Her thinking wasn’tpletely wrong, but the reality was that Hera had gotten to them first. Now, it had be a race—who would win the male leads’ affection and use their ’male lead halo’ to crown themselves as the female lead?


    Obviously, the title of ’female lead’ should have belonged to Alice.


    However, Hera had managed to siphon away part of Alice’s rightful "halo," disrupting her destined achievements in the storyline.


    By intercepting the male leads and preventing them from falling for Alice and supporting her, Hera had effectively weakened her position.


    As a result, Alice was now left with minimal backing and was significantly weakerpared to Hera, despite the storyline still working in her favor to secure opportunities.


    Although Hera hadn’t intended to charm or manipte the male leads, she found herselfpelled to do so.


    It was the only way to ensure that they wouldn’t drift back to Alice and that the coveted ’female lead halo’ would fully transfer to her.


    Hera needed that influence—not for selfish reasons, but to protect the people she cared about.


    Besides, the male leads had already demonstrated their immense power and influence.


    Their recent takedown of the Lennons was proof of that.


    Despite the meticulous nning that took days, it had taken them just one night to dismantle the Lennonspletely, without suffering any significant losses on their side.


    Zhane also took the opportunity to rid his hospital of corruption, using the situation as a public statement that the Everetts would not tolerate misconduct—even from family—if it endangered patients’ lives.


    This decisive action not only reinforced the hospital’s integrity but also boosted its reputation and public trust.


    Meanwhile, Zhane’s former uncle-inw bore the brunt of public outrage, sharing the Lennons’ disgrace.


    Even if the Lennons avoided a total financial ruin, their tarnished reputation ensured their downfall in the industry, making survival nearly impossible.


    Frustration simmered within Rafael as he hissed through clenched teeth, barely restraining the urge to shout and curse.


    Despite everything he had said, Alice still stood before them, her tears flowing as if she were the one wronged.


    The sight only fueled his irritation.


    If not for Zhane holding him back—and the looming concern that aggravating his injuries would worsen his condition—he might not have been able to contain himself.


    Before anyone could react, Dave stormed across the room and mmed his hand on the emergency button to summon a nurse.


    Momentster, a nurse rushed in, her expression tense with urgency, only to be met with Dave’s unmistakable look of displeasure.


    "Can you please ensure that not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can waltz into the patient’s room? This is the VIP floor for a reason," Dave said in aposed yet sharp tone.


    His words were cutting enough to make Alice choke on her own spit, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at him, incredulous.


    Even Hera was caught off guard by Dave’s boldness in addressing the nurse.


    Zhane, however, made no move to stop him, silently affirming that he shared Dave’s sentiments.


    Only after hearing Dave’s words did Rafael finally settle back into his bed, his irritation visibly easing.


    "D-Do you need me to call security?" the nurse stammered, her gaze darting nervously around the room.


    Everywhere she looked, she was met with beautiful people, and she couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat.


    A faint blush crept up her cheeks as she fought to maintain her professionalism.


    "W-What?! No!!!" Alice eximed, frantically waving her hands in the air, her voice tinged with panic.


    She struggled to find the right words to exin herself to the nurse, but the weight of the situation made her feel cornered.


    Anger and frustration bubbled inside her as the realization struck—everyone seemed to be against her.


    She hadn’t even managed to approach Rafael as nned. Instead, her actions seemed to have only fueled their displeasure.


    Worse still, she could sense that his circle of friends might now share a negative impression of her.


    The very thought made her stomach churn; she hated the idea of being judged or cast out, especially by those she had hoped to win over.


    "I-I will leave," Alice stammered, her voice trailing off as she nervously nced at Rafael’s face. "I was only visiting the brother of my best friend, with her consent..." Her words felt hollow, the exnation not nearly as convincing as she hoped.


    Dave, however, scoffed loudly, cutting her off with a sharp tone. "Her consent doesn’t equal her brother’s consent when you’re nning to visit him." He rolled his eyes, clearly irritated and too fed up to even bother pretending to be polite with Alice.


    His annoyance was too obvious, and it only added to the sting of her already humiliating situation.


    Humiliated beyond measure, Alice walked away like a defeated dog with her tail between her legs.


    Her head hung low, and her steps were slow and heavy, the weight of her embarrassment pressing down on her.


    By the time she reached the room beside Rafael’s, tears were streaming down her face, a raw mix of anger, frustration, and disbelief. She had never felt so small.


    When she entered the room, her sobs were uncontroble, but Minerva was already asleep, her back turned toward Alice in the quiet room.


    The sight of her friend’s calmness, oblivious to Alice’s pain, only made the hurt deeper.


    Alice’s sobs grew louder, a desperate cry for Minerva to wake up andfort her.


    She hoped for some sort of acknowledgment, maybe even for Minerva to confront her brother and stand up for her, but there was no response.