Hera gave him a smile, polite but distant. There was a subtle wall behind her expression, one he could probably feel even if she didn’t say it aloud. "You too, thank you, Mr. Arnault," she said gently. "For helping us with the case and for being so amodating. You’ve been a wonderful host."


    She let out a soft chuckle. "I’ll make sure to leave you and your city a glowing five-star review, though, well, maybe that’s not necessary. Paris is already famous enough. Seems like you’ve got more tourists than you can handle, especially the troublemakers."


    The jest was meant to lighten the awkwardness, but as soon as she saw Alexandre’s expression darken and his eyes grow deeper, more intense, she faltered. She knew that look all too well. The male leads gave her that same gaze whenever they were displeased or unsatisfied. Her words had struck a nerve.


    Hera quickly averted her eyes and fell silent.


    But as soon as Hera averted her gaze, she noticed something suspicious.


    Several individuals nearby were watching them too intently. One pretended to be on a phone call, and another escorted an elderly woman, but their eyes kept drifting toward her. The moment Hera nced their way, they looked away a beat too quickly.


    It wasn’t paranoia; something was off.


    Their builds were solid, athletic. Despite the casual clothing, their posture and alertness mirrored that of trained professionals, too precise, too focused. They reminded her of how her own bodyguards acted while on a mission. But she didn’t recognize any of them, which ruled out the possibility that they were her people.


    Her danger senses spiked instantly, especially after the recent "ident." Every nerve in her body went on high alert. She furrowed her brows and lowered her gaze subtly, processing quickly.


    Without saying a word, she signaled to Alexandre and Xavier to keep walking and continue pushing her wheelchair as if nothing was wrong. She didn’t want to startle them or alert whoever might be watching.


    Whatever those people were nning, it wasn’t good.


    Hera subtly asked Xavier and Alexandre to push her toward arger section of the garden, an area with just the right bnce of people. Not too crowded, not too empty.


    She didn’t know what those suspicious individuals were after, but if they attacked in a densely popted area, they could use the crowd as cover. In the chaos, she wouldn’t know who their target was, and being immobile, she wouldn’t be able to defend herself. Xavier would, of course, protect her without hesitation, but that also meant he might get hurt. She couldn’t allow that.


    On the other hand, if they went somewhere too quiet, it would be even worse. With no one around, any ambush could go unnoticed and unchallenged.


    No, this middle ground was safest for now.


    Hera directed them to stop near a bench, and once they did, she reached out and gripped Xavier’s hand tightly. The pressure in her fingers betrayed the tension she felt.


    Xavier immediately noticed. Hera wasn’t someone who fussed or acted anxious without cause. The fact that she’d been subtly steering them around, now suddenly holding his hand like this, meant something was wrong.


    He squeezed her hand back in quiet understanding, his senses sharpening as he scanned their surroundings.


    Then Xavier spotted them too, those same familiar faces he’d noticed lingering a little too often. His eyes narrowed. Without making it obvious, he pulled out his phone and texted Hera’s bodyguards.


    He remembered the shift change: the first team had just clocked out after a 12-hour shift, returning to the hotel to rest. The second team should be arriving now. That brief window of vulnerability, just a few minutes, was enough for someone to strike if they’d been watching carefully. Which meant... these people had likely been tailing Hera for a while, just waiting for this exact moment.


    Alexandre, watching both Hera and Xavier maintain a calm expressions while something clearly wasn’t right, picked up on the tension. His instincts red. He scanned the garden discreetly, pretending to admire the scenery, but it didn’t take long for him to notice it too.


    Someone was sitting on a nearby bench, phone to their ear, pretending to talk. Another figure lingered behind a tree, almost hidden in shadow. The moment Alexandre recognized the repeated faces he’d seen around the hospital before, his expression flickered. They were being tailed.


    He nced at Hera—quietly impressed. She’d noticed them before anyone else. Was it just sharp instinct? Or had she been through situations like this more than once?


    Either way, he didn’t waste time. Alexandre discreetly called for backup as well, determined to apprehend the tailing group without raising rm.