Under the Heiress' Facade

Chapter 718

"Why?" Hera was perplexed. She didn't believe Bernard when he told her that.

To Hera, Lucius was wrongly accused. Why would he not want his name to be cleared?

If he didn't want to have his name cleared, why was Daphne murdered by Linda for helping him collect evidence? Hera was confused that Lucius was telling her to stop the investigation. She even suspected whether Bernard had threatened him into saying so.

However, she had observed before entering the room earlier. There was no surveillance camera on the wall.

"Is it because of Bernard? Did he tell you not to say anything? Is he the murderer?" Hera couldn't help but inquire. Lucius realized she had misunderstood the situation and began to explain, "No. This has nothing to do with him." Hera was secretly relieved after Lucius personally confirmed that Bernard had nothing to do with what happened that year.

But if this had nothing to do with Bernard, why did he forbid her to continue investigating? She wondered if he was trying to protect the murderer.

"Why?" Hera frowned.

"This matter involves way too many people. If you continue investigating, more Killians will be imprisoned," Lucius explained.

He continued, "I'm sure my dad and Greg definitely don't want to see that happen, so let things end here. You must stop your investigation.

"Aside from not being able to go out, I still live a rather peaceful life here. It's not so bad to use my freedom to exchange for peace in the Killian family."

Hera stared at him in disbelief. Lucius, who once seemed so familiar in her memories, suddenly seemed like a stranger at that moment.

"What about Daphne? She went through so much just to clear your name, yet she was murdered in the end! Are you going to let her die for nothing?"

"It's precisely because she died for this, so I don't want you to find out the truth!" Lucius growled with a scowl. Seeing Hera's reddened eyes made him realize he had grown too emotional and spoken too harshly.

Lucius always considered Hera to be his treasure. Thus, he was reluctant to even lecture her in the past. But their discussion had caused his emotions to get the better of him at that moment, resulting in him losing control.

He took a deep breath before continuing gently, "It'll only bring more harm to the Killians if you continue digging deeper. The family's reputation will be ruined, and people might even end up dead.

"The Killians might even end up being destroyed for good. Is that worth it? Besides, this matter is over. Isn't it good for the family to safely live together in peace?"

"Family? In peace?" Hera chuckled. "What family? The Killians are always scheming against each other. Is that even considered living together peacefully?"

"It's inevitable for a family to have conflicts. As long as the Killians remain united, we can continue being the leading force in the country," Lucius remarked.

He continued, "It's been so long since this happened. If we start revisiting the case now, not only will we damage Killian Corporation's reputation, but we won't even be able to change history. Daphne won't come back to life either. So, there's no need to do all that."

"Does that mean the Killians' reputation and superficial harmony are more important than your life?" Hera couldn't help but tear up.

Daphne was murdered while seeking justice for Lucius. Catherine and Hera had barely scraped by to survive just so they could achieve their success today.

The truth was at Hera's fingertips, yet Lucius told her to stop her investigation because he was willing to be a scapegoat. She found it hard to accept that.

Did Catherine bring her up for nothing?

Did Daphne die for nothing?

Did Xavier pretend to be dumb for nothing?

Did it serve Hera right for overthinking matters and doing all her investigation for nothing while assuming that she could clear Lucius' name?

Hera felt a sting at her nose. For the first time, she was infuriated yet helpless.

"The interests of the family outweigh mine. As long as the Killians can continue expanding their legacy, it means nothing for me to take on the blame.

"You're still young, so you don't understand what I'm saying. You'll understand what I'm trying to tell you once you're older," Lucius remarked while patting Hera's shoulder.

Hera bit her lower lip hard in an attempt to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. "I don't want to understand what you mean. I just want to find out the truth!"

"Be good. Don't be stubborn. I've let you and Daphne down. If only I could make it up to you two," Lucius said.

"Don't blame Bernard. He also wanted to find out the truth, but I begged him not to. Since I can't leave here to be with you, I can only ask Bernard to take care of you.

"You can discuss anything you're unsure of with him, especially concerning your marriage. You're a young woman, so you must be more careful. Don't be fooled by those scoundrels."