first—before they had the chance to strike.


    This was supposed to be the female lead’s only major stumbling block—but also the most dangerous one. That’s why Hera needed to stay vignt. However, unlike Alice in the novel, Hera didn’t rely solely on the male leads for protection.


    She now had the power to defend herself and even safeguard those around her. After all, each of them had their own trials to ovee before their happily ever after could unfold.


    Now, what Hera needed to do was prepare thoroughly—to ensure none of this ever happened in the first ce.


    If Hera’s calctions were correct, they should now be at the midpoint of the storyline—where Alice’s career was supposed to be thriving effortlessly. After all, she had been a well-regarded actress in her past life before her untimely death, so acting didn’t pose much of a challenge for her.


    On top of that, with Rafael and Xavier supporting her, everything should have been progressing smoothly. At this stage, the plot was meant to focus primarily on the mature content, with Alice bncing her time between the five male leads.


    _______________


    PS: Another month has passed, and I’m genuinely grateful to see so many of you continuing to support and engage with the story. Your ongoing enthusiasm and encouragement mean a lot to me. As a token of my appreciation, please ept this redeem code:<ABDHY436CU4BQYV4A>. You can redeem it for 10 Fast Passes at the Redeem Center located in your Profile section, just below your Purchase History. The code is valid for 10 users on a firste, first-served basis. I hope this small gesture brings a smile to your face and encourages you to keep supporting me. Thank you again for being part of this journey!