"Well, he can try. He’ll see the consequences if he dares," Hera said, her eyes narrowing as she pondered the possibility. A squeeze of jealousy tightened her chest, and her thoughts darkened for a moment.


    She knew everything had started with her using the male leads as a shield to survive and protect herself from the pull of the storyline, a way to keep the chaos at bay.


    But as time went on, and with everything that had happened, seeing their sincerity and care, Hera had begun to take it all seriously. She hade to see each of them as her own—her people.


    The thought that Luke would use her for his own entertainment, letting two women fight over him while he did nothing, made her ufortable. The idea that he wouldn’t step in to resolve it himself unsettled her deeply.


    Sure, she wasn’t any different from Luke in that regard. After all, she was surrounded by six men, each of whom held a special ce in her life, and she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed their attention, love, and care.


    But just the thought of any of them letting her go to be with another woman made her heart clench.


    Was this because she was in a reverse harem novel? Was she, like the female lead, designed to have these men around her, loving her, pampering her, and ultimately choosing only her? The realization was unsettling yet oddlyforting, as if the entire narrative was shaping her destiny in a way she couldn’t escape.


    "This is really messed up," Hera grumbled.


    Athena replied, "Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on your male lead 24/7 right now? After all, you only have a fraction of the female lead’s halo, and you haven’t fully stepped into her role yet."


    "It’s still possible that the male leads could be stolen from you, especially with the storyline supporting Alice, like you exined before. So, I guess you’re left to handle the male lead’s fiancées on your own, huh? It’s your way of showing them you care?"


    "Athena, I honestly don’t know," Hera admitted, her voice heavy with doubt. "The further we go in the storyline, the harder it feels like for me to break free from the female lead role. It’s like I’m being slowly hammered into it, little by little."


    "Or maybe it’s because I’m taking a role that wasn’t originally mine. I’m scared... scared that I’m using them for my own gain without them even realizing they’re part of the game, all while they’re revealing their true selves, their ws, to me."


    "What happens when they find out they’ve just been pawns in my game?" Hera’s voice wavered as she spoke, and she pulled over to the side of the road, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.


    "Babe... Calm down, take a deep breath..." Athena’s voice was gentle yetced with her own sense of urgency. She could feel her own panic rising as she listened to Hera, though she tried not to let it show.


    Athena didn’t even want to think about what Hera was saying. Of all people, Luke hated betrayal the most, and he could be even crueler than the story’s main viin, as evidenced by how Hera’s family had been crushed by the male leads in the original novel.


    Athena understood Hera’s pain and worries, but she also knew her ce—she was just a supposed passerby in this story, someone who shouldn’t even be involved. And yet, here she was.


    She wasn’t as powerful as the male leads, and that reality made her feel even more helpless. Her role in all of this was to offer counsel, provide options, and share her knowledge of the storyline.


    But, as she’d said before, so much had already changed that her knowledge was no longer as reliable as it once was. In truth, she and Hera didn’t have much choice but to rely on themselves now.


    That’s why they were both working so hard to build their careers—so they could gain leverage, so they could have something to bargain with when the time came.


    "Babe, you know, I’ve been watching you since we were kids, and honestly, it’s not too far off to say I helped raise you. That’s why I’m scared for you too."


    "But right now, thinking about the what-ifs and the future we don’t even know will happen—it’s only going to mess with your head, don’t you think? Just remember, no matter whates, I’ll be here with you."


    "I’ll fight this storyline with you, every step of the way, okay?" Athena’s voice was filled with warmth and sincerity, even through the phone. Hera could feel it, the care and loyalty in her words.


    Hera closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she let go of the tension that had gripped her. She felt herself calming down, slowly.


    Overthinking had always been a part of her, something she couldn’t just shut off, no matter how hard she tried. It had been part of her nature for as long as she could remember.


    It wasn’t until recently, when everything had been going so smoothly, that she’d managed to stop herself from spiraling. But now, with the uncertainty of what mighte next, the old habits crept back in.