He looked nothing like the polished celebrity he once was on TV—now, he resembled a homeless man. Yet, despite his disheveled state, Hera had still recognized him.


    That alone was enough to make his heart race. It had to mean something, didn’t it?


    They had been together for three years—years that couldn’t be erased so easily. He refused to believe that Hera had truly moved on, especially when their breakup hadn’t been that long ago. Clinging to that thought, hope red in his chest as he gazed at her longingly.


    "H-Hera, I missed you," Alexi croaked, his voice hoarse and unsteady.


    That single sentence confirmed Hera’s suspicions—this disheveled man in front of her was indeed Alexi. Instantly, her guard went up.


    Before she could react, Athena stepped in front of her like a protective mother hen, hands on her hips, eyes narrowing as she took in Alexi’s pitiful state with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.


    "What happened to you?" Athena demanded, her tone sharp and bossy.


    She knew Alexi personally—they had attended the same high school along with Hera and crossed paths multiple times—so her questioning wasn’t out of ce. Besides, curiosity burned within her.


    Who would dare mess with the novel’s second male lead?


    Her gossipy nature red up, and there was no way she was letting Alexi leave without getting some answers.


    Since Alexi knew Athena was Hera’s best friend, he didn’t bother hiding anything. His face twisted with anger as he poured out his grievances, hoping to earn Hera’s sympathy.


    "I was at my apartment, drowning my sorrows in alcohol when out of nowhere, Rafael Briley barged in and beat me up like some street thug! That man ispletely unhinged—violent, short-tempered, like a mafia boss with no self-control. The only good thing about him is his wealth, and even that doesn’t make up for his horrible personality."


    Alexi seized the opportunity to badmouth Rafael in front of Hera. He had already seen the news about Rafael courting her, and just the thought of it was enough to drive him mad with jealousy.


    In his mind, Rafael and Minerva’s family were to me for his downfall. He was certain Rafael had fueled the scandalous news about him. Sure, Hera had a hand in it, but he believed she had only acted out of necessity, backed into a corner by Minerva.


    After all, he knew Hera best—or so he thought. She wasn’t the type to be petty or vindictive. To him, she was the epitome of grace—hardworking, kind, and easy to get along with. Unlike Minerva, whose only advantage in life was her wealth.


    But what Alexi didn’t realize was that while his perception of Hera was mostly true, her actions always depended on the people around her. When dealing with others, she was indeed well-mannered, hardworking, and easygoing. However, when faced with her enemies, she absolutely reveled in being petty.


    Seeing Alexi in this pitiful state, Hera had to fight the urge to smile. She firmly believed this was nothing more than his just desserts for being a scumbag. However, she also knew he wasn’t telling the whole truth about why Rafael had beaten him to a pulp.


    Rafael might have a short temper, but he wasn’t the type tosh out without reason—there had to be more to the story.


    Just as she was mulling this over, Alexi turned his gaze toward her, his expression that of a wronged child.


    "Baby, why didn’t you visit me in the hospital? I was there for so long, and it was lonely without you. I missed you so much," he crooned, taking a step closer.


    Before he could get any nearer, Athena immediately stepped between them, shielding Hera while shoving her further behind. But Alexi, either oblivious or deliberately ignoring the cue, kept his eyes locked on Hera.


    "My mom wants to see you. She said we should start discussing our wedding soon..." Alexi said hopefully, his eyes filled with expectation.


    Both Hera and Athena raised their brows, their expressions twitching in disbelief.


    <i>’Is this moron seriously pretending he lost his memory? Does he think he can just cling to my Hera again like before? What does he take her for—a damn hotel he can check in and out of whenever he pleases? This scumbag!’</i> Athena fumed internally, her lips twisting in all directions as she struggled to contain her anger.


    She clenched her fists, biting her lip to hold herself back from kicking Alexi right then and there.


    But she hesitated.


    As much as she wanted to put him in his ce, the guy was already beaten up. If sheid a hand on him now, his vampire-like family might just use it as an excuse to squeeze everyst drop ofpensation money out of her.


    There was no way Athena was going to let them squeeze a single penny out of her. That family had already done enough to Hera when she was with Alexi—constantly looking down on her for being poor and treating her as if she had no value to them.


    They had always wanted to use Alexi to secure a marriage with a wealthy family, hoping to improve their own status and live a morefortable life.


    But when Hera came into the picture, their ns fell apart, and they never forgave her for it. Instead, they resented her, going out of their way to make her life miserable while subjecting her to endless verbal harassment while also using her money for themselves.


    Athena, who had finally reached her limit, snapped. "Alexi, you, of all people, should know that you and Hera are done. You chose Minerva, kicked Hera out of the apartment that she was paying for with her own money, made her homeless, and threw her into one mess after another. And let’s not forget—you even fucking <i>slept</i> with Minerva! Do you seriously think any woman in her right mind would tolerate that? What are you, <i>gold</i>?" She crossed her arms, ring at him as she tore into him.


    The crowd that had initially gathered to admire Hera’s new ride now lingered, captivated by the unfolding drama. A wave of shock rippled through them at the mention of Alexi’s name.


    It wasn’t until Athena’s cutting words that recognition finally clicked—this was <i>that</i> Alexi. Whispers spread like wildfire, and some onlookers even pulled out their phones, eager to capture the spectacle to post on their social media.


    But Alexi didn’t care. He knew his career was already in ruins, but if this scandal could be spun in his favor, even bad publicity was still publicity.


    Deep down, he relished the attention. He had already nted the seed that Rafael had beaten him up—now all he had to do was twist the narrative.


    If he yed his cards right, he could im that he had broken up with Minerva, only for her vengeful brother to retaliate and leave him in this pitiful state.


    Better yet, he could spin a tragic tale—Minerva had <i>forced</i> him into a rtionship, threatening to cklist him from the industry using her family’s power, leaving him with no choice but toply. And all of it, of course, was to <i>protect</i> the woman he truly loved which was Hera.


    If he framed it this way, not only could he tug at Hera’s heartstrings, but he could also ride the wave of her skyrocketing poprity to w his way back into the spotlight.