Alexandre turned around then, not returning to the event hall but heading straight home instead—he needed to speak with his father.


    "Well, that was an intense show," Athena remarked, breaking the silence.


    "Yeah... I didn’t think we’d end up with front-row seats to a live romance drama," Liz said with a teasing grin. "Do you think it’s still the ssic ’CEO chases wife to the crematorium’ redemption arc? Or has it evolved into ’CEO chasing true love’ now?"


    Only then did Minerva’s head snap toward them in rm, her eyes wide. "Wait—are you telling me that guy was pining after Hera?!"


    Her voice was almost a shout, drawing a few curious nces their way. Until that moment, she hadn’t fully understood what Athena and Liz were rambling about with all that CEO drama talk. But after witnessing the exchange between Alexandre and Hera, the realization hit her like a truck.


    She started to panic.


    Her brother—intimidating, domineering, hot-headed but hopelessly lovestruck—was already in deep over Hera. And he had to deal with five other rivals already. If another contender like Alexandre joined the mix, would her mafia-like brother even stand a chance?


    Minerva liked Hera. A lot. She was starting to picture her as the perfect sister-inw. Which meant one thing: she couldn’t let anyone else steal Hera away—not now, not ever.


    "Well, you’re slow to notice," Athena said with a mischievous smirk, watching Minerva’s panicked expression with clear amusement.


    It was almost funny—Minerva looked genuinely distressed, as if the idea of Hera being stolen away from her brother was a personal emergency. This reaction was so different from the Minerva Athena once knew—the girl who used to be maliciously hostile toward Hera, treating her like a joke and even making her act as Alexi’s maid while she and Alexi fooled around.


    Athena couldn’t help but wonder how such a drastic change had taken ce. For a moment, she just studied Minerva in silence. And for the first time, she truly believed what Hera had said before—that maybe, just maybe, Minerva had really been controlled by the plot all along. Forced to y the role of the malicious second female lead, acting out a script that wasn’t entirely her own.


    Just as they were engrossed in their conversation, a shadow suddenly loomed over them, and Athena instantly gulped back her words.


    "Hehehe... babe, you’re back?" Athena said with a nervousugh, ncing up at Hera with a guilty smile.


    Hera, who had supposedly walked away after leaving Alexandre, had unexpectedly returned. But of course she did—when she stepped out of the hotel and looked back, she realized no one was following her. Concerned, she went searching for her friends, hoping they hadn’t gotten into any trouble.


    She hadn’t noticed they’d stayed behind earlier because her mind was too caught up in what to do next. But when she returned and saw them huddled together gossiping like they were dissecting a prime-time romance drama, she felt a wave of exasperation.


    There they were—safe, unbothered, and fully entertained—discussing her predicament like it was some juicy TV episode. And Hera didn’t need to guess who the ring leader of this littlementary club was. She gave Athena a long, knowing look.


    Of course. It had to be Athena—the hopeless romantic, the certified love-brain.


    "Let’s go back to the hotel," Hera said, pinching Athena’s cheeks lightly before turning around and taking a step forward. She paused and nced over her shoulder to check if the others were following. Once she saw them trailing behind her, she continued walking toward the exit.


    Outside, her bodyguards were already waiting. A sleek, extended Rolls-Royce Cullinan was parked by the roadside, its engine quietly humming.


    "Young Miss, please," one of the bodyguards said respectfully as he opened the car door for Hera, cing a hand over the top of the door to shield her head from bumping against the frame as she got in.


    The others followed her into the vehicle, and as soon as everyone was seated, the bodyguard gently shut the door before hurrying to the car behind the lead vehicle. The fleet pulled out in smooth, practiced coordination.


    From the shadows nearby, someone silently emerged—it was none other than Alice.


    She had been lurking, looking for dirt to use against Hera. She was the one who had secretly taken the photo of Hera and Alexandre earlier, hoping to stir trouble. But now, watching Hera leave in such a high-profile, dignified manner while she herself hid like a sewer rat, Alice was seething.


    It stung even more knowing she had no money left, and the hotel they were staying at was across the bridge—quite a distance away. Worse still, Hera hadn’t even looked for her, hadn’t offered her a ride, hadn’t cared if she was left behind.


    <i>’What a selfish bitch,’</i> Alice thought bitterly, her fists clenched. She looked around for help, but the area was nearly deserted, with only the asional passerby. Resigned, and fuming, she had no choice but to start the long walk back—stumbling in her heels, each step adding to her fury.