Hearing Hera taunting her even now, Alice stomped her foot in frustration. She couldn’t talk back—at least not with Alexandre still standing in front of Hera. To make matters worse, Hera’s teasing sounded almost childish, leaving Alice unsure whether it was a calculated move to gain Alexandre’s attention or simply a petty jab aid at her.
Unfortunately for Alice, it was exactly the latter.
Hera had no intention of staying silent. After all, Alice kept picking at her even now—how could Hera’s pettiness let her take it lying down? And as for Alexandre, Hera didn’t even notice the doting smile he wore as he looked at her. She was too focused on Alice, peeking past Alexandre just to gauge her reaction.
It was as if Alexandre hadn’t even heard Alice’s misleading remarks—his full attention was locked on Hera alone.
Seeing Hera act so mischievously, Alexandre could only smile indulgently as he watched her mock Alice—the very person trying to ruin her reputation. Hera behaved as if she weren’t the target of the accusations, as if the personal attacks ant nothing to her.
Alexandre, having seen Mindy in similar situations, couldn’t help but compare. If it had been Mindy, she would’ve already gone into a frenzy—flipping the table and fiercely punishing anyone who dared to mislead the audience.
But Hera... Hera’s playful response felt like a breath of fresh air. It was unexpected—and utterly charming.
"Do you need help?" Alexandre asked gently, his voice breaking through Hera’s thoughts. Only then did Hera rember he was still there.
She shook her head with a calm smile. It wasn’t the first ti Alice had tried to sar her na or twist the situation to create misunderstandings. If anyone happened to be recording this and the footage reached her holand, so be it—it would only boost her popularity. It wasn’t as if she had a carefully crafted persona to protect.
If Alice wanted to stir up trouble online, Hera could respond in kind. She could easily upload the surveillance footage from the event hall and let the public judge for themselves. That kind of transparency would only spark more attention—not just for her, but for the competition as well. In fact, it might even serve as the perfect hype to kickstart her jewelry design career.
"Then... do you really have n around you back ho?" Alexandre asked hesitantly. His voice was so soft it was barely a whisper—if Hera hadn’t been standing right behind him, she might have missed it.
She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusent. Just from the look in her eyes, Alexandre felt his heart sink. He didn’t even need to hear her answer—her expression had already told him everything.
"There are six of them, actually," Hera said openly, her tone light but honest. It was no secret back in her holand. Everyone knew about the six n who surrounded her—whether as suitors or sothing more—and she even had fans who shipped her with each of them. Denying it now would only invite trouble, especially with Alice lurking nearby, ready to pounce on any contradiction and label her a liar.
Besides, why should she deny it? They were all wonderful n, each of them important to her in their own way. And if soone with ill intent ever clipped a video of her denial and used it to hurt those n, it would be unfair—not just to them, but to the bond they shared. She wouldn’t like being denied either. So she wouldn’t do that to them.
Hearing her answer, Alexandre’s eyes subtly reddened, though his expression remained cold and composed. On the outside, he looked unaffected—but only he knew that his heart was quietly breaking, piece by piece. It was the first ti he had ever felt truly drawn to a woman, the first ti he genuinely wanted to get closer to soone. And yet, the mont he tried, he found she already had six n around her.
Before he could even process the ache inside him, his mouth moved on its own. His voice trembled, betraying the storm beneath his calm exterior.
"Six n already... then one more wouldn’t hurt, right?" he asked, his tone almost pleading. "Maybe... one for each day of the week? I could be the seventh... just one day. Would that be enough?"
Hera was so stunned by what he said that her eyes widened, and her mouth opened and closed a few tis, trying to find words—but nothing ca out. Did Alexandre just... offer himself like a concubine? Was he seriously suggesting becoming her seventh man, just to be with her? She couldn’t tell whether she should laugh or cry.
She already had six n in her life, and managing them was chaotic enough. Adding a seventh? That was asking for emotional burnout. Besides, would Leo, Luke, Dave, Zhane, Xavier, and Rafael even accept that? She had co to Paris to compete in the IGI Expressions and Racing Competitions—not to collect boyfriends like souvenirs. What would those six say if she went ho with a foreigner in tow? That she couldn’t survive a few weeks without them and decided to bring ho a new rival?
"I... um..." Hera struggled to find the words, but Alexandre looked like a heartbroken puppy right before her eyes. His gaze was fixed on her, eyes reddened and pleading as he awaited her answer. Though Hera wanted to refuse imdiately, every ti she opened her mouth to say no, his eyes only grew wetter, his lips pressed tighter, and tears began to well up, threatening to spill over.
"Hera, what do you an by this? Are you seriously flirting with a man right in front of us?" Alice snapped, her tone sharp and irritated rather than just accusatory. "What would your lovers think if they saw this? Didn’t you co here to compete? Do they even know you’re off flirting while you’re supposed to be focused?"
"Competition?"
"Competition?"
Both Mindy and Alexandre echoed the word at the sa ti, turning to look at Alice with contrasting expressions.
Alice’s sudden outburst had unintentionally given Hera a chance to breathe and gather herself. The awkward tension between her and Alexandre dissipated slightly, and she welcod the distraction.
Alexandre’s face lit up just a little at the ntion of a competition. He looked thoughtful, gears visibly turning in his head as he considered how he might help Hera win—perhaps to earn her gratitude, maybe even her affection. Supporting her might be his way in, or at the very least, a reason to stay close to her.
Mindy, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes slightly. The word "competition" clearly triggered sothing else entirely in her mind. She didn’t show it openly, but a calculating glint flickered in her gaze—she was already plotting sothing. Whether it was to sabotage Hera or use the event for her own gain, her intentions were far from supportive.
Neither of them said anything further, but their expressions, subtle as they were, revealed more than words ever could.
"Alice," Hera said coolly, "instead of worrying about and my competition, maybe you should focus on yourself. And besides, who I get close to is none of your business, right?"
___
Thank you so much, Terri_Wright_3929, Cinparo, Carol_Ma, Lovedada1, Jackie_lendez, and Ashley_Ortiz_7085, for all the Golden Tickets!
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