Chapter 68

“Why would Dad bring something as disgusting as you here?” A sharp female voice cut through the stillness, laced with disdain and venom.

“You’re nothing but a waste of space,” a man added mockingly. “You don’t deserve to be part of the Schneider family. You should’ve died, just like your mother.”

I hadn’t planned on intervening, but I couldn’t tolerate their cruel words. I dragged my heavy skirt behind me and approached the source of the noise.

A man and woman, expensively dressed, were sneering at a young man in a simple white shirt and bow tie. They even prodded and shoved him as they spoke. “What are you doing?” I demanded, my voice sharp with anger.

“Who are you?” the woman snapped. “His lover?”

“Watch your mouth!” I retorted, glaring at her.

Judging by her attire and the gala’s attendees, she was clearly the daughter of a wealthy family. Yet her words were as vulgar as any uncouth woman’s. The woman stepped forward, clearly intending to unleash her frustration on me, but stopped abruptly upon seeing me clearly. Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you wearing that necklace?”

Instinctively, my hand went to the necklace resting on my collarbone.

“Are you Alex’s date?” she asked, disbelief etched across her face.

Her words caught the man’s attention, and his hostility faltered. Both of them looked suddenly uncertain.

I frowned, wondering how she’d recognized me as Alex’s companion. I didn’t recall meeting anyone with the Schneider surname during the introductions. But this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. I nodded and said firmly, “Yes, I’m Alex’s date. And who are you?”

“Imena Schneider of Jershore. This is my brother, Henry.”

“Even if you’re from the Schneider family, that doesn’t give you the right to bully people,” I said, gliding past them toward the young man they’d been tormenting. As I approached, I noticed bruises on his face and a fresh cut near his mouth.

“Miss, you don’t understand,” Henry said, stepping forward with a sneer. “This boy is Lucas, the bastard of our family. He’s an embarrassment. Tonight’s gala is full of people we want to impress, and he had the nerve to show up uninvited and disgrace us. We were simply teaching him his place.”

His words made my blood boil. “Have you ever heard of basic decency? He’s not a child. You could have spoken to him instead of attacking him. And don’t you dare blame him for being a bastard. If anyone’s at fault, it’s your father.”

Henry opened his mouth to retort, but Imena pulled him back.

“Miss, you don’t understand our family’s situation,” Imena said coldly. “But let me give you some advice—stay away from him. Lucas is a mad dog. Don’t let him sink his teeth into you.”

With that, she dragged Henry back toward the ballroom.

I turned to Lucas. His defiant gaze followed their retreating figures until they vanished. He couldn’t have been older than twenty; possibly even younger than me. I pulled a tissue from my bag and offered it to him.

He looked at it, startled, but didn’t take it.

“There’s dirt on your face and clothes,” I said gently, extending the tissue closer. “Clean yourself up.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Lucas accepted the tissue. The defiance in his eyes softened, replaced by uncertainty. He looked at me with a vulnerable expression.

“Aren’t you afraid of me? I’m just a bastard,” he said tentatively.

I chuckled softly. “What’s there to be afraid of? No matter your circumstances, you’re still human, aren’t you?”

He lowered his head and whispered, “You’re the first person to say that.”

My heart ached for him, and I admired his strength in enduring such treatment. Quietly, I slipped back into the hotel, found a tray of desserts, and returned to the garden to bring them to him.