The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 986

Chapter 986: Chapter 986 When They Support Each Other

Even Zhane looked helpless as he spoke. Though he had begun studying poisons, his expertise was still limited. He hadn’t taken up this knowledge out of interest but out of fear, fear that one day Hera might be targeted.

He wanted to be prepared, to reduce the risk to her life by learning how to detect and counter poisons before it was too late.

After all, it was impossible to claim that the Everett family, or any of the others, were free of enemies. The same went for the Brileys, Montagues, Greysons, Carsons, Hendrixes, and even the Averys.

Each family carried a long list of rivals, and if combined, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the entire country could be counted as their enemy. And since Hera was their shared Achilles’ heel, she would inevitably become the prime target.

It wasn’t far-fetched to believe their enemies might resort to every dirty trick in the book to strike at her, including poisoning or outright assassination.

When it came to assassination, they worried less. Hera had already proven her skill in combat, and she rarely moved without a throng of bodyguards at her side, most of them retired military elites.

Even when she was injured, she had shown remarkable resilience and survival instincts. But no matter how capable she was, Hera was not invincible. Poison was a different battlefield altogether.

There were countless deadly toxins in the world without known antidotes, and that was what Zhane feared most.

It was this fear that drove him to study poisons. If an antidote didn’t exist, then he would learn the principles behind poison-making, and from there, search for a solution. As long as he didn’t give up, there would always be a chance.

He wasn’t called a genius for nothing; anything tied to medicine, Zhane could dissect, analyze, and master. That was why he could speak with such confidence before the Sullivans, and it was also part of Zhane’s halo as a male lead.

So when Hera heard Zhane speak with such confidence, she didn’t doubt his ability for a moment.

But to the Sullivan brothers, his words felt like a crushing blow. Even if Zhane hadn’t said it outright, the state of their sister’s health made it sound as if he were preparing them for the worst, that Cherry might not survive, and all he could promise was to find the one responsible.

“Is there… a possibility my sister will survive?” the eldest Sullivan brother asked, his voice trembling.

“Yes,” Zhane replied without hesitation. His tone was steady, unwavering. “And that’s the very reason I’m standing here, speaking to you now.”

“Then… can you make an antidote? Or maybe the mentor you mentioned?” the second Sullivan brother asked, holding his breath in fear.

“Like I said, I don’t yet know what kind of poison was used. I’ll need to call my mentor to see if he can identify it…” Zhane paused, his eyes shifting to the Sullivan brothers crowded on his couch. Then, with deliberate calm, he continued, “But didn’t I already say these people are here to help as well?”

He lifted a hand and pointed toward Hera.

Hera, suddenly singled out, nearly jumped from her wheelchair. She had half-risen before remembering her broken leg, freezing stiff in place as she stared at Zhane, her mind short-circuiting.

She looked exactly like a student caught daydreaming, suddenly called on by the teacher to recite an answer she hadn’t been paying attention to.

Zhane chuckled at her reaction, while the Sullivan brothers glanced back and forth between Hera and the ever-unconcerned Rafael.

“Them?” one of the brothers asked, suspicion heavy in his tone, clearly doubtful that the pair could be of any real help.

“Yes, her, specifically,” Zhane clarified. “We don’t yet know what kind of poison was used on your sister, and without a lead, finding out could take too much time. With her condition, she might not have that luxury.”

“Instead of wasting precious hours on trial and error, we can turn to my Queen. Through her extensive network, she can trace which poisons have recently been bought on the black market, across the nation, even worldwide, and narrow it down from there.”

Zhane laid out the solution, but the Sullivan brothers only stared at him, dumbfounded, as if unable to believe Hera could possibly wield such influence.

“Her?” The third Sullivan brother frowned, pointing at Hera with clear disbelief. The idea that she could possess such an extensive network seemed impossible to him.

In truth, the reason Zhane deliberately pushed Hera into the spotlight was almost the same as Hera’s own reasoning. He wanted the Sullivans to see that she was working alongside him to save their sister.

That way, when the dust settled, the family’s gratitude and life-saving favor would fall to Hera instead of Sophia, something that could prove invaluable to Hera in the future.

Understanding Zhane’s thoughtfulness, Hera couldn’t help but give him a grateful smile before turning back to the Sullivan brothers, composing herself with a small nod.

Of course, her fleeting reaction didn’t go unnoticed. Zhane caught it instantly, and so did Rafael, who never missed a single one of her subtle movements. In fact, Rafael nearly burst out laughing when he thought he saw Hera practically spring from her wheelchair in surprise, but he quickly swallowed it down.

Laughing now, in the middle of such a serious conversation with the Sullivans, would have been wildly disrespectful.

“Yes, I do have an extensive network,” Hera admitted, “but honestly, even Dr. Zhane could handle this. We both could.” She added the clarification deliberately, unwilling to let Zhane push all the credit onto her.

After all, his family had deep roots in the medical industry; he was just as capable of making inquiries in the herbal trade or even the black market to track down any suspicious purchases of poison.

The only reason he hadn’t mentioned himself was because he wanted her to have the spotlight. Realizing his intention left Hera both touched and happy, but she couldn’t bring herself to hog all the recognition.

Without saying more, she quietly pulled out her phone and sent a message to Gerald.

…

[Hera: Gerald, are you busy? I need you to check the black markets across the country. See if anyone purchased a colorless, odorless, tasteless poison within the last two weeks to a month. If nothing turns up locally, expand the search worldwide. It’s urgent.]

The moment Hera hit send, Gerald’s typing bubble appeared almost instantly. Hera arched a brow, amused. ‘Does this guy ever leave his phone alone?’

The Sullivan brothers exchanged glances but kept quiet, clearly curious about Hera’s sudden action of texting yet choosing to wait rather than interrupt.

[Gerald: Understood, Young Miss. Expect results within thirty minutes to an hour. I’ll compile a list.]

[Hera: Thank you.]

[Gerald: No need for thanks, Young Miss. This General is always at your service.]

[Gerald: (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]

…

After confirming that Gerald was already working on it, Hera looked up and spoke calmly.”I’ve asked someone to investigate the local black market for any poison purchases. If nothing turns up, we’ll extend the search worldwide.”

She settled more comfortably in her wheelchair, her steady composure a stark contrast to the Sullivan brothers, who were clearly rattled. Their Adam’s apples bobbed as they swallowed hard, trying not to show the nerves tightening their throats.

They didn’t know Hera, nor her true intentions in offering help, and the uncertainty gnawed at them. Instinctively, their gazes shifted from Hera to Zhane, then to Rafael, as if seeking answers from the men they clearly recognized.

Rafael merely shrugged. “I only came here to gossip,” he said lightly, unwilling to be dragged into the spotlight. In truth, he had only tagged along to accompany Hera and confirm whether Sophia was really conspiring against the Sullivan heiress.

After all, while they all belonged to the same upper crust, their circles of friends rarely overlapped. But that didn’t mean they were strangers, but it also didn’t mean they were close.

Since neither Zhane nor Rafael seemed eager to speak further, the Sullivan brothers turned their attention back to Hera. She met their gaze calmly. “I’m only offering to help look into things.”

“For now, all we can do is wait for the results and see if we can compile a solid list. From there, we can narrow down the suspects, and then let Zhane and his mentor focus on the antidote.” Hera gave a small shrug, careful not to appear too eager.

The last thing she wanted was for the Sullivan brothers to think she had an agenda. After all, with the revelation that someone was trying to kill their sister, they were bound to be on edge; suspicion could fall on anyone, even Zhane or herself.

Besides, too much kindness could easily be mistaken for having an agenda. Hera knew she needed to appear as though she was simply here to accompany Zhane, offering a bit of help only when necessary.

As much as Zhane wanted to give her all the credit, she also wanted to make him look good in front of the Sullivan brothers, framing her involvement as something she did only out of respect for Zhane. Without Zhane, she would not have lifted a finger.

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