"Ha! Look at her, acting like a big shot, being escorted by her entire team. Did she hire a few gigolos to surround her for show?" The woman sneered, her eyes narrowing with envy as she glanced at Leo, Luke, Dave, and Xavier.
So focused on her own race training, she hadn’t bothered to learn who Dave or Xavier were.
Unfamiliar with the world of politics or the entertainnt industry, she assud the two n—who were frequently seen on TV—were just part of Hera’s entourage, treating them as nothing more than her hired escorts.
Hearing the woman’s comnt, Danny, who was walking alongside Hera and the others, nearly choked on his own spit.
He glanced at the Young Minister’s face—soone who was frequently seen in international interviews—and couldn’t decide whether to laugh at the absurdity of it or to feel embarrassed for the woman.
The suggestion that he was so sort of a gigolo was so ridiculous, Danny was left awkwardly caught between amusent and discomfort.
But the woman wasn’t finished. "So, was the award ceremony postponed because she was busy with her gigolo behind closed doors? How audacious!" she sneered, her words echoing across the venue.
Several reporters nearby overheard her comnt and quickly started recording, their eyes now turning to Hera with unmistakable skepticism.
Hera, however, remained composed. On the surface, she appeared innocent and unbothered, but inside, a thought crossed her mind: ’Woman’s intuition is terrifyingly accurate.’
With a calm smile, Hera cast the woman a brief, indifferent glance before being called to the stage alongside the other two runners-up to receive their trophies.
After receiving their trophies and posing for pictures with the organizers and the other runners-up, the next segnt of the ceremony began.
As the head organizer handed Hera a bottle of champagne, she knew how the next part of the ceremony would comnce.
With a flick of her wrist, she popped the cork, sending it soaring into the air as the champagne erupted from the bottle.
Hera, ever graceful, placed her thumb over the opening and directed the spray into the crowd, delighting them with the celebratory gesture.
The organizer quickly offered her a glass of champagne, followed by one for each mber of her team. They all raised their glasses in a toast, savoring the mont. Afterward, they proceeded to the interview, the caras flashing as they made their way toward the awaiting reporters.
Everything that transpired was broadcasted live on Hera’s stream, sending her fans into a frenzy of excitent and pride.
They felt a sense of accomplishnt for supporting the right person and being part of her journey to this pivotal mont.
During the broadcast, they also heard the disparaging remarks made by the brunette woman earlier.
Unbeknownst to her, the comnt quickly gained traction on social dia, with many viewers taking offense.
The woman was now being called out for disrespecting the Young Minister and the international actor Xavier.
Xavier’s fans, known for their fierce loyalty and protectiveness, were particularly vocal, rallying against the female racer.
As the woman continued to throw snide remarks at Hera, she was t with a flood of backlash from fans who weren’t afraid to defend their idols.
...
[XavierisLove: The audacity of this woman! Who does she think she’s calling a gigolo?]
[ILoveMyCountry: Calling our Young Minister a gigolo? That’s beyond disrespectful!]
[ILoveMyCountry: (๑`^´๑)︻デ═一]
[LoudMouth: Girl, don’t be so quick to judge. Is it because all these handso n are surrounding our Hera, and you’re jealous? You haven’t even seen the whole picture. There are still two more n in her entourage that was currently absent. Nyahahah. Die of envy, bitch!]
[LoudMouth: ꉂ (´∀｀)ʱªʱªʱª]
[Athena_Lowery: I thought I’d have to use my power to protect Hera, but it looks like @LoudMouth has got it covered. Still, I’m happy that so many are defending little Hera from the haters.]
[Athena_Lowery: ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧]
[LoudMouth: @Athena_Lowery Senior, you’re overhyping . I’m just standing up for our innocent little Hera.]
[Athena_Lowery: INNOCENT ( ≖‿≖ )]
[LoudMouth: @Athena_Lowery Senior, why does it feel like you’re holding sothing back?]
[XOXO: Oh? It sounds like you’re trying to imply that Hera isn’t as innocent as we think. Is that it?]
[Athena_Lowery: I didn’t say that! Hera is definitely innocent, which is why I’ve had to give her so many pep talks. I don’t want her falling for n’s sweet words too easily... and...]
[AuntieNextDoor: @Athena_Lowery and...?]
[HeraIsMySister: @Athena_Lowery and...?]
[Athena_Lowery: ( 〃● ₃● ) ~]
...
As everyone enjoyed bashing the haters in Hera’s live stream and reporting the female racer’s audacious comnts, the reporters gathered around Hera once again, eager to ask her more questions.
"Miss Phantom, this is your first public appearance. Can you tell us why you decided to stop hiding your identity and reveal yourself to the public?" One reporter eagerly held a microphone out toward Hera, almost hitting her face.
It was hard to tell whether the reporter’s close proximity was due to excitent or intentional, but Hera’s heightened awareness, a result of what happened earlier with the man who tried to splash her with sulfuric acid, kicked in.
Thanks to her quick reflexes, she instinctively took a step back just in ti.
Despite the close call, she remained composed, not calling out the reporter for her invasive approach, and answered with grace.
"I was once so focused on my studies and dedicated to supporting others that I didn’t want to add any more stress to my life. I valued my privacy deeply, and being in the lilight felt like it would disrupt my quiet existence. But after entering the entertainnt industry, driven by my passion for acting, things just unfolded this way," Hera explained.
The sa reporter, eager for more, quickly followed up. "But did it really just happen this way, or was it part of your company’s publicity strategy to attract more attention and build your fan base for better career prospects?"
"I’d be lying if I said that revealing my identity as Phantom hasn’t helped my career in the entertainnt industry. But the way it all happened was actually just a coincidence," Hera replied calmly.
Another reporter, intrigued, leaned in and asked, "What do you an by coincidence? Could you elaborate on that?"
Before Hera could answer, the brunette female racer, unaware of the online backlash she was already facing, scoffed loudly from the side.
"What else? She’s probably doing this to attract more attention. Just like she said, she’s an actress—she’s probably using this whole ’mysterious Phantom’ act to get in the spotlight. Reveal your identity later, and suddenly, everyone’s attention is on you," she said, ensuring her voice carried to the reporters around Hera.
Hera remained unfazed by the blatant provocation from the female racer.
She knew that the events on the racetrack earlier had likely fueled the woman’s animosity.
Calmly, Hera explained, "Honestly, I wasn’t planning to reveal my identity at all. It just so happened that during a visit to a race circuit, I ca across the national race team from my country."
"One thing led to another, and we ended up racing. After that race, the team’s manager and so of the staff recognized my driving style, and they approached about joining in."
"From there, everything just snowballed. My sponsor, who had always collected my awards for before, chose to disclose my identity to avoid others making false claims about ."
Hera smiled as she glanced at the cara, her tone subtly pointed, a quiet ssage aid at the female racer—hinting that she was no different from the people who had been spreading rumors about her.
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