Luz Family

 

“Is this true?” Maya jumped as soon as Jane called her to confirm Sena’s attendance at the benefit ball this year. “How could this be? It’s impossible.” 

Without Paula’s backing, where does she get the cheek to enter the event? There must be a trick somewhere. 

“I’m sorry Maya, I tried taking revenge for you but who knew my timing was wrong.” Jane sighed from the other line. 

She was trying to please Maya because her family now depends on the Luz’s injection of capital to survive. To say she had no resentment in her heart was false. Maya was just an illegitimate daughter who replaced the legal heir and she looks down on her ever since. But who made her father incompetent when it comes to business? 

Jane could only grit her teeth to pander on the whims of this filthy mother and daughter hoping they can help their company. About what happened at the launch party, she now deeply regretted it. The rich boyfriend she painstakingly obtained put her on the blacklist. 

“I have no idea your half sister was capable of soaring high without your father’s backing. She has completely cut herself off from your family and manage to win several—”   

Maya turned her phone off. Another expensive vase was smashed on the floor making the maids shiver. This is the scene Crisanta saw when she entered the main door.

“Dear, what is the problem? Who made you angry?” 

“Aside from Sena, who else do you think?” Maya sobbed in frustration. 

Crisanta frowned. “What did she do to you?”

“She is coming to the Chartreuse Gala!” Maya’s teeth chattered in anger. “She was on the news the other day. Ever since she got involved with the donation abroad the gossip around her faded just like that. Please do something, I don’t want her taking away my spot in the ball!”  

Crisanta Luz flicked her forehead, “Sena will not come to the ball this year.” 

“Someone just called me.”

Crisanta held her face and wiped her tears. “Trust me.”

“Mom, how could you be so sure?” Maya did not entirely believe her mother’s words because she heard the news directly from Jane. 

“Although Paula Erde has several high profile backers it does not necessarily mean that those people have the same impressions and fondness for her daughter especially when those connections were earned by Paula’s own effort. Being her daughter adds no merit, if anything it can even become Sena’s shackles.” 

“Is that true?”  

Crisanta smiled slyly. Sena’s terrible performance was deeply engraved in the mind of the public. She hasn't heard of her attending gatherings and accepting invitations from her mother’s socialite friends. She was not seen in the Lion’s Club either and simply vanished in the wealthy circle. Another important thing is that according to her source, Sena did not receive sponsorship offers from the 1st tier luxury brands including Kalliste. 

“I assure you she would not be able to come because she lacks sponsors.” She said confidently. 

Maya could care less about her smudged make up and hugged her mother. 

“Alright, alright, stop sulking. The dress Timothée ordered is about to arrive today so you better be in your best self.” 

Maya’s eyes brightened in joy, “I’m excited to see it. Timothée said it was ordered from the current collection of Kalliste.” 

“Yes.” 

A flash of triumph was reflected on the mother and daughter’s faces.  

How powerful is the Rosamaria family to be able to preorder a gown from one of the top fashion houses? Not even Sena has ever worn it. 

Maya’s heart thumped. She had endorsed Lynx but compared to Kalliste it was simply a shabby piece. 

Sena had always been the face of the brand. If she performs well in the charity ball and leaves a large impression then perhaps… 

Thinking of the possible outcome made her throb with excitement. 

Maya imagined her face on large billboards and international ads. Her determination soared, she will make sure to absolutely crush that bitch!

 

Crisanta knew her daughter was a worrywart so in order to ensure there will be no mishap she called for online trolls to push a new topic up the trends. The guest list for the gala was released several weeks early and people have long forgotten it aside from their favorite characters. 

Just a day before the event, who would have predicted that a sharp-eyed netizen would start picking on the names of the guests and made a satirical comment about Sena’s attendance.

[Will Sena still attend the gala this year?]

It was obvious that they are questioning whether she will make it without her mother. 

[Not sure about it.]

[There are some famous invited guests who said they will not be able to come due to other commitments. On the other hand, a reliable source said that Sena is not attending the gala.]

A doubtful comment jumped in. [Is she even on the guest list?]

[She came last year but I have a question: What remarkable things has she contributed?]

[Yeah, she shouldn’t force herself to fit in!]

If there are discordant commenters, there are also rational netizens who do not go with the flow.  

[The invitation is being strictly handled by the executives and Sena is one of the large contributors of the Children Welfare Institute, don’t you know?] 

[What is CWI?]

[Let me inform everyone present in this forum that the CWI was founded ten years ago by a bunch of middle school students of a prestigious international school. It all started with giving half of their monthly allowances to fund less fortunate children from remote regions of the country to go to school. Then another branch was established by one of the founders for those children needing medical attention.]

[Each year a philanthropist is selected by the board of directors of the Darlian Institute for Children to be given an award. CWI founders had been a two-time honoree for their outstanding performances. It’s not a surprise if Sena came to attend, she is a donor of that foundation after all.] 

However, no matter how reasonable the rhetoric, the trolls are unstoppable. They would do anything for the sake of arguing their crooked point. It’s what they are paid for. 

[CWI is CWI, we are talking about Chartreuse Gala here. Her little amount of money will not be enough to guarantee a spot here. Maybe she’s dreaming.]

[Right! And Sena is disgusting. She's like a fly appearing everywhere. There is no way she will come.]

[Oh, what if she did?]

[She must have found a sugar daddy to latch on. This event is mainly for the real rich, what does she have?]

[Stop your delusions Sena!]

[If celebrities can be invited, why not Sena?]

Yuni saw there are still netizens who are defending her and could not help but join in the battle. She lost a lot when Sydney released her audition clips and now she could only hide in their home crying. When she heard Crisanta wanted to hype up Sena’s attendance she immediately opened her laptop.

[Fart! Doing a little charity work and appearing in magazines doesn’t qualify. I think the benefit ball lowered their standards too much.]

Jane did not want to be left out either and spoke her mind out. 

[I used to anticipate it every year but they shouldn’t invite anybody. Such a turn off.]

At her home in Paragon, Sena brushed off the trolls’ scathing remarks without changing her face. Today she is going to enjoy an ultra-luxurious spa service!

She invited Layla and Linda to come to her home for a rare girls’ only day off. 

A line of professional teams entered the spacious spa room and was stunned by the layout. Why, this place is more complete than any boutique they know! It has everything from a steam shower and sauna, a cold plunge pool, black marble hot tub down to the slippers and bathrobes. It’s a drool-worthy little haven, an esthetician’s paradise!  

Today is Yanli’s first time doing home service. Her manager said that she would approve her vacation leave after this. She can finally go to the meet ups of the fan club supporting baby Maya! Yanli had been saving two month’s worth of money to follow her idol’s shooting location to support her. But as soon as they arrived at their work location, her eyes widened in disbelief. 

She infiltrated the enemy camp— Sena’s home, rather. 

Yanli looked around absently at the spacious pad and almost collided with the glass door. 

“Be careful!” April quickly tugged her to safety and reminded gently. “That’s dangerous, you almost knocked your head.”   

Yanli was stiff all over. Her companions jokingly said she was too stunned to see such a beautiful house and told her subtly that they must not make a mistake or the client might file a complaint to the company later. OMG what a blunder!

She was alert all of sudden. Her colleagues are right, these kinds of people are known for being notoriously picky. Judging from the opulence of this place, she still could not believe that this is indeed Sena’s home until she saw the person herself coming down the staircase. Yanli felt faint for some reason, they are now standing at 62nd floor but the space does not seem to end there. The sheer size of the living area and the height of the ceilings renewed her impression of the word ‘poor’.     

While her detractors were speculating if Sena was living in a musty ten square meter rundown apartment after Mr Luz abandoned her, here she is living everybody’s dream. The rumors are false! 

This bachelorette pad is ten times bigger than baby Maya’s own. The top of the line interior alone carries a seven-figure price tag. It means that the evil woman is richer than her idol!  

Sometime later when the four ladies were having their services and began to chat Yanli discovered their relationship is very close and amiable unlike those she had seen. Before coming here, the things she knew about Sena was like everyone else. Maya’s proud and vicious sister who always wanted could not wait to jump into fire in order to compete with her. As for how she can play arrogantly? That’s because she has Leonard and Linda Tang’s backing. 

Their poor baby Maya was harassed by her for so long. 

But what she saw and heard today overturned her earlier impressions. 

“Your big brother said he found a man working for Albert Luz lurking around the construction site in the east district. He was trying to approach one of the workers.” Linda said.  

Though she will not be using a spa service aside from foot massage, she obliged and wore a bathrobe and laid on the rattan chair bonelessly. The butler handed her glass of cold mango orange juice before walking noiselessly back to the bar counter. 

Sena pouted, “Big brother beat me to the punch again? I was still waiting to see what they wanted to do.”

“He wants to bribe the construction worker to get an injury then make up a story of cutting their insurance money.” Linda said while angrily poking her forehead. “Though you will be able to win the lawsuit, your reputation will surely suffer a blow. This will affect the Metro Hub project.”

Linda hated that old bastard to the core. Don’t mention the despicable mistress and his child, he himself was the main cause of all this mess. Sena suffered enough from the lack of a good father in her childhood, why does he have to be a demon now that Sena has finally stopped hoping for his meager attention? Her heart ached for this child. She wished she could tear that old bastard to pieces but— shit, murder is illegal. 

The furious Mrs Tang could only resort to other means: coaxing her husband not to deal with the Luz in any forms of business!  

Layla was also upset, “Isn’t he your dad, why is he such a person?”

“He had always been like that.” Sena replied unemotionally. “Before the east district project, I originally intended to sell the land but later changed my mind and switched to developing it myself. Some time later, I learned that Mr Luz was planning on bidding for it and he naturally lost the chance after my withdrawal. Seeing that the east land has now turned into a delicious pastry he would naturally resent me for taking away his chances of grabbing a large piece of this pie.”

“But that’s how business works and that land was yours to begin with. Isn’t he one of those who shouted and mocked you for squandering money when you bought that place?” When it comes to this news, Layla ha more or less learned a few by reading newspapers and watching the business channels.

Sena chuckled, “You should know that there are all kinds of selfish people in this world. When we left his house because of his extramarital affair, he expected we would suffer outside. In order not to be accused of being a heartless bastard, he did his best to wash himself clean by marrying his mistress and dumping all the swill on mama. Claiming that it was mama who got in between their relationship. Seeing us thrive after breaking off with him hurts his ego.”

“He’s an egoistic male chauvinist.” Linda spat out. “If Sena grows more in the business world, his partners will eventually question his decision to abandon his family for a pair of outsiders. As someone who loves his image more than his family, Sena’s success is going to become his curse.”

Layla finally understood why these attacks kept on coming on Sena. It made her shiver in disgust. How could there be such a repulsive man?

“Oh no!” She suddenly exclaimed. “Maya is rumored to be dating the heir of Rosamaria Group, will this be bad for you?” 

Yanli, who heard her idol’s name being mentioned, felt apprehensive. She had been all ears since the beginning of the conversation and was stunned stupid. Well, it’s not like she can mute their mouths when they are talking so freely.

Apparently, her idol’s family are such shameless people. She also hated womanizers,  mistresses and egocentric people but for the sake of baby Maya she had to give them the benefit of the doubt. 

Sena laughed, “Silly girl, it’s just the Rosamaria family. What can they do to me?”

Yanli: The evil woman is domineering! Isn’t this line reserved only for arrogant CEOs in the novel? (・ε・`*) …

“Mrs Rosamaria is a quarrelsome person, she might come to you for Maya.” Layla worried.

Yanli wanted to retort that her idol is not the kind of person who likes to instigate others for trouble when she suddenly heard Linda Tang say: 

“Even Layla knows what kind of person that half-sister of yours is.”

The statement made Yanli pause. She could hear the strong distaste on Mrs Tang’s words. 

“—the people she got close with have more or less come to provoke you. Starting from your cousin Meribeth, then there is Dresen who thank God regained his sanity, not to mention her bunch of fanatics who also had their grudges on you. By the way, isn’t Timothée Rosamaria a friend of yours in middle school? It will only be a matter of time…” 

Timothée Rosamaria is Sena Erde’s friend?! Yanli sucked in cold air. Then Maya’s purpose of approaching him was… 

“Hm, she wants to use Timothée to enter the benefit ball.” Sena said nonchalantly. “His mother is another matter. If she wants to obstruct me to amuse Maya then I can only answer in kind, I’m not afraid anyway.”  

Yanli’s hands kneading Sena’s delicate and smooth back trembled a bit. OMG this is probably the most intriguing firsthand gossip she ever heard! 

Girl, how could you be so calm? That’s Mrs Rosamaria herself. 

Sensing her masseuse stopped moving, Sena looked up. “Are you tired? Take a break first and have some snacks. I’ve prepared a few on the veranda.” 

Yanli’s face turned crimson. “Ah, n-no. I was just distracted.” 

Sena tilted her head and flashed her a smile. 

“You can relax, you don’t have to be embarrassed.” 

With her insistence, the therapist took a break. Yanli sat on the veranda absentmindedly. She could hear her colleagues talk in a low voice.

“I can’t believe we are at Sena Erde’s house. I’ve only seen it once during the reality show opening and was totally amazed.”

“She’s much more beautiful in person.” 

Yanli nodded subconsciously, if it were before seeing Sena in person she might jump to disagree. This girl’s skin is so good with the tenderness and softness of tofu. From the tops of her head down to her toes, not a single blemish can be seen. 

Tsk, tsk, gotta envy people blessed with excellent hardware. 

She was reminded of her bias before. Frankly speaking she was also one of those skeptics who thought Sena went under the knife to have such a face. Maybe not a major operation but some tiny corrections. She was wrong in the end because the whole time when she was inches away from Sena she could not find any artificial trace. Aside from that, Sena’s temperament is also far from the rumor.  

Where was the said bad-tempered with a princess disease person she usually hears?

“I told you before that you can never trust what the media shows to people.” 

“Right. Such a nice girl getting roasted online. I don’t know what people think nowadays.”

“It’s probably jealousy.”

Yanli, who had been enlightened, agreed wholeheartedly. Yep, it’s good old jealousy intertwined with business interest. Compared to her, Maya who grew up in the honeypot after grabbing her rightful place does not seem to be at a disadvantage no matter where she looks at it. She suddenly thought, what made her like Maya in the first place? 

As if drinking a jug of strong coffee, her mind suddenly cleared. 

The evil woman… ahem… Sena. She’s pitiful, isn’t she?

When the break ended, the treatments resumed. At this moment Yanli no longer had her previous prejudice. During the whole session she learned that she is not only well-mannered and polite but a bit childish as well. The absence of the so-called superior arrogance and the combination of these traits made her easy to warm up to. 

The internet really is an evil place. It makes the bad guys look like saints while the good ones are being torn worse than criminals. 

“By the way, sis. They’re doubting whether you are attending the charity ball tomorrow.” Layla said while poking on her phone. “Is it really that hard to enter?”

“Well, yes.” Sena then explained a little of its rules.  

Before the benefit was an upper class only event where one must be a member of the elitist Golden Regatta and Lion’s Club. Over the years, it was inevitable for some old families to decline by losing their wealth and connections due to crimes and unwise business ventures. As the members lessened, the board decided to make a drastic change by opening Chartreuse Gala to those who sought to belong. Many coveted its name like a brand and from this opportunity to make the benefit expand and flourish once again came. However, upstarts who only recently made their wealth in the past five decades are still not welcome. 

“Ouch, no wonder it’s called one of the most anticipated events in the world.” Layla said playfully. “So to say, the Luz and families like ours who made our fortunes for only twenty years are not qualified to attend.”

Sena nodded. “As tradition dictates, seventy percent of the attendees must come from old families.” 

“Will big sis Linda come?”

Linda shook her head, “We received an invitation but it will be too tiring for my condition so we will just send in our donations.” 

Layla brushed through another page and frowned when she saw the discussions related to the gala. What the hell is this?! 

She turned to April and showed what she found. The online community is having a heated argument about Sena’s attendance. 

“These people just run their mouths however they want to influence passersby.” Layla grumbled. Not once did they argue about Maya’s joining despite being the least qualified to be selected. Forget it, brain problems are not easy to fix. 

“Trolls can be as aggressive as kids in their puberty,” April said with a shake of her head. 

Linda just smiled, “Don’t get too worked up over it, the large percentage of these commenters are paid to speak vulgarly to incite online discussions.” 

“It’s a dirty tactic but it works,” Sena said. 

Layla grimaced. “It’s obvious that someone is deliberately attacking you. Even passersby cannot stand them.” 

“At the end of the day it still depends on how we take it.” Sena chuckled, patting the angry kid’s head. “We cannot control what comes out of people’s mouths. However, you can always control the reaction and response you are going to make. The angrier you are, the happier they will become and in this situation it is best to prove them wrong with practical action.”  

By saying so, she took her phone and snapped a shot at a green and black invitation card with her name. On her official page she posted: 

SenaErde: See you at the benefit ball. 

Her wall post was given hundreds of hearts in a few minutes. The trolls who dared venture on her wall to throw dirt refused to believe it.

[OMG, I’m not hallucinating am I? Although the Chartreuse Gala is no longer as strict as before, how could they invite just about anyone?]

The haters swarmed in less than a minute. Some denied the photo despite seeing it clearly.

[Who doesn’t know that you are friends with many rich children. It’s easy to borrow their invitation and PS your name on it!]

Layla could only laugh angrily. She had to admit that her self-control was not nearly as tight as Sena’s. She’s clearly being hated but she can coolly treat these ugly words as jokes.  

“Chartreuse Gala is in less than a day away, instead of futilely fighting with them, use the event to show your strength.” Sena shrugged. She is certain she can deal with it easily. 

What a tiresome bunch. As soon as she made good progress, Crisanta Luz would then unleash her paid internet zombies to target her. 

“Miss Andy called saying she will come this afternoon to take a video of the dress.” April said. “After the ball is finished, the short film with her will be aired next. I’m surprised though, I thought you would be wearing Kalliste.” 

The massage therapists overhearing the conversation perked up their ears. As followers of current trends, they also know about Sena and the many issues surrounding her. Despite their professional service, they too wanted to know more about her. 

“As long as I do not wear clothes sponsored by other fashion houses, I can still wear those I personally prefer during events like the charity ball. Besides, everyone is anticipating I will be wearing Kalliste but Lady Doukas and I agreed we will reserve it for the release of the spring/summer collection later.” 

Oh, so that’s it! Yanli sighed inwardly. 

Sena had a vague feeling that something was going to happen so she tried to be a little cautious. 

Last life, she failed to attend the benefit ball before because she hated being on the same stage as Maya. That move allowed her to dominate the field and earn more social connections.

Maya managed to enter the ball because of Dresden. It was because of her relationship with him that Maya was able to gain a positive impression with a western investor, Chase International. Seeing that she has the ability to communicate with bigger clients, the board of directors of Luz Companies began to trust her. Losing Dresden,  for some reason she is with Timothée Rosamaria who had a scandal with her before. Maya is still sure to get in. 

Sena had to admire her for making it no matter what but she will make sure that her entry to the Luz Companies will not be as easy. 

In this important event, if one’s background failed to assist you, there is still a chance using your own talent. Win prestigious awards or be the best at your chosen field. Maya neither has this, so she went to the most direct solution: date a person who is a member of aforementioned exclusive clubs. As for whether she would still be able to get into the eyes of that investor is up for grabs. 

“Come to think of it, Crisanta Luz is such a petty woman.” Linda blurted out. 

Such a woman will do anything to get on a higher ground, even using her own daughter. 

“It would be such a joy seeing her fail.”

Sena chuckled.

“I would absolutely faint from laughter once I found out she frothed at the mouth after knowing that the trolls she paid helped you become more popular!” Layla said spitefully.