I Am the Ruler of All

Everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Serena glowered at Nancy icily as a murderous look registered on her features.

Meanwhile, Kingsley reached for her hand under the table and regarded Nancy impassively as he pointed out, "With a face like yours, it's no wonder you try to put Serena down."

"Excuse me?" Nancy shrieked. She grimaced menacingly at him and demanded, "Who the hell are you to speak to me that way?"

"He came as Serena's plus-one, didn't he? Maybe he's her boyfriend."

The guests had all brought along their own plus-ones, so they naturally overlooked Kingsley's presence at first, especially while he was plainly-dressed.

Emory assessed Kingsley contemptuously and drawled, "Of course he's her boyfriend. Will you look at the cheap counterfeits he's wearing? He and Serena-the-orphan are a perfect match, if you ask me!"

Once again, everyone laughed in disdain. Nancy, in particular, was on a vicarious thrill when she saw that Serena was being made fun of. The crows' feet near the ends of her eyes crinkled as she beamed. This was finally her chance to trounce Serena.

"Who would've thought you'd find yourself a boyfriend, Serena? I ought to go out and see if pigs are flying," she mocked, clutching onto Tyler's arm. "But I must say you have horrible taste in men. Why would you go out with someone dirt poor like him? I mean, there's nothing wrong with being poor, but what's with all that fake-nouveau riche get-up? I'm embarrassed for you!"

Serena stared at her witheringly. "I can date whoever I want, so keep your nose out of my business."

"Now that you mention it," Nancy began, smirking triumphantly as she lay her head on Tyler's shoulder. "I'm perfectly happy with this man right here."

She had only just said this when everyone else started to shower her with shameless flattery. "Nancy and Tyler are the real deal here. Look at how perfect they look together!"

"Yeah, and then there's Serena who is way out of her boyfriend's league. She's just dragging her self-worth through the mud by settling for less."

Tyler was practically glowing from all the praises, but he was secretly appraising Serena, his gaze flickering from one part of her body to the next as if deciding which he liked best. He had been drawn to her beauty since she walked through the door earlier, and Nancy, for all she was worth, suddenly felt like a sack of potatoes in his arms.

He was still eyeing Serena predatorily as he said with implication, "Nancy's right. It's crucial for women to choose men that complement their worth. Surely you wouldn't want to be saddled with some pathetic deadbeat guy forever, knowing that he would never be able to make something of himself." He had as good as told her that she ought to be with someone like him. Then, he glanced at Kingsley with a demoralizing air and asked, "What line of work are you in, anyway? Bet you can't even afford to buy Serena her favorite cosmetics, can you?"

Kingsley leaned into his seat casually and replied, "I just retired from the army, so I'm still looking for a job."

"Oh, you're unemployed," Nancy concluded snidely, sputtering.

"I don't know why Serena has to stoop so low. Must be some serious self-esteem issues there."

"Who would've thought that the ice princess herself is just a bargain bin-lover?"

At this point, Tyler's ego was so inflated that it was a wonder at all he did not burst at the seams. "Hey, kid, if you need a job, our company's still hiring security. Sure, the pay isn't much, but at least you wouldn't have to get an allowance from your girlfriend."

"Hah!" Nancy squealed in amusement. "Being a guard dog is better than starving, right, guys?"

She was beyond happy to know that she could finally walk all over Serena, and satisfaction swelled up in her. The crowd, on the other hand, were picking on Kingsley for his lack of accomplishments while kissing up to Tyler for his caliber.

Just then, Noah sauntered into the private dining room and asked in a voice that cut above the others' rambunctious laughter. "What's so funny, guys? Did I miss anything? I could hear the lot of you laughing from down the hall."

Nancy wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes as she caught her breath and said, "We were talking about how Serena's boyfriend should become a security guard at my fiancé's company!" She had only managed to get these out before she started cackling again.

Upon noticing that one side of Noah's face was swollen, Emory asked, "What's up with your face? Did you get beaten up or something?"

Noah shot a glare in Kingsley's direction. "Some rabid dog attacked me on the way here, but I'm fine." He would rather bury himself alive than have anyone here find out he was roughed up by Kingsley, which was humiliating.

Presently, Nancy beckoned for him to take a seat as she asked enthusiastically, "You used to like Serena, didn't you, Noah?"