"What are you staring at?" Athena said, catching Liz’s stunned expression. "We should definitely stick to this big tree no matter what. Even if I end up an old maid to my best friend, it’d be totally worth it. After all, she could buy me everything I wanted and is way more reliable than any man." Athena grinned yfully before pressing the key fob, the car beeping a few times before unlocking.


    With a mischievous glint in her eye, Athena hopped into the Bugatti Centodieci, waving Liz the keys while Hera herself slid into the driver’s seat of the Pagani Codalunga.


    Both cars would undoubtedly turn heads—one in mint pink, the other in mint purple—ultra-girly yet sleek and powerful, a true attention-grabbing duo.


    The roar of the engines soon echoed through the quiet garage. The mint pink Pagani Codalunga was the first to glide out of the parking lot, followed closely by the mint purple Bugatti Centodieci.


    They raced down the street, drawing the usual crowd of onlookers who eagerly snapped photos. Hera had grown ustomed to this attention, having driven her cars around more than once.


    Initially, she’d felt a little anxious about the public eye, but now she was as calm as a still pond. She focused on mentally preparing herself for thepetition ahead, a smile curling on her lips.


    But then, a sudden twinge of unease struck her chest, as though something invisible was tugging at her heart. It twisted and churned, a feeling she couldn’t quite ce.


    Though she had been telling herself it was just prepetition nerves, that didn’t feel entirely urate. After all, she didn’t truly feel nervous. But the difort lingered, gnawing at her, as if something was subtly wrong.


    Instead of her stomach, it was her chest that churned with unease. For some reason, a shadow hung over Hera’s heart, a nagging sense of fear that made her feel ufortably on edge.


    She shifted in her seat, trying to shake off the growing tension, and pressed harder on the gas pedal, pushing the car to go faster down the street—just barely staying below the speed limit.


    Athena, thinking Hera was simply caught up in excitement, followed behind her with a smile. Thanks to their speed and theck of traffic, they arrived at thepetition in no time.


    The venue was buzzing with activity, filled with many big names from the jewelry design industry. Even Liz’spany had representatives there. As Hera, Athena, and Liz entered arm in arm, like the best of friends, Liz spotted her father across the room.


    He was shaking hands with otherpany leaders, too engrossed in conversation to notice her. Not wanting to disturb him, Liz, along with Hera and Athena, wandered around the lobby, taking in the surroundings.


    Hera felt a sudden tug on her arm, pulling her from her thoughts. Looking down, she saw Athena gripping her arm tightly, as if she was trying to pull her away. "What’s wrong?" Hera asked, concern creeping into her voice.


    Following Athena’s gaze, Hera’s eyesnded on Alice. "What is she doing here?" Hera’s frown deepened, a sense of unease settling over her. <i>I’s she up to something?’</i> Hera wondered, her heart tightening. ’<i>Why do I feel like my heart is hanging by a thread? Is she the reason why?’</i>


    Hera instinctively raised her guard upon spotting Alice. It had be second nature to her—whenever Alice appeared, it meant the storyline was at y, and Hera knew all too well that Alice’s presence was rarely a coincidence.


    What was her purpose here? It wasn’t hard to guess. Alice was likely trying towork with the higher-ups of otherpanies, using her talent to market herself as a talented woman.


    With her career in the entertainment industry hanging by a thread, and theizens relentlessly attacking her, Alice needed to find a way to reinvent herself. She had to make herself appear desirable to both viewers and business owners if she wanted to maintain her position at the top.


    But did Alice truly possess any talent in jewelry design? Or was she simply here to socialize and make connections? Regardless, Hera knew better than to underestimate Alice. With the storyline supporting her, Alice was more dangerous than she seemed.


    Hera and Athena exchanged a nce, their expressions unreadable, before Liz, clearly confused, interrupted. "What are you two looking at? Is something wrong?"


    "Ah, Liz, let me fill you in," Athena said, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Remember the woman I told you about? The one who always tried to bully Hera, only to end up in misery?"


    "Yeah? Why?"


    "She’s here," Athena whispered, subtly pointing her lips in the woman’s direction. Liz followed her gaze and spotted a woman with ming red, wavy hair, almost like Ariel from <i>’The Little Mermaid’</i>, and eyes the color of aquamarine.


    She radiated a dazzling charm as she conversed with others, appearing gentle and harmless, shing cute smiles. She was theplete opposite of Hera—who exuded effortless seduction, yet still carried an air of innocence.


    "That’s her?" Liz whispered, her face contorting in a mix of distaste as she nced back at Hera.


    Hera raised an eyebrow, amused. "What’s going on?"


    She chuckled, watching Liz and Athena act like teenagers gossiping about their worst enemy in the school hallway, while stealing nces at the woman who clearly rubbed them the wrong way.


    "Huh? I thought she was better than you in some ways, but..." Liz trailed off, her eyes shifting between Hera and Alice. She briefly nced at Hera’s chest,paring it to Alice’s, then her gaze dropped to Hera’s waist and perky ass.


    Liz gave a satisfied smile. "Well, aside from having a delicate waist, Alice can’t reallypare to your... <i>assets</i>," Liz said, her words slipping out before she could filter them. Fortunately, their voices were low, and they were talking among themselves.


    "Hahaha, of course!" Athena chimed in, her tone yful. "Hera’s got six gardeners plowing thend and tending to her flowers, making sure they bloom just right. How could she not have a perfect bust and a perky ass?" Athena said casually, without thinking about how inappropriate her words might sound.


    Hera’s face turned a deep shade of red, and Liz gasped in surprise as she looked at her. After a moment, Liz gave Hera a thumbs up, clearly impressed. "Hey, I admire your time management skills!"


    Hera was mortified, but there was little she could do about it. Even Liz was starting to pick up Athena’s way of thinking and talking, and it felt like these two were going to be the death of her one way or another.


    They were bing like two peas in a pod, but it was also highly entertaining, leaving Hera caught in the middle of it all.


    With a resigned sigh, Hera grabbed both of them and tugged them into a quiet corner, far enough from prying eyes where they wouldn’t draw attention.