Amidst the chaos of spection, Alexi’s anger surged to new heights. Clenching Hera’s arm tightly, he gazed at her with a mixture of hurt and frustration, yearning for answers. The mere thought of Hera being in someone else’s arms besides his own ignited a fierce wave of jealousy within him.


    Through gritted teeth, Alexi demanded, "Hera, care to exin what’s going on?"


    Hera met Alexi’s gaze with a contemptuous snort. "There’s nothing for me to exin to you," she retorted, her toneced with disdain. Turning her attention to ire, whose triumphant expression irked her, Hera couldn’t help but feel exasperated by the woman’s relentless need to nder others for a false sense of superiority.


    It was evident that ire was likely seething with jealousy, especially as she observed Alexi’s attempts to please Hera and the lingering gazes of the other men in the room. Despite their attempts to be discreet, their admiration for Hera was transparent to everyone present.


    Hera remained keenly aware of the dynamics unfolding around her, silently observing each individual’s actions. She couldn’t shake the suspicion that they had been invited to serve as entertainment, allowing others to feel better about themselves at her expense.


    However, Hera had no intention of allowing anyone to nder her, especially considering the repercussions not only for herself but also for her loved ones and her family. With a firm resolve, she pressed the issue, her tone devoid of gentleness and imbued withmanding authority. "Would you care to reveal the identities of these supposed individuals you’re referring to?" she demanded, her voice calm yet weighted with gravity.


    ire remained steadfast, refusing to yield. In her mind, why should she worry about ndering Hera? After all, there was no evidence to substantiate any ims against her. Besides, ire could always turn the tables, ming Hera for spreading rumors and tarnishing the reputations of those men she had named. This way, they wouldn’t direct their anger at ire, but instead at Hera, leaving her to bear the brunt of their fury.


    It seemed like the perfect n to ire. With Heracking influential connections, ire believed she could easily get away with her scheme. Meanwhile, Hera would suffer the consequences, branded as a woman without dignity, a kept woman whose reputation would be irreparably tarnished. Once the rumors reached her fans, admiration would turn to disdain, leaving Hera feeling like nothing more than a fallen idol.


    ire boldly asserted, "Wasn’t it Mr. Gerald Troy of the Golden Dragon Pavilion and Mr. Rafael Briley? I even spotted you dining with Mr. Briley just the other day at the Golden Dragon Pavilion." She shot Hera a knowing look before pressing on, "Mr. Troy and Mr. Briley crossed paths there. Did they have any inkling that you were with both of them at the same time?"


    Athena struggled to suppress herughter, her amusement evident as she listened to ire’s absurd usations. The idea of Hera being portrayed as an insatiable seductress seemed utterly ridiculous to Athena. The notion became so ludicrous to her that she almost found itical. She couldn’t help but imagine herself breaking into a celebratory dance if Hera were to suddenly find herself in the midst of a reverse harem scenario.


    Hera’s smile widened into a knowing grin as ire mentioned Gerald. It appeared ire still hadn’t learn her lesson about fabricating stories. With aposed demeanor, Hera gently extricated herself from Alexi’s grip, which had tightened in response to ire’s usations.


    "ire," Hera began, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment, "it appears that being cklisted from the Golden Dragon Pavilion wasn’t sufficient to deter you from spreading baseless rumors. It’s truly disheartening to witness such behavior." She shook her head in mild exasperation. "TSK!" she concluded, emphasizing her disapproval with a subtle click of her tongue.


    The room fell into a collective gasp, eyes widening in astonishment as they turned toward ire, who had once proudly unted her gold membership card at the Golden Dragon Pavilion but now found herself cklisted from the establishment.


    The revtion that ire had offended Gerald Troy only added to the shock, leaving many feeling a sense of pity for her apparentck of judgment and stupidity.


    "Don’t attempt to divert attention when it was your actions that led to my cklisting," ire used, her voiceced with bitterness. "Wasn’t it because you were seeing him behind Mr. Briley’s back that you didn’t want me there because I found out?" Her usations left Hera and Athena bewildered, unsure of the origin of ire’s sudden outburst and the hysteria that apanied it. It was evident that ire had faced severe consequences from her father for losing the membership card he had worked so diligently to obtain.


    "Hera! Are you attempting to retaliate against me by dating Minerva’s older brother?!" Alexi’s voice thundered with fury, his teeth gritted as he struggled to contain his anger. Both of his hands clenched into fists, his veins pulsating prominently on his forehead and arms. It was the first time Hera had witnessed Alexi lose control of his emotions to such an extent, and she couldn’t help but feel a mixture of shock and fear. Despite his loss ofposure, Alexi still carried the aura of a male lead, albeit slightly less prominent than the real male leads.


    Hera remained silent as Alexi pulled her closer, his grip tightening on her wrist to the point of leaving a bruise. A sharp wince escaped Hera’s lips, betraying the pain she felt, while Athena attempted to intervene to aid her friend, only to be met with a menacing re from Alexi.


    "Don’t you dare interrupt us, Athena! This is between Hera and me!" Alexi’s voice boomed with authority as he asserted his dominance.


    "You’re mistaken, Alexi. This is no longer your concern. You are no longer my boyfriend," Hera calmly stated, attempting to extricate herself from Alexi’s vice-like grip. However, he refused to release her, leaving Hera feeling increasingly frustrated. Desperately seeking support, she cast a nce at ire, who seemed to be reveling in Hera’s distress, enjoying the spectacle unfolding before her.


    Hera fired back, her voice cutting through the tension. "If your usations hold any truth, then why don’t we involve all parties concerned?" she challenged.


    ire’s demeanor shifted noticeably at Hera’s suggestion, and she quickly offered an excuse. "Aren’t they preupied with their own lives? Besides, aren’t you merely a ything to the wealthy? Would they truly spare much attention for you?"


    Hera chuckled lightly and replied, "Well, I suppose we’ll only find out if we give it a try, won’t we?" She cast a meaningful nce at Athena, silently signaling for her to summon the staff to locate Gerald. With their long-standing friendship, Athena immediately grasped Hera’s intention and swiftly exited the room in search of assistance.


    ire observed the exchange between Hera and Athena, her apprehension mounting as a sense of unease began to gnaw at her stomach.