Chapter 868 Good Intention Backfired
When Xavier handed the bouquet to Hera, he made sure it was grand but not overwhelming—just enough for her to hold without being buried beneath it. Then, he cast a smug, pointed smirk at Alexandre, as if to say, ’Mine’s bigger, better—you might as well take your little flower and go.’
The implication wasn’t lost on anyone; his gaze dropped briefly, suggestively, toward Alexandre’s crotch before he closed the distance to Hera and placed a bold kiss on her cheek.
All of it was caught on camera, and right now, Dave was watching the footage from his office computer, laughing so hard he nearly fell off his chair. Just earlier, he had been fuming like a lion whose tail had been stepped on, but now he was practically giddy with amusement, praising Xavier’s quick thinking like a proud father.
"That’s my boy! Hahaha! Put that guy in his place!" Dave chuckled, clapping his hands. "Does he really think he can just show up and sweep Hera off her feet just because he’s smitten? Well, too bad for him. My sweetheart’s surrounded by bees and butterflies—and it’s our job to swat away the pests."
His assistant, who had been standing nearby the whole time, could only sigh and rub his temples in exasperation. Moments ago, Dave had stormed out of an important meeting, claiming a sudden stomach ache—only to rush back into his office to watch Hera’s award ceremony livestream. And when trouble began brewing on-screen, Dave had gone into full crisis mode, frantically dialing international contacts to help clear Hera’s name.
After all, she was in another country where they had no media influence, and any headline—true or false—could spread like wildfire. While Dave and his circle scrambled behind the scenes, all they could do was worry and act as fast as possible to support her.
Just when they thought things were finally settling down—thanks to Hera’s quick thinking—bam, Alexandre Arnault popped up out of nowhere, trying to charm her like some smooth-talking prince in a rom-com. Dave was instantly fuming, firing off a barrage of furious messages in their group chat.
He honestly didn’t think Xavier would have a clever way to deal with it. But then, to his pleasant surprise, Xavier swooped in like a knight in shining armor, presenting Hera with a massive bouquet of flowers. Normally, Dave hated it when his friends tried to steal Hera’s attention, but this time... he didn’t mind. Not one bit.
Maybe it was because Xavier’s sudden appearance meant someone was actively fending off Alexandre’s advances, keeping their tight circle protected from unexpected intruders. The last thing Dave wanted was for some newcomer to break in, shake up their delicate balance, and worst of all, bump him to the bottom of the pecking order.