Hera finally found her voice and replied, "It’s alright, Mr. Briley. We wouldn’t want to intrude on your plans with your friends. We’ll leave you to enjoy your dinner in peace." She offered a polite and reasonable explanation.
"My friends? They would definitely enjoy the company of such beautiful ladies," Rafael insisted. He wasn’t one to usually extend invitations, especially when he was with his friends. They preferred to avoid the drama and catfights that often accompanied won vying for n’s attention. For them, there were more important things to do and enjoy aside from just socializing with won.
So they tacitly agreed not to bring any won on their nights out, but Rafael felt that Hera was different from any girl who would resort to catfights and drama to get a man’s attention. He believed it would be alright. Besides, his hidden motive was to see her get flustered again. She seed like the type of person who was collected and calm, so it would be quite a sight to witness her blush and beco flustered over a slip of the tongue, just like earlier.
In short, ’Rafael’s aim was simply to flirt back with Hera.’ Athena would probably sum it up that way if she knew Rafael’s thoughts.
Hera chuckled lightly, attempting to mask her nervousness. "I’m sure you and your friends have plenty of guy talk to catch up on at the table. We girls probably wouldn’t fit into the conversation anyway." Her explanation contained a kernel of truth, but she also genuinely wished to keep her distance from getting too involved with them.
She had contemplated the idea of befriending them or perhaps infiltrating their circle, echoing the notion of ’keeping your friends close and your enemies closer,’ in order to gain insights that might help her navigate any potential threats to her family. Alternatively, she entertained the possibility of forming genuine friendships to mitigate the risks her family faced. Though it seed sowhat hopeful, she reasoned it was worth a try, as long as it didn’t jeopardize her safety or well-being.
But all these thoughts felt irrelevant at the mont. Hera couldn’t even bring herself to et Rafael’s gaze directly. She feared she might blurt out sothing foolish again in front of the entire "male lead squad," especially in her current state of ntal disarray that felt like a pit of mud.
Rafael remained determined to invite Hera to join them for a al. Accustod to being eagerly welcod in any social setting, he had never faced rejection before. Hera’s refusal ignited a competitive streak within him, exacerbating his wounded pride due to this unfamiliar experience of rejection.
By this point, Hera wore an expression of discomfort, and Athena was growing increasingly frustrated. They understood that this almost forced invitation stemd from male ego, yet they also recognized they didn’t have to accept if they genuinely didn’t want to. However, they felt torn, wanting to maintain a sense of etiquette despite their reservations.
Fortunately, Zhane, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, noticed Hera’s discomfort and intervened to decline Rafael’s invitation directly, without hesitation. Zhane understood that Rafael’s intentions weren’t ant to be forceful, but his own preoccupation with his feelings led him to overlook Hera’s discomfort.
While Rafael is accustod to mingling with individuals of similar social status, Zhane has interacted with people from diverse backgrounds so he could see what Rafael failed to see. Rafael may be used to others flattering him to gain favor, but Hera isn’t motivated by personal gain. She has a range of options and doesn’t feel compelled to engage in behavior she finds insincere or manipulative just to appease others.
Zhane finds Hera’s strength of character admirable. It’s not easy for anyone to stand their ground when soone of considerable influence extends an invitation, let alone express their determination to maintain their boundaries. Resisting such temptations is a rare quality.
Previously, Zhane had a positive impression of Hera, but now it had only grown stronger. He felt compelled to assist her by removing Rafael from the situation and ensuring she could enjoy her al in peace. Despite these thoughts racing through his mind, Zhane’s expression remained as cold and stoic as ever.
"I also agree that you girls might not enjoy listening to us talk about politics, work, and extre sports while you’re out for so fun," Zhane remarked, offering Hera a graceful exit. Without waiting for Rafael to respond, he swiftly draped an arm around Rafael’s shoulder and guided him away, effectively cutting off any potential objections.
Hera could only gaze gratefully at Zhane’s retreating back, exhaling a sigh of relief as the tension dissipated.
Rafael bristled, his temper flaring, but Zhane beat him to the punch. "If you’re aiming to be hated, then feel free to return and pester them."
"What do you an ’pester’? I’m rely asking politely!" Rafael shot back defensively.
"Perhaps you failed to notice how uncomfortable she appeared while trying to decline your invitation because you were preoccupied with your own desires to win your ego back," Zhane remarked, his pace steady as he continued walking.
Rafael felt the urge to argue back, but Zhane’s words struck a chord of reason within him. Truth be told, his ego had taken a hit, but he recognized the importance of respecting soone’s boundaries. It went against his nature to pressure others into uncomfortable situations if it ant for personal reasons and not for business. It was inherent for people like them to place significant emphasis on their image and pride; but for him, he put more emphasis on his pride rather than his image, he wouldn’t be known for being rciless if he valued his image. Rafael couldn’t fathom compromising his principles, even in the face of adversity.
After Rafael took a mont to compose himself and reflect on the situation, he too acknowledged the validity of Zhane’s observation. He proceeded to follow along in a more composed manner.
"You seed preoccupied earlier. Did your sister cause another trouble?" Zhane inquired, keeping his gaze forward.
"She did. She even tried to stir up trouble for CEO Jackson’s niece this morning," Rafael sighed, his frustration evident in his tone as he recounted the incident.
"No wonder you seed uncharacteristically agitated earlier. The frustration must have been building up, leading you to vent it in a different manner. It’s a common response to stress," Zhane remarked.
Rafael chuckled in response. "Having a doctor in the circle certainly cos in handy."
Zhane maintained his serious deanor. "I’m just stating observations from the sidelines." With that, he proceeded towards their private room.
Rafael took a deep breath, trying to reorganize his thoughts. This wasn’t the first ti his sister had caused trouble, leaving him frustrated. ’But she was family; he couldn’t simply abandon her, could he?’
He decided to put aside his concerns and simply relax for the rest of the day, focusing on destressing.
Once Hera and Athena had settled into their private room and placed their orders, Athena wasted no ti in asking Hera about what had transpired before she returned. Hera blushed, feeling embarrassed at the mory of her suggestive comnt made in front of two n she didn’t know personally.
As Hera recounted the events to Athena, her friend burst into laughter before Hera could even finish her sentence, leaving Hera feeling a bit embarrassed. Despite trying to compose herself, Hera’s face remained as red as a tomato.
After laughing heartily, Athena patted Hera’s shoulder. But instead of consoling her, Athena remarked, "It’s okay. Even I think it’s really big based on the description in the book," before bursting into laughter again. Feeling the cringe, Hera’s eyebrows twitched, and she could no longer bear it. She slapped Athena’s arm to make her stop.
When Athena settled down, Hera inquired, "What were you doing earlier that you suddenly disappeared?"
"Oh, right!" Athena regulated her breathing before continuing. "I received a call from our senior class monitor. She’s inviting us for a class reunion," Athena said solemnly.
"Why the serious face then? It’s just a class reunion," Hera asked in confusion.
Athena’s expression turned incredulous as she answered, "Have you forgotten that Alexi will be there? Not just Alexi, but he would definitely bring Minerva and I think Claire will be coming too. What if they band together to go against you?"
Hera chuckled. "What’s there to worry about? You’ll be there. No matter how many Claires and Minervas show up, I have the transmigrator on my side, and besides, your mouth is like a Gatling gun compared to theirs."
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