With red-rimmed eyes, Zoey looked up at Katelyn, her voice shaky and filled with doubt. “Katelyn, did I mess up today? Would things have gone differently if I had hurried out with you? Could that have prevented him from growing suspicious?”

Katelyn responded with a calm look and a gentle shake of her head. “No, you made no mistakes. In dangerous situations, your safety must always come first,” Katelyn assured her. Pausing for a moment, she continued, “Vincent was skeptical about our story from the start. Even if tonight had gone smoothly, he still wouldn’t have easily believed us.”

For years, Katelyn had been funding Zoey’s education, supporting this young woman to strive for a better future. This year, Zoey had finally graduated from college. When Katelyn needed someone to impersonate Hades, Zoey was her first choice. Katelyn had even briefed her on essential details for the possibility of things going awry.

However, she had misjudged Vincent’s awareness. He was nothing like that fool, Neil. There was no chance he’d fall for a trick like that.

Zoey gripped the fabric of her shirt, tears of guilt and regret brimming in her eyes. “This is all on me. I was too scared, too weak.”

“I should have been there with you,” Zoey lamented.

Katelyn had been a constant support in her life, and now, when an opportunity arose for Zoey to return the favor, she felt she had faltered. Zoey’s guilt felt suffocating.

Katelyn exhaled deeply, her expression one of understanding. Zoey was fresh out of college, unaccustomed to confrontations this severe. Her fear was justified. Gently taking Zoey’s hand, Katelyn reassured her.

“I need to tell you again, you’ve done nothing wrong. Remember this: even in future challenges, your safety must always come first.”

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Looking into Katelyn’s eyes, Zoey searched for reassurance on what to do next. “So, what’s our next move? Should I keep impersonating Hades?” Zoey inquired. Read full story at Find[?]ovel.net

“There’s no longer a need for that. I won’t ask anyone to take on Hades’ role again. She had to deal with an urgent situation unexpectedly. From now on, she’ll manage her own affairs,” Katelyn responded with a light tone.

She had given Zoey only a partial explanation. Katelyn had described Hades as a crucial ally with a secretive past who was summoned away on urgent business, necessitating Zoey’s stand-in.

Zoey, absorbing this, fixed her eyes on Katelyn and voiced her anxiety. “Katelyn, now that I’ve finished college, can I continue to work closely with you?” Katelyn, taken aback, queried, “And what would you do alongside me?”

“Your major was finance, right? If I remember correctly.”

“I aspire to emulate you, to achieve prominence in our field and earn the respect and admiration that follows, complete with accolades and adoration,” Zoey said, her resolve firming. She was determined not to return to that mountain village where she came from.

Two months after graduation, the reality of the professional world had dashed her collegiate aspirations. With her modest background, average academic and physical traits, and lack of connections, securing a good position in bustling Granville seemed out of reach.

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