Chapter 873 Silent Dare
Xavier tensed—he wanted to protect Hera, to keep Alexandre at a distance—but if Hera had already made a choice, he wouldn’t contradict her. He knew her well enough by now: Hera was kind, sometimes too kind, and all of them had gotten close to her by tugging on that soft spot in her heart.
Athena, watching the scene unfold, arched a brow and smirked. Hera, catching her best friend’s knowing look, immediately avoided her gaze. She could practically hear Athena’s teasing words forming already and wasn’t ready to face them just yet.
Dinner finally began, and even Antoine joined their table, quickly falling into easy conversation with Athena and Liz. Minerva, on the other hand, pretended to take aesthetic photos of the food but was secretly capturing shots of Hera flanked by Xavier and Alexandre, who, unbeknownst to each other, seemed locked in a silent battle of who could put more food on Hera’s plate. One after another, the two kept piling food onto Hera’s plate, until it looked like she was preparing for a week-long feast.
Hera didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had, after all, invited the trouble to her own doorstep. Letting Alexandre join was meant to be a friendly gesture—an opportunity to ease the tension and maybe even talk about a potential collaboration.
With her plans to launch her brand in Paris, working with someone as influential as Alexandre Arnault seemed like the perfect stepping stone to gaining international traction. His sway in France’s economy and the global luxury goods market made him a valuable ally—or rival. A friendly partnership could soften her brand’s entry into the competitive Parisian market and help avoid unnecessary targeting.
Well... maybe she had been swayed a little by his handsome appearance. And that was exactly why Xavier and the others were so wary of Alexandre. They knew Hera had a weakness for attractive men—and unfortunately, Alexandre was practically her type in person.
Sensing where his thoughts were heading, Xavier didn’t let himself linger in jealousy. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject. "Didn’t you have a race tomorrow?" he asked, placing a perfectly peeled shrimp onto her plate. "When does it start, and where? Do you need to head over tonight to get enough rest?"
Hera shook her head. "No need. I have a ride scheduled for 7 a.m. tomorrow—it’ll pick me up directly from the hotel and take me to the venue. The race starts at 10, so I’ll still have time to rest. The location is Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans—"
Before she could finish, Antoine suddenly shot up from his seat, shock written all over his face.