Back in her room.
After freshening up, Serena changed into her pajamas.
She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and gazed at the neon-lit cityscape.
She thought back to the pleading mercenaries from earlier.
Raising her hand, her thumb gently traced the blood-red ring on her finger.
This was the symbol of the Ghost Alliance in the Gray Zone.
It was also the mark of the Demon.
Over the past few years, this ring had struck fear into far too many people.
Those who saw it either submitted or died.
Originally, she hadn't wanted to expose it.
But... today, her family had spent so much money and effort to meticulously plan this grand Vinton Debutante Gala.
It was all for her.
The farce Isabella created had already disrupted the banquet.
As for those mercenaries.
She hadn't even needed to step in.
Douglas could have handled it.
Black Jack and Jaxon could have easily subdued them as well.
But in the process, a physical fight would inevitably have caused massive damage
to the carefully decorated venue.
If heavy weapons were truly unleashed, who could guarantee the guests wouldn't be caught in the crossfire?
If blood was shed at the banquet.
All the hard work her grandparents and uncles put in would have been ruined.
Serena didn't want to see that happen.
So, she wore the ring that symbolized the Demon.
It was also the first time she had revealed her ties to the Gray Zone to her family.
She thought they might be tense, afraid, or unable to accept... that she roamed the underworld.
But they weren't.
They only felt heartache for her.
An overwhelming heartache.
She pressed her hand to her chest, a faint smile touching her lips.
-
The Vinton Debutante Gala had ended.
But the aftershocks had yet to fade.
The entire high society of the United Realmon States was reeling from the name "Serena."
The young miss of the Vinton family had practically become a mythical figure.
Not only was her mastery of Eastern medicine unparalleled, even the top Western medical authorities
in the
nation bowed to her expertise.
Even terrifying mercenaries groveled at her feet.
Even Princess Isadora of The Royal House of Vaelion treated her like a deity.
The first thing the attendees did when they returned home was warn their younger generations.
"If you see the young miss of the Vinton family, keep your heads down and behave!"
"If any of you have the skills to
elet
befriend her, date her, othe
the Vinton family, you'll be
undisputed head of our household
The elite circles completely blew up.
Every wealthy family privately tried to gather intel on this mysterious young lady, brainstorming ways to connect with the unfathomable Vinton heiress.
Strangely enough...
No matter how the outside world buzzed with excitement.
Any online videos or photos from the banquet that featured Serena...
Were wiped clean by an invisible force.
They were entirely blurred out by heavy pixelation.
Not even a strand of her hair was visible.
Even her voice had been run through a special filter, making it sound like an emotionless robot.
Even the most elite hackers couldn't restore the original footage.
One stubborn individual tried to post a bounty on the dark web, seeking Serena's real identity.
But less than three seconds after the post went live.
Their account was permanently deleted.
Their IP address was locked with a stark warning.
A blood-red skull popped up on their screen, dripping virtual blood alongside a countdown timer.
Terrified, the hacker yanked out their router, booked a flight, and fled the country overnight.
Everyone in the circle implicitly understood.