The truth was, Cindy had been too shaken by Hera’s near-death experience to think straight. Hera wasn’t just their boss; she was the sole heir to the entire group. Her life was worth more than gold, and the danger surrounding her made everyone feel as if their hearts were hanging off a cliff.


    Maybe Cindy had grown a little toofortable with her excuse just now, too casual in her words, because she trusted everyone inside Hera’s room. After all, she knew Hera wouldn’t allow anyone near her if she didn’t trust them. And deep down, Cindy believed it was only a matter of time before Hera came clean about her true identity to her boyfriends. In truth, part of her was conspiring to give Hera a gentle push. The longer Hera kept it hidden, the moreplicated everything would be.


    As Hera calmed herself, though her joy hadn’t quite faded, she slowly realized their slip-up. Not just hers, but Cindy’s and even Athena’s. Her gaze shifted to Xavier, who was intently reading the nutritional n on the tablet Cindy had handed him. Hera nervously studied his expression.


    He looked calm, too calm.


    She knew Xavier well. For all hisid-back and carefree demeanor, he was sharp and perceptive, just like the other male leads. His silence didn’t reassure her; it made her even more uneasy. The fact that he didn’t ask questions was more telling than if he had. Hera’s chest tightened with guilt.


    He was already beginning to suspect.


    She quietly pursed her lips, the decision forming clearly in her mind.


    She had toe clean—very soon.


    She’d been betting everything on the hope that they wouldn’t follow the original storyline, that they wouldn’t regress and turn on her to devour her family’s legacy. In truth, the reason she had kept her identity hidden for so long wasn’t just caution, it was fear.


    She was terrified that if she came clean, the illusion she had been living in would shatter. That they would snap back into the roles written for them,e together, and destroy everything she held dear, her family, their power, their future.


    She had been running from that possibility for so long that avoidance had be second nature. But after what happened to Leo, something changed in her.


    She began to realize that time was more precious than fear.


    She didn’t know how long she’d have with the people she loved. She didn’t know which goodbye would be thest. And with that rity came the courage to face what she’d been avoiding. It was better to be honest, to be brave, than to keep living in the shadow of a fear that might never evene true.


    If things turned out as she feared... then so be it. That was the price of truth.


    But what if her fears were wrong?


    What if telling them the truth strengthened their bond instead of breaking it? And what if keeping secrets was the very thing that would drive them away?


    If she lost them because of her silence... who else could she me but herself?


    With a firm nod to herself, Hera made her decision. The weight she’d been carrying for so long finally began to lift. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt relief, lighthearted, even, because she no longer had to hide her identity from the people who mattered most to her. Coming clean meant more than just honesty; it meant trust. It meant having more people by her side, people she could count on, who would support her and stand with her when the world turned cruel.


    She didn’t have to face everything alone anymore. She didn’t have to fight to change her fate by herself.


    Smiling genuinely as she spoke with Cindy, Hera began to n her confession. She would gather everyone who deserved to know: Leo, Luke, Dave, Rafael, Zhane, and Xavier. They all needed to be there. No more secrets. No more hiding. Just truth, trust, and the hope that this time, it would bring them closer together.


    And so, after making her decision, Hera no longer acted like someone burdened by secrets. She began speaking openly with Cindy, casually asking about Dr. Zigheart’s whereabouts, the progress of the research facility, and other ssified matters without hesitation.


    To anyone paying close attention, it was clear: Hera wasn’t just informed about theb, she spoke like someone inmand, someone who received regr updates and gave directives. It didn’t take much to realize that Cindy wasn’t just a friend; she was reporting like a subordinate.


    Cindy, seeing Hera finally rxed and no longer burdened by the need to hide, beamed with pride. She eagerly shared updates, even mentioning that she had insisted Dr. Zigheart rest at the hotel after nearly copsing from overwork. It felt natural now, like a glimpse of the real Hera had finally surfaced.


    Even Athena, usually yful andposed, was briefly stunned by how openly Hera spoke. She nced around nervously, only to spot Xavier staring at the tablet with a faint smile tugging at his lips. Though his eyes were on the screen, he was clearly listening. He wasn’t reading; he was absorbing every word Hera said. And he understood.


    She wasn’t hiding anymore. She was preparing toe clean.


    The realization made his heart swell with quiet joy, and for the first time in a while, he couldn’t concentrate on what was in front of him.


    For Xavier, this moment meant everything. The final wall Hera had built to protect herself from those around her had finally crumbled, and it wasn’t just a small breakthrough. It was a victory. One that he and the others had quietly hoped for but never dared to force.


    To him, it was worth celebrating.


    He could barely contain the urge to share the news with the others, to lift their spirits and ease the lingering tension that had been hanging over them. Because even if Hera never voiced it aloud, they all felt it.


    That quiet, invisible distance. That sense that something was still being held back. Her secrecy had been a subtle reminder that they hadn’t fully earned her trust, that her heart was still guarded, and maybe, in some small way, she still feared they might fail her.


    But now?


    Now, that barrier was gone. And to Xavier, that was more than progress. It was proof. Proof that they had done enough... that they had be the kind of people Hera could rely on, not just in words, but deep down, where it truly mattered.