♟

"HOW COULD YOU NOT tell me this? I should have scheduled a fitting or at least a—"

    "Don't worry, I already handled all of that. I knew you were busy with the club preparation so I already talked to a designer, and even took the liberty to invite a personal guest for you. Remember, even though outside matters shouldn't be talked about in the house, who you bring to the ball shows your status, which is why it is very important." Marcus tells Max on the other line, making Max grunt in frustration.

     "Seniors and Juniors usually don't attend the ball anymore so you'll be fine. Just talk to Étienne, I already told him about the plans. Now I still have to prepare for the brotherhood presentation so I'll see you tonight. Bye Max!" Marcus says before finally ending the call.

     Max takes a deep breath and looks at the rearview mirror to see Étienne staring directly at him. Max hides his phone in his pocket and crosses his arms. "So, who's the designer we're talking about here?"

     Étienne looks back at the road and adjusts his tie. "Tom Ford," he answers.

     Max chuckles in satisfaction and nods his head. "And the guest?"

     "I heard it was..." Étienne pauses and looks at Max through the rearview mirror before saying, "Madam Cindy Lin."

...

Max takes a deep breath after a long day of sudden preparations. He attended a fitting for his suit, bought jewelry that was worth more than what he donated to Jokers, and rushed to his appointment at the salon. The worst part about it all was that people saw him because of the J.S High uniform, so reporters started swarming him at the salon. He and Étienne barely escaped.

     "You should consider your father's proposal about getting a bodyguard for you. I'm a butler, and there's only so little of what I can actually do for you," Étienne says as he's fixing his uniform that was aggressively pulled by dozens of reporters earlier.

     Max ignores Étienne's suggestion and chuckles to himself instead. "Sometimes I forget that these things occasionally happen to me. It's almost laughable, considering the fact that I'm not even a celebrity, but I have more publicity than some of them," Max says while flattening the almost invisible wrinkle in his shirt.

     Étienne glances at him through the rearview mirror but doesn't say anything anymore. He wanted to tell his master that being ambushed by reporters happens more on a regular basis and not just occasionally, considering the fact that Max is already so used to it.

     "By the way, is Cindy going to meet me at J.S High?" Max asks while looking out of the window.

     "Heard she was out of town earlier, but thankfully J.S High has a helipad that allowed them to park her helicopter," Étienne casually answers.

     "Of course she did."

     Cindy Lin, the sole heiress to the biggest investment company in the world. Max met Cindy at one of her father's conferences when Max was merely eight. Despite only being two years older than him, Cindy was very lady-like. She was quiet, smart, and graceful. She was the child her parents used as a trophy that they were proud of bragging about. Everyone's eyes were on her, and the main reason was that she's none other than the 2nd highest-ranking heir in the prestigious group of heirs called Crème de la crème.

     "We're here master," Étienne announces as he drives past the gates of the House of Kings. And instead of heading to the Greenhouse where the welcome ball is supposed to be, Étienne drives to the East Bailey.

     A helicopter was parked in front of the Keep with the word C.L printed on the side. Étienne parks in front of the helicopter. He then goes out and opens the door for Max. Just in time, a woman wearing a long-sleeve silver sequined gown takes a step out of the helicopter, leaving both Étienne and Max speechless by her beauty.

     "Leigh," she calls out with a soft voice as Max approaches her.

     Cindy curtsies and Max takes her hand and kisses the back of it.

     "Thank you for being here even with your busy schedule," Max says as he lets go of her hand.

     "How can I say no to your brother's request?" Cindy says with an almost playful grin, making Max chuckle since he knows how close Marcus and Cindy are. "And besides, I'm dying to see little Vi again," Cindy then adds, surprising Max this time. Max wanted to ask about it, but he decides to have a quick chat about it in the car instead.

     "Shall we?" Max asks, and Cindy drapes her hand around Max's arm, and the two head inside the car.

     While Étienne drove them to the greenhouse in silence, Max closes the partition so Étienne wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. He then looks at Cindy and asks, "How long have you learned about Viktor?"

     Cindy takes a deep breath and crosses her arms like she's thinking about what to answer. "I'm studying at J.S High's sister school. Knowing that you're already here, then you already know about the brotherhoods. In my house, we have sisterhoods, and I just so happened to be the queen in the House of Queens. I met Viktor when they visited our house, and that's when I found out," Cindy explains, surprising Max that these things were already happening for such a long time now, but he knows absolutely nothing about it.

     "I can't believe uncle kept this a secret from me. You have no idea how stupid I was when I found out about everything," Max tells her, making Cindy chuckle.

     "It's expected that he wouldn't tell you. I'm sure he'd do everything he can so you wouldn't find out about it. After what happened in the past," Cindy tells him.

     "What do you mean by that?"

     Before Cindy could even answer, the three arrive at the greenhouse which was already filled with students and guests. If Max didn't know that this is a Welcome Ball, he'd think that he's attending a movie premiere instead.

     "Well, let's talk about this some other time," Cindy says as Étienne parks the car at the entrance. Reporters crowd around their car as a guard opens the door for them.

     Max heads out first, cameras flashing as soon as he did so. He then stretches out his hand, and Cindy takes it as she heads out of the car next, more cameras flashing just from the sight of her.

     Cindy drapes her hand around Max's hand, and the two walk down the red carpet with confidence. These two are the highest-ranking heirs in the world, which means they hold the most power in the whole business world. They definitely are a force to be reckoned with.

     "Sir Sinclaire! How does it feel to finally attend your uncle's school?"

     "Did you personally ask madam Lin to be your guest for tonight's ball?"

      "Madam Lin! Is there any meaning behind your attendance? Are there any business-related reasons for it?!"

     Reporters shout questions in a chorus, almost making it impossible for Cindy and Max to understand them. But when they finally reached the photo section, the two pose for a couple of pictures before finally answering some questions.

     "Sir Sinclaire, people have been dying to know, why did you finally decide to enroll in J.S High, and how has your experience been so far?" a reporter asks, pointing the microphone near Max's mouth.

     Max looks at the dozens of reporters in front of him, almost squinting his eyes because of the flashes of the cameras. So Max takes a deep breath and lifts a hand, and in an instant, the flashes stop. "My uncle really wanted me to enroll here, and I didn't want to disappoint him any longer, so here I am now." He answers like it was the absolute truth.

     "For madam Lin, we rarely see you together with sir Sinclaire, even at major events. Does this mean that sir Sinclaire personally invited you tonight?" another reporter asks, pointing the microphone at Cindy this time.

     Cindy smiles first, and with a soft and soothing voice, she answers, "Leigh and I have known each other since we were young, and I consider him as one of my dearest friends. How can I say no to someone like that?"

     Cindy's smile becomes wider as she moves closer to Max like they've been best friends forever, when in fact, they haven't talked to each other for almost a year. Reporters snap more pictures, and Max almost rolls his eyes in disinterest, but he laughs it off and continues to smile at the camera.

     "Last question for the both of you. Does this attendance mean anything? Are we seeing future business partnerships after this?" The last reporter asks, and Max and Cindy look at each other before giving their answer.

     "No, we're just here to enjoy the night. Nothing more, nothing less," Max answers with a fake yet natural smile, and Cindy does the same and nods her head in agreement.

     "Alright, thank you very much. Enjoy the ball you two."

     Max and Cindy thank the reporters and finally head to the greenhouse where they're greeted by the members of the Elites. Ian spots them first, and in an instant, the rest of the five members of the Elites bow to greet Cindy and not Max. After all, Max is only a serf in this house.

     "Queen Cindy, the leader of rank 1 sisterhood Vixens. If we knew you were attending tonight's ball, we would have prepared for your arrival," Ian tells her.

     "Oh don't be ridiculous. I'm only here as a guest, so please don't address me as queen. We're not in the house of queens anyway," Cindy answers, and the Elites finally move aside so that the two can head to the party.

     Ian thanks Cindy, while Dustin and Gavriil glare at Max, probably in annoyance because of how he's able to invite such an important guest.

     While walking, Max spots flowers displayed near the entrance of where the ball is being held. There are black, blue and yellow roses. Max doesn't even have to ask what it was for as he takes the black one and puts it inside the pocket of his coat.

     Cindy chuckles and moves close to Max's ear and whispers, "You're a serf? Your uncle didn't even give you a little boost?"

     "I wouldn't have enrolled here if he did," Max immediately answers, making Cindy laugh even harder before nodding her head in agreement.

     The two finally make their entrance. Hundreds of students were dancing and laughing. Classical music was even playing in the background, but when the two walked in, it felt like everything stopped, even though it didn't.

     "T-That's Hellcat, she's the leader of Vixens," a student says with a shocked expression.

     "Hellcat?" Max asks when he overheard it, but Cindy only shrugs her shoulder as a response.

     Everyone stares at the two with wide eyes, not sure how to react to the situation. But as they were left in awe, someone walks towards them with confidence. It was a woman wearing a fitted black dress. It was a simple dress; if you disregard the million-dollar jewelry that she's wearing.

     "Leigh! It's good to see you!" the woman says as she grabs Max away from Cindy and pulls him towards her to give him a kiss on both his cheeks.

     Max doesn't react, but he gently pushes the woman away and tells her, "It's good to see you too Scarlet. Let me guess, your little brother's a freshman here."

     "That little idiot didn't want me as his guest so I had to negotiate with him to bring me here. After all, the House of Kings' welcome ball is the event of the year. Everyone and I mean everyone, is here." She then pauses and leans closer as she whispers, "And it's the best place to woo new people. Of course, for future business deals."

     "I did not expect less from you at all Scar," Max comments with a sigh.

     Cindy, who has literally been pushed aside, clears her throat to catch her attention, making Scarlet look at her with a smirk. "Oh Cindy, I didn't see you."

     Cindy was about to say something, but Scarlet doesn't even wait and walks away, revealing to them her long backless dress that proudly shows off a symbol of the fleur de lis, indicating that she's a member of Crème de la crème too.

     Scarlet Romano, the eldest daughter of the Romano family and the heiress to the Romano Hotels, is the 9th highest-ranking heir among the twelve members of Crème de la crème. She's known to be fierce and outspoken, and at the same time, she is considered to be the best business dealer amongst all the heirs.

     "Well, meet my Duchess. She's only a second-year student, but she's already an amazing leader. Even though our personalities clash, I have nothing but respect for her," Cindy says with sincerity. "By the way, are you planning to be an underling? I might be able to help you choose the perfect brotherhood. I know them very well after all."

     Max and Cindy walk towards the tables as Max answers, "I'm not planning on joining a brotherhood. I want to join the Elites."

     Cindy pauses for a second. But after a while, she nods her head like she understood Max's intention.

     "You must have realized the gravity of Viktor's return to the business world. The balance we have now will be destroyed. Once Viktor takes back his clan's entire riches, he'll have the power to control all of us," Cindy answers with a serious tone.

     "I know I don't have the power to stop whatever he is that he's planning, but all I want is to know what it is, and I have to stand at the same level as him for me to do that."

     As the two arrive at the tables, Max spots Ari and Felix sitting beside their own guests. Max and Cindy approach them, and as soon as Ari sees Cindy, Ari suddenly hits Felix's shoulder to grab his attention, and the two jolts from their seat to greet her.

     "Your friends?" Cindy asks while glancing at the yellow and black rose in both of their pockets.

     Max doesn't say anything but nods his head as an answer.

     Ari and Felix continue staring at Cindy like she's some type of ghost, so Max clears his throat and tells them, "By the way, this is my guest, Ms. Cindy Lin."

     "Nice to meet you," Cindy greets, and Felix and Ari look at Max with an are-you-serious-right-now expression. Like, who doesn't know Cindy Lin?

     The two introduce themselves, along with their guests. Ari was with a noble prize winner, and Felix was with a famous business strategist, who Max was very much excited to meet. Soon after that, the food arrived, and for the first time, Max chatted with his friends in a very civil manner; not caring about whether or not he'd be kicked in the gut by some gaffer.

     "The brotherhood presentation will begin after ten minutes. Students on the dance floor are now requested to head to their seats. Thank you," a voice announces.

     "Looks like the show is about to begin," Cindy says before taking a sip of her wine.

     "The freshmen students really have to pay attention. Sometimes the flashiest presentation doesn't automatically make it the best brotherhood to be an underling of," Ari states, making everyone at their table agree.

     While Max is busy finishing the dessert on his plate, Cindy leans close to him and says, "By the way, you should pay attention too."

     "Why? I told you didn't I? I don't want to be an underling," Max answers, but Cindy shakes her head and answers back, "You're not going to choose the brotherhood you're going to be an underling of."

     "What do you mean by that?"

     Cindy puts down her wineglass and suddenly grins, removing the proper lady facade that she has to show Max a glimpse of the queen that she truly is. "Want to be able to reach little Vi? Then let this pretty hellcat tell you who you should conquer first."

- END -