36 : The disastrous gala - PART 2

The annual auction gala was held in one of the city's largest museums.

The place exuded wealth with its golden poles, its gold or crystal statues and its paintings that were worth a fortune.

Each year, the richest personalities of the country were invited to this gala. This event was not just for buying and selling rare goods. It was mainly about connection.

During this evening, the guests secretly sought to enlarge their book of investors and shareholders, and even to conclude partnerships which could last a lifetime.

The majority of the guests were just waiting for this moment to meet the Clan Santiago, the Ogata family and President Williams.

The first being known for his oil fortune in the country, the second for his world power and the third for being the last veteran of the four largest families of Androuse: The Ogatas, the Santiagos, the Williams and the McQueens.

Akihito already knew what to expect when he arrived. He was assailed by spotlights and persistent camera flashes, not to mention invading reporters.

Akihito climbed the steps closely followed by Zaizen and two bodyguards. As soon as he entered the room all eyes automatically turned to him.

Akihito was known to hate attracting attention. He was even more discreet than his parents.

He quickly scanned the room, avoiding rolling his eyes at the behavior of some of the young women and even some of the men.

He quickly spotted his parents chatting with President Williams and her grandson, Arnold.

No one dared approach them. On their own, they emitted an undeniable and heavy presence.

Akihito quickly joined them.

"- Son!" exclaimed Alicia when she saw him.

Akihito smiled at her then hugged her. He did the same with his father, then placed a courtesy kiss on the back of the old Williams' hand. He then shook hands with Arnold, who gave him a small nod in greeting.

Raymond - Arnold's secretary - and Zaizen also addressed each other with a simple nod in greeting.

" - Your parents ?" Akihito asked, shoving his hands in his pockets when his parents and President Williams resumed their conversation.

" - They had important business to attend to," Arnold replied with a sigh.

" - You don't look happy to be here," Akihito remarked.

" - Someone is waiting for me at home," Arnold confessed shyly.

Akihito raised an eyebrow, surprised by the Alpha's nervousness. Arnold was the oldest but he treated Akihito as his equal.

"Is it okay to tell me that?" Akihito asked anyway.

"- Are you gonna snitch me out?" Arnold asked seriously.

They were silent for a brief moment.

Finally, they bursted out laughing.

"- I understand you," Akihito told him honestly. "Someone is waiting for me too."

They exchanged a knowing and shy look.

From the table where she had been placed, Aurore observed the two males attentively.

Since Hassan was friends with Arnold, she thought their table would be close to that of the Williams and Ogatas, but Aurore was disappointed to find that she was very far from their location.

That said, she was glad she could be invited. Since she was Hassan's supposed fiancée, she had the right to show up at the gala. If she wasn't dating him right now, she'd be in a trendy restaurant in town or at home studying.

Hassan was chatting with old acquaintances from college, while his mother insisted on introducing Aurore to people the younger didn't care about.

Aurore was impatient to find Arnold. She had made herself beautiful for him. She intended to have an explanation for his disappearance. She knew that Arnold was busy with a new project: a special five-star hotel on the most popular beach in the country. But she still would have appreciated that the man responding to her messages.

While Mrs Taha - Hassan's mother - was talking with one of her friends, Aurore took the opportunity to find Hassan.

"- Aurore ! Still so beautiful, huh!" exclaimed one of Hassan's friends.

Aurore only smiled in response.

"- You and Arnold have a knack for catching the most beautiful women in this country!" another joked with Hassan.

"- Hold your hoarses! She's mine," Hassan replied with a triumphant smile on his lips as he wrapped his arm around Aurore.

" - When is the wedding ?" They then asked Hassan.

" - Soon, right?" the latter responded as he was placing a gentle kiss on Aurore's cheek.

Aurore nodded, a smile on her lips. She really intended to marry soon but not with Hassan.

"- Don't forget to invite us!" one of the buddies laughed. "I thought Arnold would be the first to marry. So many people wants him."

"- Since college, he's never had a serious relationship," another remarked.

Aurore refrained from making a comment. She was dating Arnold right now but she couldn't tell anyone.

" - Maybe he's still waiting for that omega?" wondered yet another.

"- An omega?" Aurore asked curiously.

Hassan cleared his throat, preferring to be silent.

" - Yes! At the university, a rumor said that he was crazy about the little omega who worked in the convenience store just in front of the university. " explained one of Hassan's friends. "But for some unknown reason, the omega disappeared. Since then, it seems that Arnold is looking for him everywhere."

Aurore's heart was beating fast.

" - Is it true ?" she asked Hassan, trying to keep her composure.

Hassan watched her for a moment, intrigued by her agitated gaze even though her expression hadn't really changed.

However, he replied:

" - I don't really know. I vaguely remember this story."

" - At the time it was a big story ! Do you remember?! Arnold even argued with you! If Karen had not defended you, you would have died just for a damn omega." said another.

Aurore frowned.

" - Karen had been in love with Arnold for years. She couldn't stand Arnold losing his mind over a simple omega."

" - Who is Karen?" Aurore asked, alert.

" - She was the most beautiful omega in the university. Well... a bit slutty. Like all omega!" they laughed.

" - She's no one," Hassan answered with a cold tone.

His statement made the air heavy around the group.

" - Well, this "no one" is back to the country," they informed Hassan. "She's probably going to be here tonight!"

Jaw clenched, Hassan looked in the direction of Arnold who was chatting happily with Akihito.

If Karen showed up tonight, trouble was bound to follow.

Aurore didn't know this Karen but she already hated her. And from Hassan's expression, she knew she was right to hate her.

Aurore tried to get more information about Karen but Hassan refused to talk. He was in a very bad mood now. So she ended up giving up.

Either way, she had more important things to do. She needed to talk to Arnold privately.

When Arnold and Akihito decided to go to the balcony, Aurore followed them.

The two Alphas clinked glasses, talking in low voices, as if they were plotting.

"- Um um," Aurore cleared her throat to get their attention.

Akihito stopped talking when he saw her.

Aurore couldn't help but blush. Arnold was manly and sexy, but Akihito was handsome and more than attractive.

She stared at him without blinking, captivated by Akihito's raw beauty.

"-Are you okay?" Akihito asked her, in front of her silence.

Aurore came out of her reverie and apologized for interrupting them.

"- Good evening mister Ogata," Aurore said then. " My name is Aurore Legrand, I am a close friend of Arnold."

Akihito noticed the hint of annoyance on Arnold's face.

So they weren't friends, or at least not as close as this young woman claimed.

" - What do you want ?" Arnold asked her with a sigh.

Aurore didn't notice the alpha's irritation and said:

"- It's been a long time since I've seen Arnold. Can I join you?"

Akihito took a moment before answering. He didn't want to be disturbed.

Arnold wasn't a person he was very close to, but within minutes he had learned that the alpha was living with an omega that he cherished very much, he had felt a kind of compassion towards the man.

They had discussed about their omega, exchanged on their behavior as cute as troubling at times. Arnold had told him that his omega was very violent but that he loved seeing him sulk and Akihito had told him that his omega was very sensitive but that he loved when he clinged to him.

Akihito was happy to be able to talk about Haru without specifying his name. After all, Arnold was Silas' childhood friend. If the latter knew that Haru was with Akihito who knows what he would do. Akihito had also noted Arnold's discretion over the identity of his Omega. Anyway, Akihito wasn't the type to pry. He was just happy to be able to talk about his lover with someone who wasn't judging.

"-Is it a no?" Aurore asked, worried by Akihito's silence.

She had to stay. It was her only chance to tell Akihito about her agency and since Arnold was there, she was sure he would support her.

" - Sure," Akihito finally agreed.

Aurore refrained from smiling. All eyes were on them. Aurore felt privileged and in a higher position just being with these two handsome alphas. Besides, she was dating one of them. She couldn't help letting a triumphant look towards some young women who stared at her with jealousy.

"- How do you find the event ?" Aurore asked, courageously.

"- Great," Akihito replied with a smile. "Are you going to put money on something?" he then asked.

" - I don't think so," answered Aurore, nervous. "I came here with a friend."

" - A friend ?"

" - Yes. I came with Mrs Taha," she said.

Akihito winced. The Tahas were on the list of people who harmed Haru, at least their youngest son, Hassan Taha. If Aurore had come with the Tahas, she wasn't just a mere friend. The Taha's first son was already married and Akihito knew the couple. The second in the family was a daughter who was abroad at this very moment. So Aurore must have been Hassan's fiancée.

According to Zaizen's report, Arnold and Silas weren't close when Haru was held captive. If they saw each other, it was always in a trendy club or in a bar. London had been seen regularly at Silas's during the first month of Haru's arrival but then he had never set foot there again. Zaizen had then learned that London was just very attached to the omega and that nothing more had happened. But Hassan and his fiancee...they didn't spare themselves to take advantage of Haru.

Akihito had a hard time calming down at the thought. A little bit of his pheromones had escaped.

Aurore was disturbed. Akihito was watching her intensely and she didn't know where to stand. Very quickly she blushed and inhaled the scent of his pheromones, thinking that the man was trying to seduce her.

After all, Aurore was a beautiful young woman. She was smart and talented. She had everything to please. It was no surprise to her that Akihito succumbed to her charm.

While wedging a lock of hair behind her ear, she took advantage of this charming attention to talk about her agency:

" - Mrs Taha invited me to introduce myself to her partners. I recently opened a cosmetics agency with her help and she kindly offered me to come and discover the business world."

Arnold was sipping his glass of champagne, ignoring Aurore. His eyes on his phone, he was waiting for Flore to answer his message.

And when the omega did, Arnold couldn't help but smile. It was just a simple gif but it made him happy.

Meanwhile, Akihito hadn't listened to a single word that came out of Aurore's mouth.

He was, in truth, lost in his thoughts, thinking about the best way to make Aurore cry, whom he already qualified as a plague.

" - What do you think ?" Aurore finished timidly.

She had just explained to Akihito that her agency was targeting the confidence of young alphas and betas women. She wanted to sell a range of cosmetics aimed at young women who felt bad about themselves.

Akihito gave her a small smile more like a forced smile.

"- What do you think of this project, President Williams ?" Akihito asked Arnold.

Aurore turned to Arnold rather confidently. She knew the alpha would back her up.

" - Honestly..." Arnold started, while looking at Aurore. "It's a great project."

Aurore gave a broad, victorious smile. She wanted to jump into Arnold's arms and kiss him. She knew Arnold would support her. After all, they were together, even if no one knew it.

" - But I don't find it very innovative." Arnold continued.

Aurore's heart skipped a beat. And her smile faded little by little.

" - Competition is fierce in the beauty industry. Aurore's agency does not offer anything new. I therefore advise an observation before rushing into an investment that could make you lose millions." Arnold explained.

" - Hmm... I see. You have a point. Thank you for your honest and common sense response." Akihito said.

Aurore had started to panic.

" - I..." she began.

" - An agency mainly dedicated to Alphas and Betas women... Why not Omegas?" Akihito asked genuinely interested.

" - Why... I mean, omegas can't afford that kind of makeup and beauty products." Aurore explained.

If she wanted to make money, she had to bet everything on the alphas and betas who earn more financially.

Akihito raised an eyebrow.

" - Of course, we will still make a range for the wealthier Omegas." Aurore said, now very nervous.

" - What about omegas who don't have any money?" Akihito asked.

Aurore stared at him. Why was he talking so much about omegas ? Omegas were poor. All they could do was sell their bodies. And their makeup were mostly cheap. Aurore did not want to sell her products to such people. Nobody here would want that.

Still, she felt like Akihito was testing her. If she wanted his support, she had to lie.

" - We can always create a section that is accessible to them." Aurore said without thinking a single word.

Akihito didn't answer her right away. He finished his glass of champagne then said to her:

"- Before making such a proposal, you must investigate properly, Miss Legrand. The Ogatas consider omegas to be as important people as alphas and betas. Lying just to get financial support is not for us."

Aurore felt her cheeks heat up, embarrassed. Small laughs were heard and Aurore realized that some guests had witnessed her humiliation.

" - I wish you good luck with your future agency." Akihito finished before leaving.

He took the time to greet Arnold then disappeared into the crowd.

Aurore couldn't believe it. She had just lost a big fish.

She turnabout to Arnold and glared at him.

" - Why didn't you help me!?" she got angry.

"- You really think that Akihito didn't already have his opinion on the subject. If I had lied, he would have been suspicious of me for our next collaborations," Arnold replied rather calmly.

In truth, Arnold just didn't want to help her. If she wanted help, all she had to do was ask Hassan.

Aurore clenched her fists.

" - And me?! " she got carried away. "What will become of my agency?!

Arnold frowned.

" - How does this relate to me?" he asked her before walking away.

Aurore pursued him and forced him to follow her out of sight of the others. She led him down an uninhabited hallway.

" - What's the matter with you ?" she asked him then. "You had to help me Babe. That's how it works in a relationship," she told him, cupping his face in her hands.

Arnold grimaced and pushed her away.

"- Aurore, you're with Hassan. What happened between us was nothing serious," he told her, annoyed at having to repeat himself.

Arnold had agreed to sleep with Aurore on a whim. While she was staying in his hotel for an evening, Aurore seduced him and Arnold didn't really resist.

He didn't like Aurore. He just wanted to make Hassan as miserable as he had been. But now he realized he had been stupid.

Aurore and he only slept together from time to time, especially when he was in rut. This saved him from looking for someone to spend his four days of rut with.

It had been going on for four months and Aurore had illusions. Arnold had gradually moved away from her and had told her many times that he felt nothing for her, but Aurore was convinced that Arnold just didn't want to ruin his friendship with Hassan.

"- Are you mad at me because I spend a lot of time with Hassan?" Aurore asked, chagrined. "You are the one I love Arnold. I promise to break up with him. Be patient a little longer hun?" She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

" - Please! That's enough! " Arnold got angry as he pushed her again. " We slept together six or seven times but that's all! I don't love you Aurore!"

With tears in her eyes, Aurore wanted to retort but suddenly a fist crashed into Arnold's face.

Red with anger, Hassan was glaring at him.

They started to fight and Aurore was screaming, trying to separate them.

Arnold pushed Hassan against the wall. His mouth bleeding, he watched the alpha on the ground.

Aurore then rushed to Arnold, forgetting her fiancé who was dying of pain on the ground.

Hassan got up to hit Arnold again, but Aurore blocked his way.

"- Baby..." Hassan said, his heart torn.

" - What is happening ?!" asked Mrs. Taha as she arrived, followed by her friends and others including the Ogatas and Arnold's grandmother.

" - I'm sorry Hassan," Aurore started to cry…