After the plagiarism scandal in Paris, Alice had been treated like a plague, blacklisted, and shunned by the industry. Her behavior hadn't helped, and she was even removed from the zombie apocalypse movie she was supposed to star in alongside Xavier and Hera; the director didn't want an actress dragging the entire crew down because of her scandal.
She hated Hera even more, but what could she do? Unlike Hera, she had no powerful backer. She seethed with jealousy, wondering why Hera was surrounded by top-tier men while she was treated like a plague, a helpless mouse trapped in the gutter, mocked and avoided by everyone around her.
Alice couldn't take her defeat lying down, but luck seemed to be on her side; someone had taken an interest in her and treated her better. He might not have been as handsome as Hera's lovers, nor as powerful as they were combined, but he was a stepping stone for Alice.
