It was an evening of unparalleled sophistication and indulgence, where elegance meets luxury and success wore a name.
The Primas Grand Events Hall, located in the heart of LampStone city radiated a regal glow—its towering glass facade, a reflection of the brilliance gathering within.
Tech moguls, real estate giants and billionaire business magnets, dressed in sharp futuristic silhouettes and understated luxury, stepped onto the red carpet, in pairs and threes, like royalty.
They swept into the hall with practised poise, their presence commanding awe as blinding camera light kept popping.
Amongst these notable billionaires was Kendrick Silva, clad in a well-tailored, custom-made black tuxedo that hugged his tall frame with sleek precision. He was closely accompanied by a red-haired beauty, adorned in a sequin champagne gold gown that framed her porcelain skin with effortless grace.
The Mendoza family didn't falter in their ability to put on a show of arrogance and sophistication as they arrived at the venue, clad in luxury and expensive attire while parading themselves like demigods.
Donned in an elegant flowing red dress that left little to the imagination, Belinda, closely accompanied by her older brother, Julio, sashayed down the red carpet, stopping every now and then to strike a pose for the excited paparazzi.
Behind her, was her elder sister, Tala, adorned in a breathtaking shimmering gold spaghetti high slit dress. She was stationed between her parents, while her supposed fiancé trailed behind them like an obedient page boy.
Inside the magnificent hall, which screamed of sheer opulence and elegance, the crystal chandeliers rained soft light from the high ceilings, their brilliance scattering like stardust across silk-draped tables and polished marble floors.
Uniform waiters moved gracefully through the crowd, serving wine and ensuring every guest's glass was refilled. While a jazz band serenaded guests with a rich blend of music.
The air buzzed with conversation, laughter and the quiet thunder of power gathered in one place.
Luzon and his family proudly made their way to the front VIP section, where a table had been specially reserved for them. His company, AML Dynamics, was among the top revolutionary tech companies to be recognised for their excellence and outstanding performance over the past year.
With shoulders raised high and eyes brimming with pride, they all took their respective seats, reserving only two of the most prominently positioned seats for their supposed chairman, Mr Nathaniel and his corresponding vice, Mr Miles Eddison.
"Dad, have you heard any word from Mr Nathaniel yet?" Tala asked, her sharp eyes scanning the room for his enigmatic figure.
"Not yet, sweetie. Mr Nathaniel only communicates with me through Mr Miles. Based on our last conversation, Mr Miles assured me that Mr Nathaniel will be here to receive the award on behalf of our company." Luzon explained, patting his daughter on the arm.
"What about Mr Ray, Dad? Did Mr Miles mention anything about him coming around too?" Belinda said, flipping her hair flirtatiously as a rich-looking dude from another table winked at her.
"No darling. He didn't say anything about Mr Ray." Luzon responded, his eyes constantly looking at the hall entrance in anticipation.
"I've told you to stop daydreaming, Linda." Rosella chided in a lowered voice, rebuking her daughter, who was seated close to her.
"Mr Ray is a mystery and we do not build our castle in the air. Look around you. There are lots of big fish to feast on. Choose from one of them or better still go for the biggest one of them all." She said gesturing at the most eligible bachelor in the room.
Belinda followed her mother's eyes and froze momentarily when they landed on Ken.
"You want me to go after Kendrick Silva, the same arrogant, cold and ruthless devil who has done nothing but humiliate me every single time I try to talk to him?" Belinda flashed her mother a sharp glare.
"Oh please, stop being melodramatic about it." Rosella dismissed her daughter's fears casually as if she weren't aware of the fact that Kendrick Silva despised the entire Mendoza family for reasons unknown. "I keep telling you, rejection is not denial. You do not give up so easily until you get what you want."
"He doesn't love me, Mum. He hates me." Belinda said, rolling her eyes.
"Love is for losers." Rosella spat out between clenched jaws. "Rather than love, you should be more concerned about money, status and power. With these three attributes, you can buy love and any other thing your heart fancies. The sooner you get that into your empty skull, the better it will be for you."
"Honey please, go easy on her." Luzon stepped in, seeing the way his daughter's expression had turned sour and cold.
"Well, I don't think Mr Rich, cold and handsome, will be interested in you now." Julio helped himself to a glass of champagne from one of the waiters passing by while pointing to the red-haired beauty standing beside Ken. "I think he is already taken."
"Who is that?" Tala asked, eyes brimming with curiosity.
"I have never seen her before?" Belinda's nostrils flared softly as if trying to control a surge of emotion.
"She looks very pretty if you ask me." Julio took slow sips of his wine, his lustful gaze already undressing the red-haired beauty.
"Whoever she is does not matter." Rosella flashed her shameless son a warning stare before focusing again on her youngest daughter. "As long as he hasn't proposed to her, he can still be yours if you push harder."
The back-and-forth conversation continued until a sudden hush rippled through the hall.
Conversations froze in mid-sentence, laughter died on parted lips, and all eyes and heads turned backwards in unison.
Then, as if compelled by some unspoken reverence, the crowd gathered by the entrance slowly parted, making way as the renowned figure of a man came into view.
Clad in a well-fitted custom-made tuxedo, Nathaniel gracefully stepped into the hall, his enigmatic presence commanding attention without a single spoken word.
But it wasn't his presence that held everyone in the hall spellbound. It was the fiery redhead goddess by his side.
She was a vision that halted breath and bent time.
Bold, daring and mesmerisingly beautiful, her cascading ginger-red hair caught the light in the hall like wildfire spun from silk, tumbling down her shoulders in soft, deliberate waves.
She was draped in a drop-dead, show-stopping strapless green gown that shimmered like fresh dew on forest leaves.
Her gown flowed around her like a whispered secret—sleek at the bodice, then spilling into an elegant, endless cascade that trailed behind her with every graceful step forward.
"Carmelita!" Ken's face froze mid-motion, as if time itself had seized him, upon recognizing her. The colour drained from his cheeks, leaving a pale canvas beneath wide, disbelieving eyes.
Suddenly, the stillness inside the hall was shattered by a harrowing, piercing shriek.
"Ghost!"