The Gala Of Shadow's

The elegant ballroom shimmered under a sea of crystal chandeliers, the atmosphere charged with the kind of excitement that came only from the convergence of Seattle's elite. Guests in tailored suits and lavish gowns mingled, their laughter and chatter creating a symphony of privilege. But amidst this cacophony, all eyes were drawn to the grand entrance.

Alice stepped through the doors, her presence igniting the room. She wore a form-fitting, deep crimson gown that hugged her curves, accentuating her seductive figure while hinting at the strength beneath her calm demeanor. The neckline dipped just enough to allure without revealing too much, and the delicate fabric flowed like liquid silk around her legs. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face that bore an expression of cool confidence. She adorned her look with understated diamond earrings and a matching necklace, each piece glinting softly in the light.

As she walked in, whispers swept through the crowd like wildfire. The elegance and fierceness she exuded were palpable, drawing even the most jaded socialites into her orbit. It wasn't just her beauty; it was the aura of determination that surrounded her. They couldn't help but notice the poise with which she navigated the room.

"Who is she?" a woman murmured, her gaze fixed on Alice, envy seeping into her tone.

"I heard she's the abandoned daughter of the Willson family," replied her companion, "but no one's seen her for years. I thought she was dead."

As Alice moved deeper into the room, she spotted Jermin Hunt leaning against a wall, his piercing gaze scanning the crowd—a picture of cold aloofness. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt that showcased his tattoos, the sleeves rolled up to reveal ink spiraling down his arms. His hair, slightly tousled, framed his sharp features, enhancing the intensity of his expression. He seemed to be a part of the shadows, observing rather than participating, and Alice felt a jolt of awareness at his presence.

But Alice's focus was soon diverted as the event began. The host, an elder Hunt family member, stood to announce the gift presentation. As Alice took her place among the other attendees, a palpable tension filled the air, especially between her and Raya, who stood to the side with her clique, their expressions laden with disdain.

Raya approached Alice with a feigned sweetness that barely masked her animosity. "Look who decided to grace us with her presence. I hope you brought something more impressive than your last appearance."

Alice merely smiled, her lips curving slightly, but there was an edge to her gaze. "You'll be surprised, Raya. I always strive to exceed expectations."

Raya stood dumbfounded, unable to refute this woman. Well, she would make sure to put her in her place after her presentation of gifts.

As the primary host announced Raya was the first gift presenter, she came forward to reveal her gift. It was an art painting crafted by the famous Eujin, a renowned artist whose works commanded a high price. Raya had also obtained a painting to show off during the party, but Alice's was sure to outshine it.

The guests watched as Alice unfolded the gift and gasped in surprise, whispering among themselves.

"As expected of a daughter of the Hunts; she could actually acquire this expensive painting."

"I'm sure the money was nothing to her as a Hunts daughter."

"I'm also sure no gift presented will surpass hers."

Raya felt joy bubble up inside her as she listened to the murmurs but maintained a calm demeanor. She presented her gift with a rehearsed smile. "Grandad, Grandmum, this is the gift I went through a lot of effort to obtain. I hope you accept it." She handed the painting to them, knowing very well that if she gained their favor, her position in the Hunts would be established. She had gone to great lengths to secure this painting.

Grandma Hunt was very pleased, her voice filled with appreciation as she said in a gentle tone, "Yes, yes, my good granddaughter, we love and appreciate the effort you put into getting this gift." Grandpa Hunt only snorted lightly and muttered, "Speak for yourself." Then he said in a perfunctory tone, "Thank you."

Raya bit her lip, feeling downcast; it seemed the old man didn't like her gift.

Meanwhile, Alice was called to present her gift and stepped forward with a small emerald handbox. "This is my small gift. I hope it suits your taste."

The crowd looked at her with mocking gazes, thinking to themselves how poor and miscalculated her gift was. It was too small and came in an ordinary box.

Raya's face beamed with joy when she saw Alice present her small gift. In an attempt to humiliate her, she spoke up, "Wow... I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we want to see what's inside the box you presented."

Alice replied lazily, "It's not up to me to decide that; I'm not the owner of the gift."

Old Madam Hunt looked at the small box and felt displeased; it looked simple, and the young girl hadn't even made an effort to please them. She spoke up with disdain, "There's no big deal in showing everyone what you presented; let everyone see it." Then she urged her husband to open it and show everyone.

The old man looked at his wife's attitude and sighed. Although the gift Raya presented was expensive, he had noted her character and purpose from her speech. Meanwhile, this young lady spoke elegantly and didn't try to show off in front of the guests. To him, whatever the gift was, as long as it came from the heart, it was appreciated—unlike Raya's gift. He looked at Nora as if seeking her opinion, and seeing her nod, he opened the gift.

His wife spoke up in dissatisfaction after seeing the contents of the box, which contained only two small pills. "What do you mean by giving us pills? Are you wishing us bad health?"

"Pftt..." The crowd burst out laughing at the old madam's words and looked at the contents of the box.

"This lady is simply ignorant..."

"When she entered earlier, I thought she was a wealthy miss, but who would have thought that she could only afford two worthless pills?"

"She couldn't even bring out a qualified gift."

Amidst the murmurs, Raya felt delighted and said, "Well, if you didn't have the money to get a presentable gift, you should have just said so rather than bringing this cheap thing and wishing my grandparents bad health."

Alice sneered lazily and looked at Raya with the expression of someone looking at a fool. "I hope not everyone has bad taste and eyes like you." She didn't bother—rather, she was too lazy—to explain her valuable gift and would let them think whatever they wanted. If not for the need to please the old duo for future business partnerships, she wouldn't have bothered preparing this gift.

Amidst the mockery and disdain, only the old man looked astonished and stunned. "This... this... how did you manage to obtain this?"

The guests wondered why he was so impressed; it was just two simple pills—what was so hard to obtain?

"Although I put in a lot of hard work to be able to obtain it, it'll be okay if it pleases you," Alice replied nonchalantly, as if she didn't care about anyone's opinion.

"I absolutely like it! I appreciate your efforts, Miss," the old man replied with a big smile.

The old lady, confused by her husband's reaction, said, "What's the big deal about obtaining just two pills? We have countless high-end ones, so this is just insignificant."

The old man sighed and looked at the old lady; she didn't value the important things but valued the insignificant ones. "These two pills inside this box are longevity pills from the world-renowned Chinese medicine practitioner. It is said they can bring someone back from the brink of death. This is simply priceless, hard to obtain, and cannot be bought with money. Only those who know the master can obtain it. I've tried to acquire it many times, but I failed.

The old lady's eyes lit up, but she still said, "How are you sure that those pills are the longevity pills you mentioned, huh?"

Raya chimed in, "Yes, how do we know they are the longevity pills?"

"Well, that's simple: people with brains and good eyesight would be able to tell at one glance, but I guess you have none," Alice stated calmly, without any hint of fear.

Raya was enraged but couldn't retort, as she was trying to maintain the image of a gentle lady (the flower lotus). "You... You... You! How da—"

The old lady hadn't finished her sentence when she collapsed on the floor.

"Wife!"

"Grandma!"

"Old Madam Hunt!"

Desperate shouts rang out as everyone rushed to her.

Raya felt delighted inwardly but put on a pitiful and sad expression as she said, "This is because of you! If you hadn't argued with the old lady and caused her to be angry, she wouldn't have collapsed."

"Oh God, she's done for," the guests whispered among themselves. If the old lady died, it would be because of Alice, and the Hunts would never let it go.

Sherlin was delighted as well, smiling to herself. It would be best if the Hunts held Alice accountable for the old lady's death; that way, Alice would never escape.

"You killed my grandma!" Raya pointed at Alice and cried out pitifully.

Alice, on the other hand, stated calmly and coldly, "Who said she's dead?"

"She's clearly dead! You killed her!" Raya shouted hysterically.

Alice ignored her and said to the old man, seemingly relaxed, "Find a way to crush one of the longevity pills I gave just now and feed it to her without water."

The old man hurriedly followed Alice's instructions, crushed the pills, and fed them to her.

After a few minutes, the old lady started coughing and slowly regained consciousness.

The guests whispered, "Who would have thought she attained an unattainable gift? We looked down on it."

"And she didn't even bother to explain the gift or prove us wrong... she's truly the definition of a socialite."

"She actually obtained the longevity pills and proved us wrong when we doubted their authenticity—wow..."

"Her gift is even more valuable than the one Miss Raya presented."

Raya listened to the changing whispers, filled with anger. That bitch dared to outshine her in her own party!

The old duo gave their heartfelt appreciation to Alice before retiring to their rooms to rest.

Alice calmly accepted their appreciation. The thought of her disciple actually creating effective longevity pills showed that he had not been slacking off after she left. Although the pills would have been more effective and worked immediately—not after some minutes—if made by her, it was still remarkable for her disciple to have come this far. She smiled softly and slowly walked to a secluded corner, sitting down. The gown she was wearing was uncomfortable for her, as she preferred and was used to her casual, high-end tops and jeans.

Raya's expression faltered, envy etching her features as she attempted to regain her composure. Recalling the duo's earlier acknowledgment of Alice, she walked up to her. "I suppose anyone can get a pill," she scoffed, her tone dripping with condescension.

Alice met her gaze, unwavering. "Perhaps, but not everyone can command respect in the way I do."

"You…" she lamented, her voice laced with disdain, and then walked away.

Nearby, Jermin's attention was reluctantly drawn to the spectacle. He watched Alice with a mix of intrigue and disdain, thoughts swirling in his mind. A child at her age, and yet she commands such attention. It's irritating. Yet, there was a nagging curiosity about her boldness, a magnetism he couldn't shake off.

"Who is she?" one of his elite friends leaned closer, intrigued. "I saw her when she entered; she has a presence, doesn't she?"

"Just a woman with a child, trying to make a name for herself," Jermin replied curtly, masking the stir of intrigue with disinterest.

As the night progressed, Alice observed the party quietly. She didn't like socializing but had to do so to establish her foothold.

Just as she thought she might relax, her family approached. John's smug expression ignited a spark of anger within her. "Well, well, if it isn't the ghost of our past," he sneered, though his eyes betrayed a hint of recognition.

"Surprised to see me, John?" Alice replied, her voice steady but laced with bitterness. "Or perhaps disappointed that I'm not dead?"

Sherlin stood beside him, a contemptuous smile curling her lips. "I always knew you were too weak to stay gone. Look at you—still clinging to the past."

Alice's resolve hardened. "I'm here to reclaim what is rightfully mine, not to wallow in your shadows. The past is behind me, and so are your lies."

The confrontation sent ripples through those close to the scene, whispers filling the space as guests leaned in, eager to witness the drama unfold.

But as the tension reached its peak, Alice spotted Jermin at the edge of the gathering, his expression inscrutable, silently observing. She knew he understood the stakes in this game, even if he pretended otherwise.

Meanwhile, the temperature in a secluded area had dropped a few degrees. Jermin stared at his phone, anger evident in his eyes as his handsome face darkened. His subordinates behind him didn't dare make a sound, afraid of incurring his wrath.

Jermin had attended this party unwillingly, simply because his forces had informed him that the invitation sent to Dr. Anti had been accepted. He had sent his shadow guards to search the whole area, but they couldn't find her. After making inquiries, he was told that although she accepted the invitation, as per the Hunt family's orders, only fifty guests were allowed to attend the party. The last spot of the invited guests was taken by that damn woman, Alice. So that was why Dr. Anti had not attended the party.

All his efforts to track her had been thwarted by that woman. He would make her pay.

Alice sneezed out of the blue and wondered who was talking about her. She decided to go to the balcony for some fresh air to clear her mind. The balcony was as spacious as two large bedrooms, as expected of a prominent family like the Hunts. She leaned into the railing and stared ahead. Just as her thoughts began to wander, she heard a magnetic but cold voice behind her.

"I wonder how many beds you climbed to get this invitation." He looked at her mockingly as he walked closer, his breath brushing against her neck. "Or rather, who you managed to sleep with." For some reason, he felt drawn to the scent of flowers and medicinal herbs on her body. It instantly cleared the headache that had been lingering every day, and his head felt clear after inhaling her scent. Just as he was thinking, a clear, cold voice interrupted his thoughts.

"It doesn't matter whose bed I climbed through to obtain the invitation," she retorted. She didn't know if her assistant had accepted the invitation sent to her directly or to Dr. Anti, so she decided to go with the flow of what this lunatic said to cover up. "So long as I didn't climb into yours, it means you're not worth it." She clicked her tongue, smiled lightly, and continued taking light steps away from him because they were too close.

Jermin's face darkened and twitched slightly as he watched her actions and listened to her words. Was she stating that he wasn't qualified to have her and avoiding physical contact with him?

"I'd love to see whose bed you'd climb to go higher in the future." Alice stared at his handsome but cold face. The piercing in his left ear added to his dark aura, coupled with his tattoos that gave him a devilish look. He looked like an alluring angel from the gates of hell. She had to admit that he was devilishly and astonishingly handsome, but she couldn't be captivated by this narcissistic man because she cared less. "Whoever that person is, it surely won't be you," she stated, walking away with her head held high.

Jermin stared at her departing figure and couldn't fathom her earlier words: she didn't like him? How was that even possible? He was the most suitable bachelor for women, ranking first when good-looking men were called. No one could compare with him. Many women tried every means to get to him, yet this woman acted as if she didn't care about him at all. His gaze was fixed on her retreating back until her figure disappeared. He smiled faintly and slowly retreated.

The night continued with laughter and festivities. Alice mingled absentmindedly as she reveled in the moment. The guests surrounded her, admiration shining in their eyes, even as jealousy bubbled beneath the surface. She had proven herself, and with every glance cast her way, she felt the tide of power shifting.

As the gala wore on, Alice knew she was not just making a statement—she was rewriting her story, and she would ensure that every person in this room understood her true worth. She would take back what belonged to her while establishing herself.

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