Facade

As the car engine hummed to life, James turned to Hera. “Before we get to Norburgh, there’s something important I need to tell you. We’ll announce to everyone that the Everetts have officially adopted you.”

Hera looked up at James. They hadn’t discussed this before in their earlier phone call. Though being agreeable moments ago, she now seemed distant and reserved.

James felt uncomfortable under her gaze. It dawned on him then that Hera would always feel somewhat disconnected from the Everetts since they hadn’t raised her since childhood.

Pushing down his uneasiness, he patiently explained, “The Everetts have been relying on help from the Gaskell family to make our business successful.

“Now, Zyler Gaskell, the heir to the Gaskell family, is engaged to Giselle. Their marriage is important for both families’ interests and reputations. So, we need to make arrangements regarding you.”

Hera understood the situation quickly. The Everetts were worried that if the Gaskells found out about her humble upbringing, it might ruin the engagement.

“Oh,” Hera replied, sounding indifferent.

She casually pulled out her phone from her bag and got lost in a game, seemingly completely unbothered by the conversation.

James felt a sense of relief. He assumed that people from rural backgrounds would be easy to handle.

If Lilith hadn’t persistently asked and if James hadn’t been concerned about Hera’s true background possibly harming their family’s reputation, he wouldn’t have personally brought Hera back to the Everett residence.

Hera reclined in the car seat, completely absorbed in her phone. Her thumbs moved skillfully across the screen.

Frowning, James couldn’t resist sneaking a look at her screen. His disappointment grew when he realized she was just playing a basic matching game. Any remaining positive feelings he had for Hera quickly vanished.

He even began to regret bringing her to the Everett residence. Hera came off as impolite and lacking ambition. He was worried she might embarrass the Everetts if they were seen together in public.

James was unaware that Hera was actually deeply immersed in Flip-and-Match. The game involved 99 pairs of identical icons being shuffled and briefly shown for a minute before being flipped over.

Hera had to rely on her memory to match the pairs by tapping on two identical ones. In this round, she memorized all the icons in ten seconds and completed the level in 48 seconds with a 1% error rate.

However, she wasn’t content with her speed. So, she refreshed the level and started over.

After the car pulled up at the airport, they boarded the plane and landed at Norburgh Airport two hours later. Aside from meal breaks, Hera spent nearly the entire journey refreshing the level of her game.

Finally, she achieved a new personal record—taking only three seconds to memorize and 27 seconds to clear, with a flawless 0% error rate.

Right then, Hera’s phone buzzed with a WhatsApp notification.

Piglet: “Hey Raven, are you really not accepting any job offers? Someone is offering three times the usual pay! Aren’t you interested? It’s triple the money!”

Hera clicked her tongue impatiently.

Raven: “Nope.”

Piglet: “Not even for a deal worth millions? What’s going on with you?”

Raven: “I’m taking a break.”

Piglet: “When do you think you’ll be back? I need to reply to someone.”

Raven: “It depends on how I feel.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Piglet: “You’re so childish!”

James thought of Hera as just a typical teenager glued to the internet while Giselle, on the other hand, was focused on her workbook even during the flight. James saw them as complete opposites.

He was convinced that hiding Hera’s true identity as the Everetts’ biological daughter from the public was the best choice to avoid any future embarrassment for the family.

…

In the rural village, Catherine was drying herbs in her yard when she spotted two men in camouflage suits approaching from beyond the fence.

Bernard was at the forefront. He stood tall and robust. His remarkably handsome face seemed to have been sculpted by a great artist.

A noticeable bloodstain on his right chest hinted at a recent injury. Thankfully, it had been tended to.

Following Bernard was Aaron Ludden, who appeared youthful and boyish.

Setting aside the herbs, Catherine asked, “Do you need medical assistance or medicine?”

“We’re looking for someone,” Bernard replied, pulling a bloodied cloth from his pocket.

Catherine’s expression turned cautious as she inspected the cloth. The embroidery matched her own handiwork, sparking a memory of Hera’s demeanor earlier that morning when she returned home.

She glanced at the bloodstain on Bernard’s chest and asked, “Who are you?”

Bernard noticed Catherine’s expression change and gently explained, “We’re special forces working on a secret mission for the country. A young lady helped us catch criminals and even saved me.

“We need her to come with us to give an official statement about what happened, and I want to thank her in person.”

“Oh, I see, but you’re too late.” Catherine relaxed. “She left two hours ago and won’t be back.”

Bernard frowned. “Where did she go?”

After a moment’s pause, Catherine replied, “She went to the Everett residence in Norburgh.”

“Okay, thanks.” Bernard turned to leave.

Aaron caught up with Bernard and teased with a grin, “Boss, have you been away from the unit too long? Or are you losing your memory? Since when do we have to give statements after a mission?”

“Since just now,” Bernard replied.

Aaron was stumped.

Bernard handed Aaron the blood-stained cloth and said, “Clean it up, and tomorrow, give it back to me along with the owner’s address.”