Chapter 864 Alexa
Understanding the toll such a public confrontation must have taken, the other contestants instinctively gave her space, choosing to look away and allow her a moment to rest. After all, it was one thing to stand on stage under the scrutiny of judges and strangers, but to fight for your truth in that same spotlight and win? That was nothing short of extraordinary.
As soon as Xavier sat down, he gently settled Hera on his lap, cradling her head against his shoulder. "Strawberry, are you tired? Want me to give you a massage?" he asked softly, his voice laced with concern.
Then he leaned closer, lips brushing the shell of her ear, his tone dropping to something deeper, smoother—undeniably seductive. "Or... would you prefer a different kind of massage?" he murmured.
Hera didn’t need him to spell it out. Just hearing the way his voice changed made her blush furiously. He was shamelessly teasing her in broad daylight—and in front of an audience, no less. Mortified, she lowered her head to hide her flushed cheeks.
Xavier chuckled, a low, warm sound, as he fondly ruffled her hair. "I’m kidding," he said, his tone softer now. "Rest for a bit. You must be mentally drained, hmm?"
He gently guided her to lean fully against his chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat was like a lullaby, calming her frayed nerves. And he was right—she was exhausted. Mentally and emotionally. It hadn’t been easy standing on that stage, defending her truth while the crowd looked at her with suspicion, ready to condemn her without hearing her side. All because someone else had presented her original design first.
Now, wrapped in the quiet safety of Xavier’s arms, she finally allowed herself to breathe.
Hera’s eyelids grew heavier by the second, and before long, she had fallen asleep, curled up against Xavier like the big cat she resembled. Her body relaxed completely, her breathing soft and steady. Xavier smiled tenderly, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face, and instinctively began to hum a soothing pop tune under his breath.
Moments later, Alexandre appeared from the direction Xavier had come from, though this time, Antoine was nowhere to be seen. Without a word, Alexandre sat beside Xavier, careful not to disturb Hera’s sleep.
"You must be one of the boyfriends she mentioned?" Alexandre asked calmly. Though it sounded like a question, his tone was more of a quiet confirmation.
He studied Xavier’s face—clean-cut, strikingly handsome, and strangely familiar. Of course he looked familiar. Xavier was an internationally recognized celebrity, a Hollywood action star known across the globe. And now that he was sitting there in plain view, it didn’t take long for others to recognize him too.
Some of the other contestants discreetly took pictures and short videos: Hera asleep in Xavier’s arms, and Alexandre sitting beside them, the air between the two men charged with unspoken tension. It looked like the calm before a storm—or the middle of a love triangle—and that was more than enough to set the internet ablaze again.