Chapter 3 - Lucas

Whoever said this was a charity ball told a lie. Those fancy nightgowns, expensive blings, and designer suits made it seem more like a fashion show. This is a glamorous party for the rich, Lucas wondered to himself. The money spent to organize this meaningless event should go to charity instead. Someone fired a flash at him, interrupting his thoughts.

"The youngest son of the Yang family! You're a rare catch. Can we do a quick interview?" a female reporter signaled the cameraman to start rolling his camera. Lucas had no idea who they were and had no interest in knowing anyway. As much as he wanted to say no, he knew he had to be polite for his family's sake.

"Is it true that your eldest brother, Hubert, is dating the daughter of real estate billionaire Carlos Lee? Are there any plans for a merger between the two families? And can you tell us more about…" the reporter continued to fire a string of questions at Lucas. This was one of the many reasons why he hated these rich parties. Because they made him feel invisible. This was not the first time reporters came up to him and asked him questions about his family members instead. Nobody seemed interested in him.

"Maybe you should ask the man himself." He forced a smile, tried his best to sound courteous, and walked away. His inner voice was telling him to run.

"Can't you tell us more? Hey, wait!" she shouted after Lucas but he had no interest in dealing with her. The cameraman shrugged his shoulders and said, "I think you offended him"

"What? I just asked him a question about his brother." the reporter replied.

"Yeah. That's the problem. You were interviewing him about his brother. That's just…weird.

"Oh, Gary, you don't know. He's not newsworthy at all compared to his brothers. In fact, he's pretty average. Actually, I kind of don't remember his name."

Even if Lucas had heard those words, he wouldn't be surprised or angry. For what they said was very much the truth. "Average" was the word most people used on him. Yes, Maison was right to say he was born into riches. But he did not asked for a life he could not fit into. He felt like an outcast in this elite society. He knew that even his own family members rejected him.

He found a quieter spot and started observing the guests. He started to imagine that if this was a palace, his father would be the emperor. This was a banquet to showcase the glory of his kingdom and his two very bright princes who are vying for the throne. Oh wait…there was the third prince too, one that was always forgotten. But he got his title as a prince because he was born into it. He was very much mediocre compared to his brothers. And all these people attending the event are either their royal relatives or people trying to establish a relationship with the elite.

A pat on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. As expected, it was Maison.

"The media wants to get a family photo." Maison looked as if he wanted to say Where the heck did you go? but couldn't because he was in public.

Another photo. Alright, that better be the last thing that required his presence at this hypocritical event. He had real business waiting for him in Jianghu.