She knew that Brother Lei despised women being offered to him. Even if he epted such women, he would only torment and humiliate them before discarding them like trash.


    Alice had hoped he would do the same to Hera once he got his hands on her, the mere thought filling her with twisted excitement. But who would have thought that with just one look, Brother Lei would fall for Hera at first sight?


    Alice clenched her teeth, her stomach churning with fury and resentment, yet on the surface, she maintained her innocent facade.


    "Brother Lei, you might not know this, but Hera already has plenty of men around her," Alice said with a seemingly innocent smile. "But maybe they’re all busy today, so she’s looking for new investors among the powerful men upstairs?"


    She cast a deliberate nce toward the second floor of the banquet hall, her tone dripping with feigned concern. Brother Lei instinctively followed her gaze before turning back to Hera. His expression was unreadable—a mix of emotions that even Alice couldn’t quite decipher.


    "Hera, Brother Lei here may not be as powerful as the businessmen upstairs, but he’s still young and strong. I don’t think you’d be losing out if you cozied up to him instead," Alice added with a sweet smile.


    The crowd around them now saw the exchange as nothing more than a joke, while Alice continued to act as if she was merely looking out for Hera’s best interests.


    She subtly guided the conversation, making it seem as though Hera had already decided to offer herself to the older, more influential men upstairs. In Alice’s carefully crafted narrative, suggesting Hera turn to Brother Lei—who was young, strong, and undeniably good-looking—seemed like an act of concern rather than malice.


    That way, Hera’s supposed "sacrifice" wouldn’t feel as degrading. Not that it mattered, Alice thought smugly—after all, a slut was a slut.


    Hera, who had been silently listening, quickly picked up on the hidden implications in Alice’s words. A smirk tugged at her lips before a melodious, mocking chuckle escaped her. With a simple flip of her hair and that effortlessugh, the entire room fell silent, their attention instantly drawn to her.


    "Alice, first of all, you really need to get your head checked. It hasn’t even been a full day since your baseless usations about me stealing your role were debunked, and you were thoroughly humiliated. And yet, here you are again, crawling back for another round? Are you that addicted to being pped in the face, both online and offline?"


    Hera’s sharp retort caught Alice off guard, making her face alternate between pale and flushed with embarrassment.


    "Secondly, with a filthy mind like yours, it’s no surprise that you assume everyone else is just as dirty. Do you really think the only way to rise in social circles is by relying on others in the way you do? Do you believe that everyone in the entertainment industry operates like you?"


    Hera arched an eyebrow, her voice carrying loud and clear for everyone to hear. She deliberately framed her words so that Alice’s implications would offend not just her but the entire industry.


    Then, she added with a disappointed sigh, "So, ording to you, every actor, model, and entertainer striving for better roles and opportunities—every single person engaging in business discussions with investors or seeking coborations—is just offering themselves up to seal the deal? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Alice, how disgraceful of you to even suggest that."


    Hera let out a dramatic sigh, her expression shifting to one of sadness as she nced around the room. She made direct eye contact with actresses, directors, and the models she had just walked the runway with, her gaze filled with an apologetic and concerned look, as if silently conveying her regret that they had been dragged into Alice’s nderous assumptions.


    This way, Hera could stir up disdain and anger toward Alice by exposing the hidden implications of her words.


    Since Alice was targeting her and insinuating that she was selling her body, Hera simply grouped herself with the other actresses, models, female managers, and directors in the entertainment industry—perhaps even the men—ensuring that Alice’s insult extended to them as well.


    After all, while Alice hadn’t explicitly said they were all engaging in such behavior, her words carried that very implication, staining the reputation of everyone in the industry.


    Just moments ago, the banquet hall had been filled with an air of professionalism and friendly business discussions, but Alice’s reckless remark had soured the atmosphere, turning it into a scene of disdain and quiet mockery.


    And Hera had no intention of letting that slide.


    "And thirdly..." Hera drawled, letting her words hang in the air as she slowly lifted her gaze. Her eyes curved into delicate crescents, and a breathtaking smile graced her lips, radiating both charm and confidence.


    "Thirdly, she’s not going up to the second floor to meet with old businessmen—she was meeting up with us. Do we look old to you? And who do you think you are to offer my sweetheart to other men just to gain favor and save yourself? Do you even deserve that kind of sacrifice? Do you think everyone is as shameless as you, using their bodies while shedding crocodile tears for sympathy? Ha! Disgusting!"


    Dave’s furious voice rang through the banquet hall, loud enough to echo off the walls. The soft melody from the piano, violin, and celloing from the corner of the hall came to an abrupt stop as the musicians faltered in shock.