CHAPTER 294: HE DOESN’T HAVE A DATE?

"Yes," Her smile returned to her face as she gazed at him. "I’d love to."

And then his eyes lit up. Even as he averted his gaze, she did not miss the trace of happiness on his face.

Ella’s face softened, but a flicker of worry crossed her face. "Adrian... would it really be okay for me to be there? All the branch families of the Kings, influential people... they might not know about our marriage but they will be suspicious of our relationship. What if they do something—"

"They wouldn’t dare," Adrian interrupted firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

...

In the Yu Mansion.

The moment Mr. Yu entered the mansion, Mrs. Yu rushed towards him, "You are back, honey..."

She trailed off as her eyes flicked to the golden glass box in his hands.

"What’s this?" she asked.

Mr. Yu held it up slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "An invitation," he said. "To the King Empire’s Annual Ball. I went to quite some lengths to secure it."

From across the room, Esther’s sharp voice cut through. "Dad, I’ll go with you too."

Mr. Yu’s expression tightened slightly. "No," he said firmly. "Ella is still very upset with you. If you go, she won’t forgive us. She might refuse to come back. And we don’t want that to happen. No matter what, she must forgive us and come back."

Esther’s face twisted in frustration. "She left on her own after cutting ties with us. You did not kick her out. Dad, why do we even need her forgiveness?"

"Because," Mr. Yu’s eyes narrowed, "a family should always be together."

Mrs. Yu’s lips pressed into a thin line, her expression unreadable.

...

The next day, Vermilion City seemed to have been enveloped in a blanket of luxury.

The common people were clueless of the cause but those in the elite circles knew that it was one of the largest events of the year.

Like every year, the King Empire’s Annual Ball took place in the ancient palace of Vermilion City, one that once belonged to royalty. The same royalty that the Kings were descendants of.

Inside the grand palace hall, chandeliers scattered warm light across the marble floors, catching the shimmer of silk gowns and polished shoes.

Elites from all spheres surrounded the place, laughing and mingling with each other.

It has to be known that not everyone could step here in the royal castle, nor could they become a part of this ball so easily.

Only a handful received first-hand invitations from the Kings.

While the rest exhausted their privileges, connections or favors to get here.

But these people had no regrets because whoever stepped in here certainly returned with more than they came with.

In the center of the grand hall, Old Madam King and Old Master King stood.

"Dear, why are your parents not here yet?" Old Madam King smiled at Lilith.

"Dad’s health has not been well recently but the last time we talked, he said he will make it..." Lilith said in a soft voice.

"Hmm, what happened to that brat?" Old Master King frowned.

"Shh..." Old Madam King gave him a look, "Gabriel is no longer a child, how can you call him a brat?"

Before Old Master King could retort, Lilith spoke up, "In fact, Dad really likes it when the Old Master does that. He says that it is sickening when people treat him like some high and mighty existence... Only the Old Master’s unchanged form of address keeps him rooted to the memory of his childhood."

"Hmm, at least he is grateful about it," Old Master King stroked his beard.

And both the ladies burst into a soft peal of laughter.

"Where is Ace? Why don’t I see him anywhere?" Lilith asked suddenly.

"You know how he is," Old Madam King shook her, "He keeps working, regardless of whether it is day or night. I won’t be surprised if somebody told me he is still cooped up in his office," she sighed.

Lilith was about to speak when a tall figure shadowed over her.

Old Madam King and Old Master King glanced at the masked man who bent to whisper something in Lilith’s ear.

Lilith nodded.

"Lilith, this is..." Old Madam King looked at the masked man in a daze.

"This Eli, my secretary," Lilith turned to the couple, "And they are the Old Madam and Old Master of the King Family."

Eli immediately turned and did a deep bow.

"Why is this gentleman wearing a mask?" Old Madam King suddenly.

"I have a bad flu and I cannot risk infecting the other guests," Eli responded in a polite manner.

When Lilith and Eli were away from the couple, the former turned to look at the latter, "I think the Old Madam’s behaviour was weird just now."

Eli sighed, "This is not a masquerade but I am wearing a mask. It is natural for her to be wary."

Lilith nodded slowly, "After all, if anything goes wrong, the burden of the aftermath would fall upon Ace’s shoulder so it is natural for her to be concerned about it."

At this moment, the quiet hall seemed to liven up suddenly. The whispers grew and the crowd’s attention shifted to the entrance.

When Lilith turned, her gaze locked onto a figure in a white suit.

"Ace is here..." Lilith couldn’t take her eyes off Adrian.

The man was dressed in a pristine white three-piece suit and what stood out the most was those who were familiar with Adrian had never seen him dressed in white.

His hair was coiffed to perfection and one of his hands was tucked inside his pockets.

As he strode inside the hall, the crowd parted, making way for him.

But there was one thing that caught everyone’s attention—

"You brought me away from his grandparents, saying that Ace will be here any moment..." Lilith turned to Eli, "But you didn’t tell me that he doesn’t have a date. Even Ji Yan is not by his side."

Eli looked at the scene thoughtfully without saying a word.

"Now I think I am wasting resources by looking into Ella. If Ace has to come to the Annual Ball without a date, then how much is she worth?" As she spoke, Lilith started to walk off to the golden staircase.

But at this moment, the lively hall erupted once again.

All gazes shot towards the entrance.