"I feel like my jaw is going to get a workout and build muscles after this," Hera subtly whispered to Athena as they continued smiling and exchanging pleasantries.


    They had barely taken a few steps into the banquet hall—nowhere near halfway through—yet they already felt exhausted, their faces starting to twitch from the constant smiling.


    "Just think of this as training—after this, your jaw will be so muscr, you’ll give even better blowjobs," Athena teased crudely, chuckling.


    Hera nearly choked on her champagne, feeling it rush up her nose as she sputtered uncontrobly.


    A violent coughing fit followed, drawing startled nces from those nearby. Athena, nowughing but also concerned, quickly jumped to soothe Hera’s back.


    "Babe, I was just joking! It’s not like you’d actually do such a thing, even after all my tutoring, right? I just can’t imagine it," Athena murmured to herself while gently patting Hera’s back.


    She assumed Hera’s reaction was due to embarrassment—after all, they were still surrounded by people, and blurting something like that out of the blue was bound to catch anyone off guard.


    But as soon as Athena murmured those words, Hera’s eyes instinctively avoided her, a reflex she couldn’t control. However, Athena caught the subtle movement, and the hand that had been soothing Hera’s back suddenly stiffened.


    "You didn’t..." Athena trailed off, her voiceced with disbelief as she tried to rify.


    Hera, however, remainedposed. She elegantly wiped her nose and dabbed the corner of her mouth with practiced poise, as if nothing had happened. Yet, despite her calm demeanor, she refused to meet Athena’s eyes, looking everywhere else instead.


    Athena’s eyes widened in shock. She had only been joking earlier, spouting nonsense for fun, but Hera’s reaction made her suspect otherwise.


    Could it be?


    Her innocent, pure Hera had transformed into a subus—an alluring, seductive version of herself that Athena had never known existed.


    Not wanting to engage in the topic any further, Hera quickly scurried away, leaving Athena frozen in shock, too stunned to even react.


    Seizing the opportunity to escape, Hera made her way toward the staircase, intending to retreat to the second floor for some much-needed rest.


    Athena had mentioned earlier that the upper level was reserved for her, immediate family, and close associates—a private space where they could unwind after the fashion show and only reappear when the official announcements were about to start.


    Since the staircase to the second floor was positioned on either side of the grand hall—each spanning one and a half meters in width with elegant marble steps and polished handrails—Hera’s movements did not go unnoticed.


    The moment she ascended, all eyes subtly followed her. However, before she could take more than three steps upward, Alice suddenly appeared behind her.


    "Hera, why are you going up there? The second floor is reserved for the country’s most powerful businessmen—they’re surely discussing important deals up there. You’re not nning to curry favor with them and offer your..." Alice said, her voiceced with feigned concern.


    Then, as if catching herself mid-sentence, she abruptly mped her mouth shut, her eyes widening as if she had almost blurted out something inappropriate.


    She darted a nervous nce around, ying the role of an innocent bunny who had identally let a dangerous secret slip.


    "Hera, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to reveal your intentions," Alice said, her eyes rimmed with red, her voice trembling with feigned remorse. She looked pitiful, as if she were merely a concerned friend afraid Hera might stray down the wrong path.


    But in their circle, everyone knew the unspoken truth—many celebrities sought favor from the wealthy through means beyond talent alone.


    It was an open secret.


    And now, with Alice’s carefully ced words hanging in the air, the way people looked at Hera began to shift.


    Moments ago, they had admired her confidence, seen her as a promising business partner, an equal. But now, doubt crept into their gazes. Instead of seeing a rising star, they hesitated, reassessing her in light of Alice’s subtle implication.


    Now that Alice had nted the idea, the crowd’s perception of Hera shifted. The admiration they once held for her dimmed, reced by a subtle sense of superiority.


    They no longer saw her as their equal; instead, they viewed her as someone trying to climb higher through questionable means. Their once-warm gazes turned calcting, their good impression of her taking a sharp dive.


    Hera arched an eyebrow as she looked at Alice, her expression unreadable. She hadn’t expected to run into her here, but perhaps she had underestimated the pull of Alice’s so-called female lead halo.


    After all, as the supposed protagonist of her own story, Alice always seemed to find herself in exclusive events, conveniently positioning herself for greater opportunities. Her presence here shouldn’t have been a surprise.


    Or perhaps it was simply because her mind was upied with far more important matters, and Alice had momentarily slipped from her thoughts. But now, here she was, prancing around and making a spectacle of herself like a desperate clown.


    Hera let out a quiet snort, unimpressed as Alice attempted to smear her reputation in front of everyone.


    However, her silence only fueled Alice’s confidence. Misinterpreting Hera’sck of response as shock or helplessness, Alice assumed she had sessfully caught her off guard, emboldening her to press on.


    "Hera, if you’re really looking for more opportunities in the entertainment industry, my friend here, Brother Lei, could help you out..." Alice said with a sweet yet insincere smile.


    Just then, the so-called Brother Lei approached them, his expression darkening as he caught the tail end of Alice’s words.