Chapter 167: Mason’s Invitation
Lucas immediately declined Mason’s call and opened his phone’s camera without another thought.
Nothing was more important right now than taking a picture with the celebrity he had admired for years.
Holding up his own phone beside Gold Pantheress, Lucas did his best to appear calm.
But no matter how hard he tried...
The excitement in his heart simply refused to settle.
Gold smiled naturally as Lucas held up his phone.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Several photos were taken from different angles.
Lucas looked through them one by one, and the more he looked, the happier he became.
A satisfied grin slowly spread across his face.
Back in high school, he had never imagined that one day he would not only meet Gold Pantheress in person, but also take photos with her inside his own office.
Life really had become unpredictable after obtaining the System.
A mischievous thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"...Max is definitely going to lose his mind."
Gold Pantheress wasn’t only his favorite celebrity.
She was practically the dream goddess of Max, Ben, and Luke as well.
Those three had argued countless times over who was her biggest fan.
If they saw these pictures...
They would probably turn green with jealousy.
Lucas could already imagine Max grabbing his collar and shouting,
"How the hell did you do that?!"
Just imagining their reactions made him laugh quietly.
After putting away his phone, Lucas looked back at Gold.
"The banquet doesn’t begin until this evening."
"There’s no need for you to leave and come back again."
"You can stay in the VIP lounge Connie prepared for you."
"Treat it as your temporary resting place."
"If you need anything..."
"Just tell Connie."
Gold’s eyes filled with gratitude once again.
"Thank you, Chairman Lucas."
"I’ve already troubled you enough."
Lucas smiled.
"It’s no trouble."
Gold bowed politely before standing up.
Before leaving...
She quietly put on an oversized black pair of sunglasses.
The lenses were so dark that they almost completely concealed her beautiful eyes.
Together with the cap she wore...
She looked like an entirely different person.
Anyone passing by would find it difficult to recognize the once world-famous singer.
Lucas watched her leave without thinking too much about it.
After all...
She had once been an extremely popular celebrity.
Avoiding unwanted attention had probably become second nature.
Once the office door closed...
Lucas’s thoughts immediately shifted elsewhere.
"...That bastard Mason."
Only then did he remember the interrupted phone call.
Picking up his phone again, Lucas returned the call.
This time...
He had already decided.
He would simply refuse Mason’s invitation and accompany Gold to the banquet instead.
The call connected almost instantly.
Before Lucas could even speak...
Mason’s apologetic voice came through the speaker.
"Sorry, Lucas."
"I didn’t know you were busy."
"I shouldn’t have disturbed you."
Lucas wasn’t interested in explaining that Mason had almost ruined his chance to take photos with his favorite celebrity.
He simply replied casually,
"It’s fine."
"No big deal."
Then he went straight to the point.
"About tonight’s event..."
"I’m probably not going."
"I’ve got somewhere else I need to be."
The moment those words left his mouth...
The atmosphere on the other end immediately changed.
Just seconds ago...
Mason had sounded relaxed.
Now...
His tone became noticeably serious.
Lucas could almost picture him straightening his posture and switching into full salesman mode.
After spending years negotiating with wealthy clients...
Mason had developed an almost frightening ability to persuade people.
He wasn’t about to give up that easily.
"Lucas."
"I think you should reconsider."
"This isn’t just any banquet."
"There’ll be someone there..."
"...who’s closely related to one of your girls."
The words immediately caught Lucas’s attention.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"...One of my girls?"
Mason nodded on the other end.
"Remember the day I delivered your car?"
"There was a beautiful girl staying at your villa."
"The one who came outside with you."
"She’s actually one of the main reasons this banquet is being held tonight."
Lucas frowned.
For a moment...
He genuinely couldn’t figure out who Mason was referring to.
Mia?
Debbie?
Daisy?
None of it made sense.
Still...
He knew Mason wasn’t the type to joke about something like this.
After a brief silence, Lucas asked,
"...Where exactly is this banquet being held?"
A smile immediately appeared on Mason’s face.
He knew...
He had finally succeeded in arousing Lucas’s curiosity.
Without keeping him waiting any longer, Mason slowly answered,
"At..."
"...the legendary Bellagio Grand Hotel."
The moment Lucas heard both the name of the banquet...
And its location...
His eyes lit up.
Bellagio Grand.
It really was the same event Gold had been talking about.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"...What a coincidence."
He leaned back slightly in his chair before speaking into the phone.
"So that’s the event you were talking about."
"It’s actually the same banquet I was referring to."
The other end of the line suddenly fell silent.
Mason froze.
His expression changed instantly.
"...What?"
For a brief moment...
His heart skipped a beat.
He had spent half the morning trying to think of a way to persuade Lucas to attend.
Now...
It sounded like someone had already beaten him to it.
"Wait..."
"You mean..."
"Someone else already invited you?"
His voice was filled with suspicion.
Lucas answered honestly without thinking too much about it.
"Yeah."
"I’ve already been invited."
Hearing that...
Mason quietly let out a breath.
At least...
Lucas wasn’t refusing to attend anymore.
That alone was enough to make him feel slightly relieved.
Still...
His curiosity only grew stronger.
Who could possibly have invited Lucas before him?
Just then...
Lucas continued speaking.
"Actually..."
"I’m mainly going because I want to help a friend."
"I heard it’s a business banquet."
The words had barely left Lucas’s mouth...
Lucas’s words made Mason freeze.
"...You..."
"You were invited..."
"...to help a friend?"
For a brief moment...
His mind went completely blank.
That wasn’t the answer he had been hoping for.
He had spent a long time preparing for tonight.
He even had his own reason for wanting Lucas to attend.
But now...
It sounded as though someone else had already asked Lucas for a favor before he even had the chance.
Mason’s expression became complicated.
A trace of disappointment flashed across his face before he quickly concealed it.
He took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"...A friend?"
He repeated quietly.
Then, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, he asked,
"So..."
"...you’re attending tonight’s banquet because you want to help someone?"
Comments