Chapter 302: Standing Up For You
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Soon, Bruce led Lucas to a s.p.a.cious auction hall situated in the bas.e.m.e.nt floor of Club Splendor.
The auction hall was indeed very secretive. Along the way, they had to pa.s.s through several labyrinths of pa.s.sages and doors guarded by professional security personnel before they finally reached the venue.
Lucas thought, No wonder the Kingstons chose to hold the auction of beautiful women here in Club Splendor that belongs to the Wallaces. They’re probably aware that they should keep their sordid business away from the public eye. No wonder the security at the entrance was so tight.
If this matter was exposed, the Wallaces and the Kingstons would be in deep trouble!
Although the auction had yet to begin officially, many guests had already gathered in the auction hall. Apart from a small number of people from top families in Orange County whom Lucas had met before, there were many fresh faces.
The eagle-eyed Bruce looked around the hall and then whispered to Lucas, “Apart from some top families of Orange County, many members of wealthy families from other big cities like New York City are among the guests here tonight. Those from families of lower statuses are not even worthy of being invited.”
Lucas nodded. Seems that these fresh faces are members of the top families from other cities.
In fact, after seeing the fleet of luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands to several million dollars each lined up at the entrance, Lucas already had a rough idea of how wealthy the guests of the auction tonight had to be.
“Hey, Lucas! You’re here too!” At this moment, a familiar voice with a tone of surprise came from behind them.
Lucas turned around and saw Lena strutting toward him gracefully. She was clad in an exquisitely-tailored red fishtail gown with a small and dazzling diamond clutch in hand.
She had some makeup on her face, which was appropriate for a ballroom convention and made her look elegant and dignified. Coupled with a complete set of jewelry consisting of sparkling teardrop-shaped diamond earrings, a necklace, and a headpiece, Lena was particularly ravis.h.i.+ng and eye-catching tonight.
She was gazing at Lucas with joy in her big, beautiful eyes. Only when she almost reached him did she realize that Bruce was standing near him.
After taking a look at him, she got a great fright.
The esteemed head of the Hale family was actually standing half a step behind Lucas with his back slightly bent forward, looking somewhat respectful and subservient to Lucas.
In fact, Bruce’s behavior was actually not that obvious, but Lena had studied micro expressions in psychology when she was pursuing her education abroad. So she could tell from Bruce’s subtle expressions and actions that he was deferential and reverent toward Lucas!
This immediately made Lena extremely curious.
“Mr. Hale, you’re here too!” Despite her shock and curiosity, Lena still remembered her manners and etiquette.
She held up the corner of her dress and did a little curtsy to bow to Bruce in an elegant and ladylike manner.
Bruce chuckled. “It’s you, Lena! It’s been some time since we last met, and you’re all grown up now! You’re getting prettier and prettier! Is your father, Ethan, here today?”
Perhaps because Bruce was giving her a compliment in front of Lucas, Lena somehow blushed coyly for a moment before answering with a smile, “My father has gone on a business trip abroad and couldn’t make it back in time. So he asked me to attend the function today on his behalf, and at the same time, get an eye-opener for myself too.”
In fact, Lena had interacted with very few people of this circle because of how overprotective Ethan had been of her. She had lived a carefree life overseas as well.
But since the last time Lena and Ethan had a tiff over the matter of her marriage to Tristan, Ethan reflected for a long time and then decided that he should let Lena socialize more often and brush up on her interpersonal social skills. He wanted her to understand that the lives of wealthy families were not always as glamorous as they seemed to be on the surface and that the heirs and heiresses of such families did not enjoy absolute freedom to do whatever they wanted.
While they were chatting, they unknowingly became the focus of attention of many people in the auction hall.
On the one hand, it was because Lena was a stunning beauty bound to steal the limelight wherever she went. On the other hand, it was naturally because of Bruce, the head of one of the four top families of Orange County.
Most people didn’t know who Lucas was, and there were also many who were curious as to why Lucas could stand next to Bruce. So there were many curious gazes cast on Lucas.
But Tristan, Callum, and Elijah, who came in before them, were not one of those staring at Lucas with harmless curiosity.
Tristan was standing near them and glaring daggers at Lucas and Lena. In particular, when he saw Lena, who had always been harsh to him, beaming with joy and smiling at Lucas, his expression was terrifyingly sinister and gloomy.
“How did that punk get in?” Callum was sullen too. He had previously instructed the security guards at the entrance not to let Lucas in, but now that Lucas was there, it was a clear insult to Callum because his instructions had been defied.
“Hmph, that b.i.t.c.h must have brought him in! Atrocious!” Tristan gnashed his teeth.
Ever since the previous incident at The Loft where Lena had mercilessly said several times in front of so many people that she wasn’t interested in him and didn’t want to marry him but then went on to stand on Lucas’s side and go against him by calling her bodyguards over to stop him, Tristan had developed a strong resentment and hatred toward Lena as well.
“b.i.t.c.h? Do you mean Lena, the daughter of the richest man in Orange County, Ethan Sawyer? She’s the one who’s engaged to you but has been refusing to come back from abroad, right? Is she the one in the red gown over there?” Elijah asked in a gossipy manner.
Tristan nodded sullenly. “Yes, it’s her! She’s clearly engaged to me since a long time ago, but she’s been avoiding me like the plague and refusing to see me! Yet she’s so nice to that live-in son-in-law of the Carters, and she even scolded me for him! They’re a pair of adulterers!”
Tristan spat on the ground, and his face, which was usually handsome, twisted into a grimace.
Elijah patted Tristan on his shoulder with some empathy and sympathy. No man would be able to tolerate such a thing.
“Rest a.s.sured. I’ll go deal with that punk and stand up for you now!” he said as though they shared a common enemy.
Then Elijah walked toward Lucas.