Chapter 1 The Yacht Party

Dazzling chandelier lights will blind one's eyes as you step into the carpeted deck of the five hundred-foot mega yacht. The sweet scent of the pink stargazers and white roses drifts to your nostrils as they fill the railings and take the centerpiece of cocktail tables that dot the vast area.

Tall men dressed in black pants and white long sleeved shirts accentuated by a bow tie darts through the crowd bringing glasses of wine or hors de oeuvres.  Every now and then, a guest stops them to get some drinks or food, or makes a request for something.

One word for the party preparation - Lavish! It was the sixty fifth birthday for the matriarchal head of one of the prestigious families of Hamstead County. They may not be as rich as they were before and precisely they tried to throw off a grand party to invite prospected partners to revive their business.

A few meters from the deck is a hall decorated with imported orchids and huge rainforest plants. Lace curtains dripped down from the ceiling towards the walls. A big banquet was still being prepared as some of the uniformed tall men were bringing in the course for the night on the well decorated, candle-lit long dining table. The sight of lobsters, crabs, giant shrimps, salmon and three foot-long rib steaks could make any ordinary man's mouth drool.

Of course, the people around were not ordinary men or women. Dressed in fancy clothes that probably were worth thousands of dollars were distinguished businessmen and politicians in the county together with their families. There was only one man who stood out from the crowd. He stood out not as someone you would think of highly but someone who seemed out of place.

Although neat as he could be, he was obviously wearing old fashioned clothes that seem inappropriate for such a very modern occasion. As he walked through the crowd following a beautiful petite lady, his head was bowed down. Some people they pass tend to whisper to each other. He did not mind it anymore even if he heard their whispers. For the longest time he can remember, he was the adopted son who had lived off on the wealth of some old kind man.

"Dinner is ready to be served! May we request everyone to kindly proceed to the dining hall!" A booming voice was heard over the speakers.