Chương 41: Gala

Ch 41 - Gala They flew east toward District 15. Unlike the western side of Nova Terra, where the barrier overlooked sprawling forests and mountain ranges, the eastern coast opened onto a vast expanse of sea. As they neared their destination, Evan gazed out the window at the endless water stretching to the horizon. The Tower's dark wall eventually gave way to the luminous barrier that traced the coastline before extending out over the ocean, enclosing Nova Terra within its protective boundary.

As the estate came into view, Evan saw a sprawling beachfront mansion overlooking the sea. Behind it, a series of broad terraces descended toward the shoreline, where the outdoor reception had already been prepared beneath elegant canopies. Beyond the terraces lay a private beach, its waves rolling against the shore. The aircraft banked toward a cluster of helipads along the edge of the estate.

Several were already occupied, while ground crews guided arriving aircraft into position without disrupting the flow of guests. Moments after touching down, a pair of attendants approached. One opened the cabin door while the other bowed politely.

"Welcome home, Miss Ruiz." Carmen acknowledged the greeting with a nod before motioning for Evan and Reid to follow. An attendant led the three of them through a pair of towering wooden doors into a spacious foyer. A sweeping staircase curved toward the upper floor beneath crystal chandeliers that lit the hall. The entrance bustled as uniformed staff collected coats and ushered visitors farther inside. Without slowing, Carmen led them through another set of doors at the far end of the foyer.

The moment they opened, the murmur of hundreds of conversations washed over Evan. The ballroom was far larger than he had expected. Round tables draped in white linen filled the room beneath crystal chandeliers, while an entire wall of glass overlooked the ocean. At the front stood a raised stage displaying the Ruiz Foundation's emblem, and beyond the open doors, broad terraces stretched toward the coastline. Men in tailored tuxedos and women in elegant evening gowns mingled throughout the ballroom.

Evan's nose scrunched at the sight, and he instinctively edged closer to Reid, fully intending to use his brother as a human shield. Surrounded by so much wealth and luxury, he felt painfully out of place. He had grown up in an entirely different tax bracket than everyone here. As expected, several pairs of eyes turned toward them. Their faces were unfamiliar to most of the guests, making them stand out all the more. Reid maintained his usual polite smile, while Evan did his best not to scowl.

Before long, a few guests approached to introduce themselves. Whether they were interested in Carmen or Reid, Evan couldn't tell. Regardless, he left most of the talking to the other two, contributing little more than the occasional nod or one-word reply whenever someone included him in the conversation. The only thing Evan genuinely appreciated so far was the food. Servers moved through the crowd carrying trays of bite-sized appetizers. Apparently, they were called hors d'oeuvres.

What kind of ridiculous name was that? Regardless, whenever a tray came within reach, Evan made sure to grab another one. Between bites, his gaze wandered through the crowd in search of Hiroto. The other boy had probably arrived in his family's own helicopter or something. Evan hadn't bothered to ask. At this point, he had simply accepted it as another rich-person quirk.

"Reid? Is that you?" a familiar loud voice called out. Evan's head snapped toward the source, and his scowl deepened when he saw Junhao's grinning face. The man was no longer wearing his usual changshan. Instead, he had traded it for a tailored black suit with a jade lapel pin on his chest.

"Junhao," Reid greeted him.

"I didn't expect to see you two here!" Junhao said as he approached, casually interrupting the conversation despite the other guests still speaking with Reid and Carmen. Evan narrowed his eyes. He was half convinced that the only reason Carmen's father had invited them was because of Skybreak. Even now, he still couldn't understand why the guild was so interested in Reid.

"Carmen's father invited us," Evan answered.

"Really?" Junhao looked at Carmen, but she merely shrugged.

"Well, since you're already here, how about you finally meet Selena?" Junhao said. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Reid and led him toward a nearby table where Skybreak's members were seated. Evan and Carmen followed behind.

"Selena, look who's here!" Junhao announced. A beautiful woman with long purple hair and dark almond eyes turned toward them. High cheekbones and a composed smile gave her a refined presence. Dressed in a floor-length silk gown embroidered along the hem, she extended her hand to Reid.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Selena Blake."

"The honor is mine. I'm Reid Whitfield." After exchanging a handshake, Selena turned her attention toward Evan.

"And this must be your brother, Evan Whitfield." Evan gave a small nod before shaking her hand. For someone currently ranked number one, Selena strangely didn't give off the intimidating presence he expected. Either she was naturally easygoing, or she was simply good at hiding it.

"So Mr. Ruiz was the one who invited you?" Junhao said, raising an eyebrow.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect that."

"I didn't realize you had a connection with the Ruiz family," Selena said, glancing between them.

"They're mainly my guests," Carmen explained.

"I see. Then I assume you'll be joining Miss Ruiz at her table tonight?" Selena asked. Before Carmen could answer, Junhao grinned and slung an arm around Reid's shoulder.

"Why don't you join us instead?" he suggested.

"Your brother can spend some time with Carmen while you get to know the rest of Skybreak." Reid didn't answer. Instead, he glanced toward Evan, who was still standing beside him.

"It's fine. I'll just stay with Carmen," Evan said. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! Although he would have preferred to use Reid as a shield for the rest of the night, Evan was also curious about what Skybreak wanted from him. If Reid could finally figure out why the guild was so interested in him, letting him spend time with them was probably the smarter choice. As they walked away, Carmen shot him an amused look.

"I was sure you'd cling to your brother like a remora all night."

"I'm not a child," Evan replied with a snort.

"Where's Hiroto, anyway?"

"Probably with his parents. I did reserve him a seat at my table, though," Carmen said. The two made their way through the ballroom, with Carmen effortlessly greeting guest after guest while Evan continued trailing behind like her shadow. Eventually, they spotted Hiroto standing beside Reika and a woman Evan assumed was their mother.

"Good evening, Mrs. Konoe," Carmen greeted as they approached, just as the woman finished speaking with another guest.

"Ah, Miss Ruiz. How lovely to see you," Mrs. Konoe replied with a warm smile, though her gaze lingered on Evan for a moment longer than he would have liked. Evan simply returned an innocent smile.

"I was wondering if Hiroto could join us," Carmen said.

"I happen to have an extra seat at my table." Mrs. Konoe blinked before smiling.

"Of course. Reika, would you like to join them as well?" Reika stiffened. It took all of Evan's self-control not to shoot Mrs. Konoe an incredulous look. Was she seriously trying to convince everyone the rumors about Reika bullying Hiroto were false? Was this some kind of damage control after everything that had happened during the match? His surprise only deepened when Reika lowered her head and quietly answered, "Yes, Mother." A moment later, the four of them were walking together.

Hiroto kept his eyes fixed on the floor while Reika stared resolutely ahead, neither willing to acknowledge the other's existence. Even Carmen's easygoing nature wasn't enough to break the awkward silence hanging over the group. Fortunately, the gala soon got underway. Guests made their way to their assigned tables as the head of the Ruiz family, Alejandro Ruiz, stepped onto the stage.

With olive skin, neatly styled dark hair, and features that closely resembled Carmen's, he welcomed everyone with the confidence of a man accustomed to commanding a room. Evan tuned out most of the speech, his attention drifting back to the Konoe siblings. Hiroto kept sneaking glances at Reika, while she continued to pretend he wasn't there. He hadn't expected the two of them to reconcile overnight, especially after their match.

Even so, he hadn't been lying when he told Hiroto that he needed to make Reika stop looking down on him. Winning had only been the first step. Closing the emotional distance between them would take far longer, especially after the humiliation Reika had suffered at the hands of two F-ranks. Those thoughts quickly vanished as the moment Evan had been waiting for finally arrived.

Servers began delivering one beautifully plated course after another, filling the tables with rare seafood, premium cuts of meat, delicacies prepared from carefully processed monster ingredients, and expensive produce harvested from the Tower. Evan couldn't name half the dishes, but every single one tasted incredible. With Reika's presence keeping the atmosphere stiff, there wasn't much conversation at their table.

Once dinner concluded, Chairman Ruiz returned to the stage to present the Foundation's latest initiatives. Evan paid little attention as the presentation stretched on for nearly half an hour before giving way to a performance by a renowned soloist. Judging by how few people actually paid attention to the presentation, Evan quickly realized the gala was really just an excuse for rich people to network. Having absolutely no interest in that, Evan resigned himself to waiting it out.

He was honestly half tempted to ask Hiroto if he wanted to play a few rounds of mobile games under the table, but somehow he doubted Carmen would appreciate that. When the performance came to an end, Reika was the first to rise from the table.

"I need to use the restroom," she said, then walked away. The excuse fooled no one, yet everyone let it pass. Carmen turned to Hiroto.

"She hasn't been bullying you again, has she?" Hiroto shook his head.

"No. She's mostly been keeping her distance these past few days. But enough about that. Where's your brother, Evan?"

"Skybreak kidnapped him," Evan deadpanned. Carmen chuckled.

"It really is a mystery why that guild is so obsessed with Reid." Evan looked at her suspiciously.

"Be honest. Your father didn't invite us because of Skybreak, did he?"

"No, I swear." Carmen raised both hands in surrender.

"He probably has his own reasons, but they aren't anything bad. Besides, I'm your friend. Do I really seem like the type to drag my friends into a trap?" Evan gave her a flat look, wondering when exactly that had happened.

"If you're really that curious," Carmen continued, "you should go find your brother. My father will probably be looking for him after this anyway. Besides, this gala hasn't been that terrible, has it? At least the food was worth it."

"I'd appreciate it a lot more if I didn't have to wear this overpriced penguin costume," Evan grumbled, tugging at the collar of his tuxedo. Hiroto laughed.

"I think it suits you."

"See?" Carmen said with a grin.

"Stop acting like such a baby." The atmosphere around their table finally relaxed. With the formal proceedings over, guests gradually rose from their seats and resumed mingling throughout the ballroom and terraces. Their group did the same, heading toward the Skybreak table in search of Reid, only to find his seat empty.

"Looking for your brother?" Junhao asked with a grin.

"Chairman Ruiz whisked him away not long after the presentation ended. Reid said to tell you he'd be back soon."

"You're welcome to wait with us," Selena offered warmly. Evan politely shook his head.

"Thanks, but we wanted to see the beach." There was no way he intended to spend any more time with Skybreak than necessary, especially without Reid there to act as a buffer. The three of them stepped onto one of the terraces overlooking the shoreline and made their way toward the beach. Evan slowed as the sea came into view, resting his forearms on the railing for a moment. Moonlight danced across the water while gentle waves rolled onto the shore, the cool breeze carrying the scent of salt.

Beyond the coastline, the horizon disappeared into the night, leaving only an endless expanse of sea beneath the stars. In his previous life, he had only ever seen the ocean through photographs and videos. Endless work and an empty bank account had made vacations little more than a fantasy. Standing before it now, he finally understood why so many people found it mesmerizing.

"Want to get a little closer?" Carmen asked.

"I know a nice spot." Curiosity getting the better of them, Evan and Hiroto followed Carmen farther down the shoreline. They continued walking until the bright lights of the reception disappeared behind a series of weathered rock formations. Beyond them lay a secluded cove where the beach curved into a quiet crescent of sand. The surrounding rocks muffled the crashing waves, while only the faintest echo of music drifted over from the gala, leaving the cove wrapped in peaceful silence.

That peace lasted all of three seconds. Standing near the water's edge was Reika. Opposite her stood a group of girls, their expressions dripping with smug amusement.

"So what are you going to do about it?" the girl at the front sneered. Her black twin tails swayed as she folded her arms.

"You couldn't even beat two F-ranks." Reika's hands slowly clenched into fists, her glare never leaving the group. Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. Again? Why did he keep stumbling into bullying incidents? First he'd caught Reika picking on Hiroto. Then he'd become the target himself. Now the roles had somehow reversed, and Reika was the one being cornered. He glanced at Hiroto. The boy frowned at the scene but remained rooted in place, as though afraid stepping in would only make things worse.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, walking away was no longer an option. If this escalated into a fight during the Ruiz Foundation Gala, it would become a disaster. Evan let out a weary sigh before raising his voice.

"Wow. Ganging up on one girl. How brave." Every head turned toward him.