CHAPTER 899: CHAPTER 899 HELP ARRIVING

Accusing someone without proof could shift suspicion away from the real culprit or make it seem like Hera was falsely accusing someone out of personal bias or over a romantic rivalry. Instead, they chose to point the investigation in the right direction without compromising its integrity.

With Alexandre’s father overseeing the case and actively blocking any attempts at a cover-up, he wasn’t worried about someone burying the evidence. What the authorities needed now was to identify the person with both the motive and the means to harm Hera. Once that became clear, the investigation could proceed much more efficiently.

"Alright, thank you so much for your time. Ma’am, please rest well," the female police officer said with a polite nod to Hera before turning to Alexandre. "Sir, please send us the footage and a list of your party’s attendees. Thank you."

Alexandre’s assistant stepped in to handle the request, guiding the officers out of the room to coordinate the data transfer. The exchange had taken place entirely in French, aside from that single sentence in English. Because of that, Minerva, Athena, and Liz remained in the dark, unable to grasp what had just been discussed or how things would proceed.

They simply watched as the police officer exited with Alexandre’s assistant.

Meanwhile, Hera lay back and stared at the ceiling, her mind already working through the possibilities. Only two suspects came to mind: either the same woman who had once helped Alice, or Alexandre’s fiancée, who clearly saw her as a threat. Given Alexandre’s undeniable interest in her, Hera found herself leaning toward the latter.

After all, she was living inside a novel, playing the role of the female lead, a natural magnet for trouble. Women would constantly target and attack her, often out of jealousy for the men around her. It was a common trope in novels, which made her suspect that Mindy Pinault might be the one behind the recent attempt on her life, trying to eliminate her and free Alexandre from her influence.

What confused her, though, was the intensity of the attack. Why such extreme violence? Alexandre wasn’t even a main lead or a significant supporting character in the original story. Unless... he was a hidden character or a secret love interest meant to be unlocked, something more typical of an otome game. But this wasn’t an otome game; it was a novel. In a novel, the roles, main characters, and side characters were already fixed and rarely changed.

That’s why this development unnerved her. The plot was veering off course. But she had no one else to blame. After all, it was she who disrupted the original storyline by trying to steal Alice’s female lead halo.

Right now, all Hera could do was grit her teeth and try to set things back on track. Her only option was to mirror Alice’s actions from the novel, hoping that by aligning with the original plotline, she could minimize the damage and bring the story to its intended end. That way, she and the others could finally start living freely, without the weight of the storyline constantly breathing down her neck.

Thinking too much drained her, and with the lingering effects of her medication, Hera couldn’t stay awake for long. She drifted off to sleep without even realizing it. While she slept soundly, Xavier and Alexandre quietly worked behind the scenes, investigating everyone Hera had interacted with or possibly offended since arriving in Paris.

Meanwhile, her phone buzzed repeatedly. Still in recovery and constantly tired, Hera hadn’t checked it since texting Betty. She had no idea that Cindy, Gerald, and several of her subordinates had already flooded her inbox with urgent messages.

Upon learning about Hera’s accident, Gerald immediately mobilized his people to investigate, leveraging their Paris branch. While the Avery family didn’t hold as much influence as the powerful Pinaults or Arnaults in this foreign land, they were still a formidable force in Parisian circles, enough to conduct a faster and more discreet investigation than the local authorities. Meanwhile, Cindy had already boarded a private jet and arrived sooner than expected. She was now on her way to Hera’s hospital room.

The news of Hera’s accident had spread quickly, even reaching her grandfather. He had been ready to drop everything, including an ongoing international venture, to fly over and check on his beloved granddaughter.

However, Hera’s stand-in had coincidentally visited him at that very moment, seemingly to keep him at bay. Whether she had discovered Hera’s return or it was pure coincidence remained uncertain.

But one thing was clear: if the Avery Patriarch left to see Hera in person, the stand-in would find out, and with her, others still in the dark, which was a good cover to protect Hera’s safety. Given Hera’s current vulnerable state, it was too risky for the Avery Patriarch to leave and lead their enemy to Hera’s doorstep. There were vultures and wolves lurking in the shadows, and any sign of weakness might tempt them to strike.

After all, staying away from Hera was, in its own way, a form of protection. By keeping his distance, he could divert their enemies’ attention toward himself and Hera’s stand-in, giving Hera the space to grow stronger without drawing unnecessary danger.

He was even proud, watching from afar, as Hera took bold steps to build a global presence. He knew it was only a matter of time before she was strong enough to take the reins of the family empire without fear. Soon, neither he nor his sole heir would have to look over their shoulder, waiting for enemies to exploit a moment of weakness.

So, while Gerald was focused on the investigation, Cindy reassured the old Patriarch and flew to Paris to see Hera and handle the arrangements on her behalf. She also brought along the doctor in their corner, ranked second best in the world, just after Zhane.

He had only just returned to the country and delivered a newly developed drug to Zhane, designed to stimulate Leo’s brain and aid in waking him from his coma. Thankfully, it worked. Leo became the first official test subject for the drug, which had passed safety trials, and the doctor had planned to focus on Leo’s long-term treatment and the drug’s healing potential.

He also needed to document the drug’s effects, monitor the patient’s recovery, assess brain function after ingestion, and track any potential side effects. There were still many tests to run and a great deal of work to be done.

But before he could even get any rest, Cindy dragged him to the airport and onto a plane to Paris. He hadn’t heard about Hera’s accident right away; he’d been working nonstop in a borrowed lab at Zhane’s hospital. When he finally learned of it, he was just as anxious as Cindy. He also brought another newly developed drug with him, one he had been looking for the right opportunity to test.

Not that he intended to treat Hera like a test subject, but if it could help speed her recovery, he was determined to try everything he could.

Tired and starving, the doctor stumbled out of the private jet like a walking corpse. He looked so out of it that he could’ve passed for a zombie auditioning for a horror film. Cindy had to drag him along while carrying his suitcase, which contained the precious drug.

Fortunately, because they flew in a private jet, they didn’t need to go through customs or standard checks. Several security personnel followed closely behind to ensure the medicine reached Hera safely.

Inside the suitcase was a small bottle containing 30 tablets, an experimental drug designed to accelerate cellular regeneration and bone healing. It was developed for patients with severe fractures and tissue damage, particularly athletes and military personnel who often faced early retirement due to debilitating injuries. While it wasn’t aimed at combating cancer or tumors, the drug addressed a widespread issue that caused just as much suffering: long-term disability from accidents.

Hera’s overseas lab had chosen to focus on this neglected area because there were already countless research teams targeting research on cancer cells and tumors. But there were far fewer working on solutions for people whose lives were derailed by non-lethal yet devastating injuries.

Hera, through her many charities, especially those supporting the disabled, believed that to truly help these individuals, they needed real medical breakthroughs. This drug, years in the making, could one day prevent amputations and permanent nerve and bone damage.

And now, by a twist of fate, the very person who had supported this mission might become its first official beneficiary.

Since this drug had the potential to become a major medical breakthrough, both Cindy and the doctor were eager to see Hera as soon as possible. Although Hera hadn’t suffered life-changing bone fractures, her injuries were just enough to test the drug’s effectiveness in accelerating bone recovery.

Normally, healing would take around three months, but if the drug worked as intended, Hera could be back on her feet in just a month, or even less, depending on how well her body responded to it.

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Thank you, Terri_Wright_3929, Parvati_Patel_3665, Cinparo, Ashley_Ortiz_7085, Shell_Rodriguez, Itslaoni, Dani_Underwood, Chaney_Clark_9368, and HappyMooseFact, for the Golden Tickets and the gifts!!!!