"Senior Alice, please don’t worry so much," Lucas said, stepping forward in a protective gesture in front of the two won. "Senior Hera, I don’t know what magic or costic surgery my best friend underwent to improve his appearance, but please don’t be misled. And please don’t think poorly of Ms. Briley; she was only concerned for your reputation, especially given your position in the entertainnt industry."
Hera narrowed her eyes at Lucas. ’What a clever move’, she thought. With his words, he not only tarnished Hera’s reputation and exposed her career path to the bystanders, adding fuel to the online gossip, but also seed to have picked up on Minerva’s dislike for Hera after spending only an afternoon with her.
With just a few words, he had already cented trust within their group by ntioning Minerva’s last na, indicating she was the sole heiress of the Briley family—one of the most prominent families. Would an heiress from such a family stoop to scandal and gossip? At the sa ti, he dealt a blow to Logan by painting him as a superficially attractive man, implying that any potential entry into the entertainnt industry would render him nothing more than a plastic face compared to Lucas. Thus, Logan’s perceived advantage in looks would hold little weight in terms of true appeal.
Hera gave Lucas a thorough look, and the intensity of her gaze made Lucas feel as though he were on cloud nine. He would be lying if he denied his interest in Hera; still young and impulsive, he was easily swayed by primal instincts. A woman as stunning as Hera, surpassing even Minerva and Alice, was irresistible to n.
"No wonder he managed to rise to the top of his career in just a couple of years," Hera thought, her fist clenched tightly. His cunningness was on par with Dave’s, adept at exploiting any opportunity to propel himself upward. She felt exhausted from constantly being pulled into the storyline at every turn. Despite her efforts to break free from it, she found herself continually entangled, with drama pouring in relentlessly, denying her any rest days at all.
"Lucas, isn’t it?" Hera began.
When he heard his na called and Hera rembered it, Lucas’s eyes lit up. He nodded slightly, trying to maintain his composure in front of the crowd, though all he wanted was to approach Hera and make his move.
"If you hadn’t ntioned that Logan is your best friend, so might think you have a deep-seated hatred toward him. As for his appearance change, we simply removed his long bangs that covered his face and his thick glasses that hid his beautiful eyes. Even I didn’t see it coming, especially since Miss Sandra Stan took two hours just to style Logan, my junior." She then turned to Logan and tapped his shoulder a few tis like an older sister would.
"He has just signed on with our company, and since he doesn’t yet have an assistant to guide him when he’s clueless about what to do, and our manager is swamped with paperwork and registrations, I, as his senior both at university and in the workplace, need to take care of my junior to set a good example, don’t I?" Hera then glanced at Lucas with a gracious and gentle smile, though her domineering aura subtly emanated, lending her a regal and striking presence, much like a rose with thorns.
"As for the sugar daddy gossip, I wonder who started it? It’s true that I have suitors—after all, which woman doesn’t? Just because they were there for when I was hospitalized after an accident, does that an I’m deed promiscuous? If I didn’t know better, Miss Briley, I might think you’re orchestrating this to tarnish my reputation, given your certainty about being a vile woman. Surely, a well-bred lady like yourself wouldn’t resort to such tactics, would you?" Hera’s smile remained understanding and gentle, displaying concern and kindness to the bystanders.
So, those who made disparaging comnts earlier now felt embarrassed. They hadn’t held back their voices when they spoke, and many had heard them. Being scrutinized by others was truly embarrassing, making them question their own character for jumping to conclusions without knowing the reality behind the gossip.
Everyone felt a burning sensation in their cheeks from the stinging words like they were slapped in the face.
Hera’s words not only cleared her na but also suggested that the sole heiress of the prestigious Briley family was using her influence to target a vulnerable, lesser-known artist. Now, the tables had turned, and Minerva found herself at the center of the storm she had created and everything she said had backfired at her. Alice stood silently beside her, her thoughts concealed as she kept her head lowered.
She also dispelled suspicions about Logan’s sudden change in appearance. Considering that significant transformations don’t happen overnight with costic surgery, ntioning Sandra Stan reinforced the belief that her styling talent could enhance Logan’s already good fra with minimal effort, transforming him subtly rather than miraculously.
Her straightforward and honest explanation, which countered Lucas’s statent effectively, made it clear that they were being targeted by Minerva’s entourage.
Ultimately, Hera learned that when dealing with unreasonable people, sotis you have to counter them with even greater unpredictability, if they used the crowd to garner sympathy then you could only try to be more pitiful than the other party and with Hera’s situation, she just has to look reasonable and kind, a total white flower, Alice’s ultimate weapon.
When Lucas heard Hera announce that Logan had been signed as an artist, his face instantly paled with horror. He glared at Logan as if waiting for an explanation. Unfortunately for him, his earlier malicious comnt had burned his bridge with Logan. Hera wouldn’t allow him to treat Logan poorly and still expect to be close to him.
Even if Logan allowed it, she wouldn’t. Hera was now in full protective stance, like a hen guarding its chicks.
With effortless grace, she excused herself, exuding the deanor of a well-bred lady from a wealthy family, a contrast to Minerva that set them distinctly apart. So bystanders even began to doubt if Minerva truly embodied the grace of the Briley family’s princess, especially after her earlier display of hostility.
Hera also didn’t wait for them to retort back since she already said her piece and before heading to her car with Logan, she turned in one direction and then she smiled slightly, with the crowd’s collective gasp and astonishnt, she and Logan got in the car and slowly drove in front of the crowd who was admiring her car. Her Lamborgini’s engine revved loudly a few tis as if to taunt Minerva even more before she drove away in satisfaction.
Inside the car, Hera noticed Logan was even quieter than before. "From now on, you shouldn’t underestimate yourself or let others openly bully you," she began earnestly. "While we shouldn’t bully others, we mustn’t allow ourselves to be bullied either. As my junior, your na is not just tied to , but to every artist in our company. If we are disgraced, it will tarnish the company’s image as well." Hera’s tone was serious; she felt compelled to instill in Logan the importance of standing up for himself and protecting his reputation.
If she rely acted understanding and kind towards him, he might dismiss it as re comfort and remain as timid as a mouse—sothing not conducive in the cutthroat entertainnt industry. Hera resolved to instruct Betty to assign a fiery assistant to Logan; soone who could toughen him up and impart essential lessons for navigating the industry.
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PS: Hello everyone! I’m delighted that we’ve co this far as June draws to a close and we welco a new month. To show my appreciation, I’ve decided to offer discounted privilege pricing for the upcoming month. Thank you to all who have supported from the beginning until now. Our journey isn’t over yet, and I hope you’ll continue reading and showing your support.
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