CHAPTER 927: CHAPTER 927 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

Leo started explaining even before anyone could ask, just like how the old Leo, before losing his memories, would’ve acted. Without realizing it, he slipped right into that familiar rhythm.

The sound of his voice pulled Hera out of her thoughts. Her eyes snapped toward him. "What do you mean?" she asked, frowning. After all, Leo had just called Silvia an impostor.

"Well... most people know Silvia Avery as the heiress of the Avery family," Leo began, his tone calm but his eyes flickering with hesitation. "But the truth is... she wasn’t. She was just a stand-in."

He paused, gulping nervously, something he didn’t even notice himself doing. Despite maintaining his aloof, cold facade, his heart was racing, his chest tight with something he couldn’t name. Panic? Anxiety? Whatever it was, it coiled in his gut like a warning.

"And?" Dave prodded, his voice sharp, cutting through the tension.

"And... I really do have a fiancée," Leo added, almost reluctantly, sneaking a glance at Hera.

Her face visibly paled, the blood draining from her cheeks as her heart sank like a stone. The word fiancée echoed in her mind, bitter and cold. No one wanted to find out they were the other woman, unwittingly cast in the role of a homewrecker.

"Hm? That’s the first time you’ve ever mentioned a fiancée," Luke chimed in, raising a brow. "But before you lost your memory, you said not to worry about any fiancée, that it wasn’t a problem. So, we assumed you didn’t have one... or that you’d already taken care of it."

Leo’s brow lifted slightly in response. ’Did I really trust them that much?’ he wondered. The engagement between the Hendrix and Avery families wasn’t public knowledge, not even many in his own circle knew about the childhood arrangement. Judging by their reactions, it was clear they still didn’t know who he was actually engaged to.

He exhaled slowly. Maybe that was why he’d been so on edge lately. Maybe the tension twisting in his gut wasn’t just because Silvia had appeared again; it was because deep down, he’d already known he couldn’t keep this hidden much longer.

If he still had his memories, Leo would’ve addressed everything the moment Silvia walked in. He wouldn’t be sitting there throwing glares and acting cold here and there. He would’ve handled it head-on, cleared the air, and prevented exactly this kind of mess.

Maybe telling the truth now would help him stitch some of those lost pieces back together.

He drew a slow breath. "The engagement was arranged long before I—or my so-called fiancée—was even born," Leo began, his voice carrying a note of reluctant honesty. "Our families have always been close. My grandfather and the Avery patriarch were like brothers, practically grew up wearing the same clothes, eating each other’s food, and having each other’s backs."

He glanced down, his mouth tightening before he went on. "They wanted the bond made official. So they made a promise: when their children married and had kids, if both babies were boys, they’d be raised like brothers. But if one were a boy and the other a girl... those two would be betrothed. That way, the families would become one for real." He paused. "That’s what my grandfather told me, years ago."

"Wait—wait—wait." Dave threw up both hands, brows knotted. "That woman from earlier said she’s an Avery. And you just called her an impostor. But if this is your mystery engagement story... does that mean you’re engaged to the Avery family’s heiress? Then, if that Silvia woman is an impostor, then who is the real heiress, and where was she?"

Bullseye.

Dave had hit the bullseye with his question, and just like that, all eyes snapped back to Leo.

Even Hera jolted in surprise. She had never heard anything about being engaged, not from anyone, not even from her own grandfather. But now, with Dave putting the pieces together, something clicked. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she found herself holding her breath, waiting, hoping for Leo to clarify.

"Yes," Leo said simply, his deep, dark eyes locked on Hera, as if searching her face for a reaction.

And in that moment, it felt like fireworks exploded in Hera’s mind.

Everything Leo had just said... it all pointed to one conclusion. If the engagement was to someone from the Avery family... if Silvia was a fraud... then—

As she was the real heiress.

That also meant that she

was the one he was betrothed to.

And suddenly, her whole world tilted on its axis.

But for Leo, as he stared at Hera’s face, unblinkingly focused, he was more confused than ever. Her reaction mattered to him far more than he wanted to admit, and maybe even more than he realized himself.

He’d just confessed to having a fiancée. He had braced for the worst, for Hera to look betrayed, to lash out, to demand answers. Instead, he watched her complexion shift from pale to a soft, ruddy pink... and then deepen into a full blush.

She looked flustered. Shy. Almost... pleased?

Leo’s brows furrowed. ’Why?’ If he truly was engaged to her, shouldn’t she be angry at the secrecy? If she wasn’t his fiancée, shouldn’t she be furious at the betrayal? None of it added up.

Tilting his head, Leo studied her more intently, trying to decode the strange mix of emotion on her face.

Dave, who’d been watching from the side, noticed Leo’s burning gaze first and was just about to tease him when he glanced at Hera and stopped short. Her face was flushed, her expression dazed.

"Sweetheart, what’s wrong with you?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "You’re all red, don’t tell me you’re that mad?"

"I..." Hera croaked, her voice catching as her mind scrambled for the right words. She could barely find her footing, her thoughts spinning wildly. When she looked up and met Leo’s burning gaze, it felt like he was staring straight into her soul, and it made her tremble.

She glanced around. Everyone was watching her with growing concern, and then, almost in sync, their eyes flicked accusingly toward Leo. He didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. He just kept his eyes locked on her, unwavering.

Hera sucked in a breath, steadying herself.

Since Leo had already come clean, she realized she needed to do the same. Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear, but from the weight of the truth and the strange thrill of it all.

"I’m... actually the real heiress of the Avery family," she finally said, her voice soft but clear. "Hera Avery. I took my mother’s maiden name, Ainsley, when I left the Avery household and started living on my own."

She said it all in one breath, and when she finished, a heavy silence fell over the room.

Then, unexpectedly, everyone, except Leo and Dave, responded with a collective, casual, "Ohhh."

It was far from the reaction Hera had imagined. No gasps, no wild stares, just quiet acknowledgment. Maybe because, for them, it wasn’t really a surprise.

Leo looked completely stunned, as if the revelation had knocked the breath out of him. And Dave? He looked utterly betrayed.

It dawned on him slowly, his eyes darting between the others, reading their unreadable faces, and realization struck him like a truck. Luke, Xavier, Rafael, and Zhane... they must’ve suspected it long ago. Hera’s confession only confirmed what they’d probably already pieced together.

Sure, they’d discussed the possibility in the group chat before, but Leo had shut it down so hard that they dropped it. Still, that didn’t mean the others stopped thinking. Apparently, only Dave had truly been left in the dark.

Then, Dave let out another exaggerated wail, making everyone jump.

"Ah! You fucking asshole!" he shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Leo’s nose. "Now I get it! That’s why you shut us up before, because you knew! You knew Hera was the Avery heiress all along, didn’t you?!"

And because of Dave’s outburst, everyone suddenly turned to Leo, their eyes widening as realization began to dawn on them too.

Looking back, it made sense when they first discovered that Hera lived at the prestigious Green Dragon Manor, Leo hadn’t batted an eye. When they dined at the exclusive observatory restaurant in the Dragon Palace Hotel, Leo remained unfazed. Every time a glimpse of Hera’s wealth slipped through, he was the only one who didn’t seem surprised.

Those subtle reactions, or lack thereof, now made perfect sense.

He had known from the very beginning.

He knew Hera was the Avery heiress. He knew she was his fiancée. That was why he was so protective. That was why he was so composed, so generous, always staying a step back without ever backing down.

Because if he truly was the one Hera was promised to, then yes, his restraint, his patience, his silence... that was magnanimity. And now, they could finally see it for what it was.

Even Hera turned to Leo, her eyes wide in disbelief. If he had truly known all along that she was his fiancée, and still allowed her to grow close to all these men, still stood by while she shared her affection with them, then what did that say about him?

Her heart gave a painful twist.