Chapter Seven

"Well, well, well, look who's here. If it isn't Amanda and the criminal son in law."

Along with the mockeries, Henry Cortez and his family arrived with bags of gifts consisting of fine wine, wild ginseng, tea, and other exotic materials in their hands.

The Cortez clan's plan was plain and simple... To butter up the War Lord as much as they could so he would see them as favorable.

"I didn't expect you to show up, Amanda." Henry's wife Melanie said as she moved closer to Amanda, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Where the hell is your invitation card? Show it to me. It's quite easy to purchase counterfeit ones these days if I might add." she finished with a dull laughter.

Henry, his wife and the others were not the slightest bit convinced that Authur could get an invitation.

"Just look at their state, there's no way they can get an invitation to the banquet! Especially this late.... It so funny it's kinda like saying pigs could fly!".

"I..." Amanda hesitated because there was no invitation card, to begin with.

"Come on. What are you hiding?" Melanie laughed. "don't tell me your invitation card is made of gold that I can't even take a tiny look at it?".

Amanda clammed up, her head lowered.

"Show us your invitation card!" Henry demanded, this time referring to Amanda's father. "

" Brother... Wait... " he panicked.

" What? You won't obey even your own elder brother? You're just like your useless son in law. Hurry up and show it to me unless I'll call security and report to them that you are an uninvited guest! " Henry bellowed.

"We don't have an invitation card yet brother... It was my son in law, Authur who brought us here" he replied looking all panicked.

Immediately after they heard his reply, Henry, Melanie and the rest laughed so hard that their bellies hurt.

"You're such an idiot Aaron!" Henry glared at his younger brother, Amanda's father. "What a disgrace to have a brother like you!"

Sensing the mass scoffing eyes, filled with attention and ruthless laughter from his own clan members, a fresh sweet of rage rose in him as his last piece of dignity left in front of the Cortez clan vanished without a trace.

Amanda, too, hated Authur to the core, knowing that they had lost all respect from the Cortez clan.

"How shameless of you to attend the banquet without an invitation!. Let me tell you something, it's a fact. No matter how much you try, your family can never enter this gate!" Henry taunted.

"Let's go inside everyone," Melanie said as she held onto Henry's arm. "Don't let them get in the way."

"You're right. Knowing them is such a disgrace."

The Henry Cortez family shot daggers at Authur and hurried towards the gate.

Aaron, Amanda's father was about to say something when Authur stopped right in his tracks, "Look, Mr. Cortez they won't be able to get in... Trust me".

Standing at the entrance of the hotel were dozens of security guards that werey secretly armed to the teeth who were tasked to maintain order at the scene.

Henry took out twelve invitation cards and handed them over. "For the Cortez clan members please." he said as he straightened his back, feeling proud as ever. After all there weren't many people who could boast of taking out twelve invitations at once.

But the next second, the security guard said with an expressionless face, "You people are restricted from entering this welcome banquet and are banned from attending, please exit the neighboring surroundings peacefully of we will use force!"

"What?" Henry, The Cortez Patriarch and the others thought they had misheard the security guard.

"That's impossible!, Andrew Robertson the first son to Mr. Dexter Robertson bought us these invitations in person just yesterday!" Henry argued.

The Cortez Patriarch put on a haughty face. "This is my invitation card. Let me in this instant! You can not afford to mess with me, a man of my status can cripple you with the snap of my fingers!"

THUD! 

Suddenly, the shaft of a baton rested on The Cortez Patriarch' head. 

"You are restricted... Please exit peacefully or we will use force... I repeat myself..." 

The old man was shook as he stumbled and fell into the arm of his family members who were now frightened.

"We must not explain to you with action..."

But with so many eyes watching him, he mustered his courage and struck back.

"How dare you touch me! Don't you know who I am? Let me speak to your superior!"

WHAM! 

The security guard knocked him down straight away again with the Baton. The old man completely wet his pants this time and the Cortez family was all the more petrified.

"What are you guys waiting for? Get the hell outta here!" The security guard barked.

The Cortez family helped their patriarch up and made a run for it.

"Amanda look, Authur was right, they couldn't get in... And father doesn't look too good either" Aaron was shocked at the scene that unfolded before him. 

At that moment, Authur smiled and grabbed Amanda's hands even tighter. "We should get inside".

"No no!" She screamed in protest. "We're going to get hit hard on the head by that body guard or worse get killed!. How are we supposed to get inside when Henry and the rest can't even get through the security checkpoint?" She finished, back pedaled in fear, her delicate body trembled as well.

"Yeah, can we really get inside? We don't even have an invitation card!"

"Didn't you say that you'll give me one last chance? How do you know if you don't try?" Authur smiled at Amanda.

"Okay, I trust you. But only this once!" Amanda held Authur's arm tightly.

"Officers!" Henry's voice was heard just as the four of them approached the security checkpoint. "Although they are members of the Cortez clan, my father had long kicked them out of the clan! They're not related to us! And to top it off they don't have an invitation! "

 "Tch" Authur looked back and sneered. "Such heartless creatures." he said to himself.

When they arrived at the security check point, Ananda closed her eyes, wishing she'd rather die today than being humiliated again.

Henry and the others didn't leave. They stayed and watched just to see how ruthlessly the security guards would treat them. To watch them make a fool of themselves.

"Welcome, Mr. Cortez and his family! You are our most distinguished guest. Invitations are not required as your company is valued".

Upon hearing that, Amanda opened her eyes to see dozens of security guards lined up in rows of two, saluting them. As if they had just entered fantasy land, Amanda and her parents made their way inside.

Henry and the others, who had been waiting outside for a good show, were completely dumbstruck.

"They... They got in? How the hell did they manage that? How's that even possible?".

Truth be told, Amanda and her parents felt like they were on cloud mine when they saw the Cortez family's incredulous faces.

Aaron looked around in shock, disbelief still plastered all over his face." That was easy, how did you manage to pull that off, Authur?".

It was only then did they feel that their son in law was somewhat useful and every bit of who he said he was. At the very least, they managed to redeem themselves from the humiliation they had suffered since his return to Eldrida.

Amanda smiled." Authur you also had connections in Eldrida before this, no?"

"You're right, my love. I have friends", Authur replied. Amanda shot him a suspicious look, she had a sudden hunch that things were not that simple.

Inside the hotel, Amanda and her parents were very careful of their movement. After all, they couldn't afford to break anything or offend anyone on such an impressive occasion.

"Amanda, is that you? What are you doing here? Am I seeing things?" a voice rang out in the air suddenly.

Amanda turned to see who recognized her and her eyes were filled with disgust when she saw the incoming person. 

The four people that were coming towards her were dressed in tuxedos and had the bearing of royalty. The man in the lead was Collin Kelly, the son of the president of Alpha Group. He had lusted over Amanda for years, even offering millions to sleep with her, but she remained unmoved. As an act of revenge, Collin had caused Amanda self developed company to go bankrupt.

"Why can't I be here?" Amanda said coldly.

Collin turned his head to meet Authur's gaze, he sized him up and down. "Is this your criminal husband? I've heard so much about his foolishness, did he bring you in?"

Upon that, he leaned in closer to Amanda and gave a lubricious chuckle. "I don't care how you guys got in, but with my influence I can send your husband back to jail again and get him locked up for a decade or two!".

"What do you want you asshole?" Amanda looked at him warily.

"As long as you promise to keep me company, I swear I won't trouble him! Otherwise, I'll definitely send him in again!" Collin replied with a cunning smile. 

"You wish" Amanda blurted out.