[Leo: One rival down! (*′︶｀ *)]
[Rafael: You guys!!! Do you just love kicking someone when they’re down?! I’ve never even been close to that woman! What are you talking about, using her for personal pleasure?! Don’t nder me!!!]
[Dave: Well, you don’t need to exin it to us. My sweetheart won’t hear your side of the story anyway. You’ll be out of thepetition before you even get a chance to make a move. Hahaha. @Rafael ?━━o(｀?′o メ）～→]
[Xavier: She’s one of your artists, and it’s well-known that exploiting artists for personal pleasure ismon in entertainmentpanies. How do you n to exin yourself? Are you going to cry and beg Hera to listen to you?]
[Zhane: You’re really in deep trouble if you don’t make a statement ASAP. Though, I wouldn’t mind having fewer rivals.]
[Rafael: You guys!!! You’re supposed to be my friends—help me out!!!]
[Luke: But this is a great opportunity to eliminate a rival. Ψ( `?)(?′ )Ψ]
[Dave: Exactly!!!]
[Rafael: You guys are the worst!╭∩╮(??? )?]
Even before the livestream ended, Rafael’s call came in. Hera hesitated to answer when she saw Rafael’s name shing on her phone, clearly reluctant to get involved with him after discovering his connection to Alice. Meanwhile, Rafael, watching Hera’s reaction through the livestream, grew increasingly anxious as the seconds ticked by with no answer.
Before Hera could decide what to do, Gerald swiftly took the phone from her hand and answered it. "Mr. Briley, why are you calling my university’s top achiever? Are you nning to drag her into another scandal, especially when you already have a little lover on your side?" Gerald made sure to put the call on speaker, so everyone could hear the confrontation.
"Mr. Troy, please don’t nder me. You can easily verify whether I’m truly involved with that woman. It’s not umon for individuals to falsely im a rtionship with me to gain some advantage by leveraging my name. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t defend my reputation, especially when ites to clearing up any misunderstandings with the woman I’m interested in." Rafael’s voice was tinged with indignation and suppressed anger.
It was clear to everyone listening that Rafael had called to defend himself and assert his innocence. Whether Hera would believe him was still uncertain. Rafael’s voice came through almost tearful as he tried to exin himself, his disgust evident every time he mentioned Alice. His reaction was understandable; he despised such schemes and drama, which were unfortunatelymon in his line of work, and he loathed being dragged into the spotlight by these maniptions.
This was one of the major reasons Rafael harbored a deep-seated aversion towards women and held a negative view of most of them. He had encountered simr situations before, where women falsely imed a rtionship with him to gain advantages from their manager or external connections. Despite being an influential figure, Rafael despised such tactics and resented being grouped with other men who exploit their positions to surround themselves with women for personal pleasure.
His disdain grew even stronger when a woman he didn’t even know used his name to further her own interests. This only reinforced his skepticism and rudeness toward women, except for his mother and sister. He believed these were the only women he could genuinely tolerate, as they were the exceptions to his general mistrust.
Although Rafael didn’t focus much on his reputation, he despised being lumped together with the unsavory men who misused their positions. He found it exhausting to constantly defend himself, so he chose a different approach. Driven by his arrogance and pride, he targeted thepanies that employed such women, warning them that if their artists continued to exploit his name for personal gain, he would retaliate by targeting theirpanies. Depending on his mood, he might even drive them to bankruptcy.
Initially, no one heeded Rafael’s warnings, and his name continued to be exploited by artists to secure lucrative coborations, generating millions in ie. As a result, many women began to follow suit, portraying Rafael as a hedonistic man who couldn’t be satisfied with just one or two women, living a life of indulgence. When Rafael received this report, he was already overwhelmed with work at hispany. His frustration reached a breaking point, and he decided to take decisive action. He targeted thepanies that ignored his warnings, using his entertainment empire and the Briley name to bring thosepanies to bankruptcy.
Thepany, known for using all sorts of hical methods to make money, had many dark secrets that Rafael unearthed. He used this information to expose them, causing their stock prices to plummet. Within just three days, thepany was brought to its knees, as no one was willing to support them and risk offending Rafael.
It was only then that people learned not to cross Rafael, as he had no qualms about taking drastic measures against those who wronged him. However, facing a simr issue now, Rafael felt a wave of fear. Unlike before, when he had little to lose and was indifferent to potential damage to his reputation, this time he was deeply concerned. The thought of Hera possibly misunderstanding him felt like a cold bucket of water poured over him, amplifying his anxiety.
Especially since the same woman who falsely imed to be his partner was now targeting Hera, it was all too easy for people to believe the lie. Given Rafael’s visible interest in Hera, it seemed usible that Alice was driven by jealousy, as if Rafael had grown tired of her and now had his sights set on someone new.
Despite his stature, Rafael was on the verge of tears. He felt overwhelmed and uncertain about where to begin his exnation, fearing that any attempt to rify would only fuel further spection against him. As much as he wanted to fire Alice and the manager who hired her, he knew that doing so might be perceived as an act of retaliation, making him seem guilty and defensive about being exposed.