Her words were well articulated. The tone was gracious. Yet sothing felt wrong. A distance lingered in her eyes. A chill hid beneath the smile.
This was not a mother relieved for her daughter. This was soone acting grateful because society demanded it.
Frankly, I had not wanted to invite them. They ca anyway after hearing about the event. Forcing them out would have damaged my public image.
Hai-Min once told her mother never hit her. She simply ignored her. That kind of silence left deeper scars than shouting ever could.
The neglect had been constant. Quiet. Careful. It shaped a child to believe she was invisible.
Seeing such a beautiful woman behave that way felt unsettling.
I kept my face calm. "She’s one of my most valuable team mbers. I’m fortunate to have her."
"How wonderful," The smile stayed in place, but her eyes remained flat. Her gaze drifted around the lavish hall, asuring its worth. "This is quite the celebration you’ve arranged. So generous of you."
Again, that hollow note. The right words. No warmth behind them.
"I’ll take my leave now," I turned away before she could continue.
My table sat near the front. The guild mbers and Amanda were already there.
As I crossed the hall, the scale of the gathering beca clearer.
This was not a simple student party. Executives from major corporations stood near the bar. Representatives from established guilds spoke in low tones. A few governnt officials mingled with practiced smiles.
They had not co for Hai-Min. Most likely, they did not know her na before tonight.
They ca because I invited them. A Guild Master hosting an event created opportunity. Connections could be made. Alliances tested.
Their presence shifted the mood. What should have been a birthday turned into a social affair people would rember.
"Boss!" Amanda waved. "Over here!"
I nodded to a few guests who tried to stop and finally reached my seat. The table had a clear view of the stage. That had been arranged on purpose.
The rest of my core team and my partners sat nearby, dressed in formal attire. They were not there out of duty.
Over ti, they had grown close to Hai-Min. Tonight, they ca because they wanted to be there.
The music slowly faded. Lights dimd.
A host stepped onto the stage, polished and confident.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlen! Tonight, we gather to celebrate an extraordinary young woman on her eighteenth birthday."
Applause rolled across the hall.
"She has achieved so much through dedication and hard work. We celebrate not only her birthday, but the person she has beco."
A pause followed. Anticipation settled over the room.
"Please welco the guest of honor—Hai-Min!"
The lights went out.
Silence.
Then a single spotlight lit the entrance.
She stood there.
Midnight hair flowed over her shoulders. Her eyes caught the light and held it. The silver dress fit her perfectly, crafted from fine silk. Real diamonds shimred with every small movent, scattering light like stars.
Her makeup was soft. It highlighted rather than masked. Every feature looked natural yet refined.
Gasps rose from the crowd.
"Is that really Hai-Min?"
"She looks amazing..."
"Those diamonds have to be real."
Conversations stopped. Glasses hovered in midair. All attention shifted to her.
The shy girl who once kept her head down now walked forward with quiet strength. Each step was careful, steady.
My pulse quickened. A smile threatened to show. Warmth spread through my chest, a feeling I had not known in years.
For a fleeting second, I imagined marrying her right there.
The spotlight followed as she moved toward the stage.
As she passed her mother, I studied Hai-Ren’s expression.
Shock ca first. Then sothing darker.
Her face flushed. Fingers tightened around her champagne glass until her knuckles turned pale. She had not expected this. Not this beauty. Not this attention.
It was not pride that filled her eyes. It was jealousy.
Good. Let her choke on it.
When Hai-Min reached the stage, she turned to face the crowd. Her gaze searched the room until it found .
Our eyes t.
Her smile blood—bright, unguarded.
Whispers spread again.
"She’s looking at Guild Master rcer."
"The way she smiled..."
"He must care about her a lot."
"Imagine having soone like that."
"I heard he could buy half the city."
"Thank you all for coming," Hai-Min said. Her voice stayed steady, though emotion lingered beneath it. "I never thought I’d celebrate my eighteenth birthday like this. I always assud it would pass quietly. But everything changed when I t the Guild Leader."
The spotlight widened slightly, revealing our table.
"Big Brother," she said softly, "thank you. Thank you for believing in when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you for giving chances I never thought I’d have. Tonight ans more than you know."
Her voice trembled at the end. Tears gathered in her eyes, held back with effort.
More whispers rose from her classmates.
"She called him Big Brother..."
"Look at that dress. That venue."
"Why doesn’t anyone treat like that?"
"I want a billionaire brother too!"
Jealousy lingered in the air. So of those girls had barely noticed her before. Now they watched her stand under lights ant for royalty.
Applause thundered.
I stood and clapped. My guild followed, cheering without restraint.
Across the hall, Hai-Ren sat stiffly. Her expression had returned to polite calm, but tension showed in her posture. The glass in her hand remained trapped between rigid fingers.
She was surrounded by people praising her daughter. In a venue she could never afford. At an event filled with guests far above her reach.
The irony must have burned.
Party continued like usual. Music filled the hall, guests mingled and laughed, and Hai-Min went from table to table, accepting congratulations and well-wishes from her classmates.]
Her male classmates looked genuinely happy for her. They clapped, whistled, so even stood from their seats with wide grins.
The girls were different.
Smiles stayed on their faces, but their eyes told another story. Shoulders stiffened. If envy had weight, it would have pressed down on that section of the hall.
It was hard to bla them.
They were all the sa age. Most of them would go on to live ordinary lives. College. Office jobs. Routine days. Yet Hai-Min stood and dressed like soone far beyond eighteen.
From their point of view, she climbed to this place because of her beauty.
And they were not wrong. This was what people called beauty privilege.
A beautiful face opened doors faster than effort ever could. It drew attention without asking. It softened judgnt. It made people willing to give chances they would deny to others.
The world had always worked that way.
Pretending otherwise would have been naive.
And that rule applied to as well. I would not have saved her if she was not attractive in the first place.
The party ended after two hours.
Guests began to leave in waves. Laughter faded. Music stopped. Staff moved quietly through the hall, clearing glasses and folding linens.
Soon, only a few of us remained.
Ellie. Ella. Alice. The rest of my core mbers.
I was in the middle of a conversation when Hai-Ren approaching our table.
She carried a small, elegantly wrapped box in her hands. "I have sothing for you, sweetheart."
"Mom," Hai-Min stood awkwardly. "You didn’t have to—"
"Nonsense. It’s your eighteenth birthday." Hai-Ren extended the box. "Open it."
With obvious reluctance, she took the gift and carefully unwrapped it.
Inside was a delicate gold bracelet, set with small sapphires. It was beautiful, expensive even—probably worth more than a few hundred thousands.
"Thank you, Mom" Hai-Min forced a smile.
"You’re welco, sweetheart." Hai-Ren’s smile widened slightly.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about sothing. Now that you’re eighteen, I think it’s ti you ca back ho—"
"—You’ve had your adventure living independently, but it’s not proper for a young woman your age to be living away from family."
Hai-Min froze, the bracelet still in her hands. "What?"
"Co ho," she repeated, as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world. "Your room is still there. We can have dinner together, spend more ti as a family. Doesn’t that sound nice?"
I watched Hai-Min’s expression carefully. Conflict warred across her features—years of wanting her mother’s attention clashing with the newfound independence and happiness she found.
Hai-Min hesitated, her eyes flicking to for just a mont.
That brief look gave her courage. She straightened her shoulders and t her mother’s gaze directly.
"I don’t want to, Mom. I want to stay with this guild. With Big Brother."
"Don’t be silly. Of course you want to co ho. This... this isn’t real life. Living in so guild." Her tone tightened. "And I heard your place almost burned down."
"I like my life here," Hai-Min interrupted. "I’m happy here."
The mask was starting to crack. Hai-Ren’s voice took on an edge. "You’re being stubborn. You can still work for the guild if you want to. I’m not asking you to quit. Just co ho where you belong."
Hai-Min shook her head, more firmly this ti. "No. I want to stay here."
"Hai-Min." Hai-Ren’s tone sharpened. "I’m your mother. I’m telling you to co ho."
"And I’m telling you no," Hai-Min said, her voice rising slightly. Several nearby tables were starting to notice the confrontation. "I’m eighteen now. I can make my own decisions."
Hai-Ren’s composure was visibly crumbling. Her face flushed, and her eyes flashed with anger.
"Your own decisions? You’re a child who doesn’t know what’s good for her. This man—" she gestured at .
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