Then, Hera’s phone rang again and she didn’t wait to answer it.


    "Hello?"


    "Good morning, princess!" Hera’s grandpa’s voice came through the line. "I heard from your grandpa, Alfonse, that you’re doing great in the entertainment industry and even won us an international race. I watched the video, and I was so proud that I bragged about it to my business partners here."


    Hera, hearing her grandfather chatter nonstop, made Hera’s eyes turn red. It had only been a few weeks since shest saw him.


    He had said that he would give her some time to y around before she had to take over the consortium so that she at least felt like she did what she wanted to do before she got drowned by her responsibilities and hostility from other people.


    "Are you alright? If you’d like, we can announce your identity and arrange for it to be reported by all major media outlets and tforms. I can’t stand it when people nder my sweet girl. I was sote in noticing this; I’m sorry, princess..." His apologetic tone broke Hera’s heart as he sounded helpless and sad, reminding her of the times he grieved for her parents’ death when she was young.


    She remembered how her grandpa was usually authoritative and strong in front of his subordinates; she always saw him as an unmoving mountain—steady, tall, and strong—but now, he sounded exhausted and helpless.


    She didn’t like that.


    <i>’I must have let so many negative nders about me ferment for far too long, without even realizing that my grandpa was seeing them and was just as affected as I was.’</i>


    Reflecting on this, Hera felt even more apologetic toward her grandfather. She had always thought it was just negative press, and even if it was negative, it still provided exposure that could lead to more fans when the situation was reversed.


    Now she regretted not taking action or preventing herself from being targeted by this kind of nder from her enemies.


    But at the same time, she knew that this couldn’t be avoided at all costs. Hera let out a heavy sigh as she reassured her grandfather.


    "Grandpa, I’m sorry for worrying you, but I’m doing fine. This negative reporting or nder about me won’t affect me. In fact, it will help me gain more poprity. However, I do apologize for not carefully considering all aspects, such as your feelings and the reputation of the Averys behind me. Please rest assured that I will fix this." Hera sounded confident on the phone, but if you listened carefully, there was actually a slight tremble in her voice.


    "Little girl, don’t apologize for something you didn’t do. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself or do everything on your own. Just remember that the Avery is yours tomand, and no one, I mean no one, can ever bully you without facing consequences." Hera’s grandfather said it softly but firmly, as if to remind her of her true identity and that she shouldn’t hold back against her enemy.


    This reminder made Hera smile because it showed that her grandfather would do anything to protect her. Yet, he wouldn’t hesitate to let her use the power of their family, even if it might have a negative impact on them.


    After a few rounds of reassurance, Hera’s grandfather had to leave for a conference and could only advise Hera not to overwork herself while also reminding her of the same.


    This time, the light in Hera’s eyes was shining brighter because she felt assured that her fate was changing and that her grandfather wouldn’t need to put his life on the line to seek revenge for her. After her call with her grandpa, she then called Betty, who was just about to call her too.


    "Hera, have you seen the trending topics? Don’t worry, the PR department and I will release a statement to clear your and Zen’s names from this mess, and we’ll handle it so spectacrly that you won’t have to worry about it. Just don’t leave your ce for now."


    "That won’t work, Betty. I have a fashion show to attend tomorrow, so this issue must be resolved today. But don’t worry, I already have a way to handle it. Just keep the PR department on standby until I give you the signal."


    "After that, you can help me spread the word and fan the mes when this is revealed on the inte. I’m sure someone is behind this, using my name as a foil to elevate themselves." Hera exined. This time, a cold indifference was evident on her face. Without a second thought, she already knew who was behind these actions.


    After sharing her n with Betty, Betty’s haggard and exhausted look immediately brightened as she nodded like a bird pecking at the ground. She then ended the call to prepare on her end with the PR team.


    Meanwhile, Hera leisurely got out of bed and freshened up. After freshening up, she called Sasha, who was waiting for her signal before taking action.


    And when Hera’s call came through, Sasha answered it on the first ring as if he were camping in front of his phone. "Hello, sister. Should I send a counterattack by releasing the dirt on the people who attacked you?"


    Hera chuckled, recognizing from his voice that Sasha was worried about her and also feeling anger on her behalf.


    Although this wasn’t the first time she had been called a kept woman, the harshness of the words being thrown at her online had be more vicious than ever, to the point that any normal person would struggle to tolerate it.


    It was only natural for everyone connected to her to feel angry and indignant.


    Words like vixen, harlot, slut, and many other unsavory terms were used on the inte to describe her.


    The men around her were not mentioned, as if those behind this nder were afraid of offending them. Instead, they focused their attention on Hera to ruin her, hoping that once she was ruined, the men surrounding her would leave her like used goods.


    "Don’t be too impulsive, Sasha. Just track the movements of the people behind this. Find evidence to prove that it was them who did this nder, then work with Larry to provide what he needs."


    "Let the authorities pass judgment on these individuals and utilize the justice system as our path forward. This way, those influenced by the negative press about me will see that I don’t use money to take these people down."


    "If they have any questions, they should question our justice system, which means they’d be going against thew if they have such big balls. Also, after all this, information about the person who started this nder and the reason behind it should be released."


    "Make sure you leave no stone unturned. We’ll counterattack with force so that the next time they think about attacking me, they’ll be reminded of how we handle things. It seems that the first few times I counterattacked didn’t leave enough impact on them, as they still think I’m a paper tiger."


    Hera said calmly and confidently as she chose the clothes she’d be wearing for today while she was wearing an earphones while talking to Sasha