Under the Heiress' Facade

"I agree. Her medical skills seem lacking," Bernard chimed in.

Douglas remained silent in the front seat.

He mulled over Bernard's comment. Camille was from the renowned Chime family with a century- long legacy in medicine. She was hailed as a prodigy in the field and was even nominated for a Nobel Prize. Douglas wondered how sharp Hera's skills were if she could call Camille unprofessional.

Hera was stunned by Bernard's response. After all, he still followed Camille into the lounge for a private check-up. She couldn't help but curse at him silently.

Sensing the tension, Douglas quickly raised the partition between the front and back seats as he was worried about becoming a target of Bernard's wrath.

"I reluctantly agreed to meet her after being pressured by Chad. I even thought of bringing you along for support, but you were too caught up in your games to notice me," Bernard said in a deep voice, looking at Hera with an innocent expression.

Hera couldn't stay angry looking at him. But the more he feigned innocence, the more irritated Hera felt. Despite there being no chance between them, he continued to push the boundaries of their relationship.

"You don't owe me an explanation. We're in this together just for business. Once we obtain the Eclipse Stone and cure your illness, we'll go our separate ways," Hera stated coldly.

She lowered the divider and instructed Douglas, "Pull over."

Douglas hesitated when he noticed Bernard's stern expression in the rearview mirror.

"I said pull over!"

Hera's tone grew sharper.

Douglas hit the brakes, and Hera immediately stepped out of the car.

As the door loudly slammed shut, Douglas felt the temperature in the car drop. He wanted to turn on the heater, but he didn't dare to do so.

He watched Hera's figure disappear into the night, then glanced at Bernard's expressionless face in the mirror.

"Bernard, aren't you going after her?" Douglas asked.

Bernard watched Hera's retreating figure with bloodshot eyes through the car window. His hands were clenched into fists as if holding back an overwhelming emotion.

"Bernard?"

Bernard's unusual behavior caught Douglas' attention. He turned to check if Bernard's illness was acting up again.

Douglas had already dialed Johnson's number.

Bernard remained silent. He leaned back with his eyes closed.

An image of a sweet smile from a young girl formed in his mind. It was her smile and her gentle voice that had once saved him from the brink of madness. She had diverted him from his path of vengeance by softening his cold heart.

It was a memory so vivid, it felt almost tangible.

"Do you like me?"

"Yes."

"You're my favorite! Mom and Dad, too."

The boy held the girl's hand, gently stroking it without a word.

He yearned to take her away from the Killian family so that he would be the only one in her eyes. He wanted to own her entirely, marry her, and start a family together when they grew up.

But he never dared to confess his thoughts, fearing that she might be taken aback. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Yet, before she could grow up, she vanished from his life.

The Killian family claimed she had died. He refused to believe it and spent years searching for her. Finally, 11 years later, he found her.

However, she was no longer the innocent girl he remembered. She had changed.