Under the heiress facade

The moment Hera clicked on her conversation with the Grandmaster of Astral Nova, she found herself picturing Tyler's pretty face.

Tyler was waiting for her outside the clinic.

He was dressed in a champagne-colored suit and carried a massive bouquet of blue roses. Passersby couldn't help glancing his way as he leaned lazily against the blue Bugatti parked in front of the clinic

entrance.

"Hey, baby. Long time no see. Did you miss me?" Tyler asked, winking at Hera as soon as he spotted her.

Hera hadn't expected him to show up just as she was about to text him.

"Let's go somewhere we can talk," she said as she approached the car.

She opened the passenger side door and got into the vehicle.

Tyler was surprised that she was being so cooperative. He opened the door on the driver's side and handed her the bouquet of roses. When she didn't take it, he shrugged and put the bouquet in the backseat.

He closed the door and locked it, asking, "You're just going to get in my car like that, no questions asked? Aren't you worried that I might spirit you away?"

reached past the driver's seat and eyed Hera with amusement. However, his hand froze in midair before touching her, and he slowly withdrew it. Hera was holding a needle

to make an appointment if you want us to treat

other words, she wouldn't hesitate to stab him to the point of paralysis if he tried

of her and wisely left

prompted, "Put

on the gas. The car zipped down the road and whooshed past the other

was a quiet drinking joint as she watched Tyler open shop and make himself a drink at the bar. "Here you go, a Bloody

the last time she got drunk and

a juice,

worried I

prove his innocence, he raised the glass and sipped

a withering look and lied, "I'm allergic

"Fine," he said acceptingly.

grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and

around the glass, but did not drink the juice. She wondered how she should broach the topic of Astral Nova when Tyler

stand to be a little more grateful after I lured security away that

me. They chased me down about a few dozen blocks. I could have

at his left hand and noticed that the thumb ring he had worn the other night was gone. An odd