Blood Thirst: God of War

The Primrose Hill

The Primrose Hill was floating majestically at the port, shining in the soft glow of twinkling lights and the golden hues of the sunset. 

The crest of the Morgan family was displayed on the bow of the 150-meter-long luxury yacht. The Morgan family was like the royals among the elites, and tonight, this floating palace would host the most exclusive summit of the year.  

Guests were already gathering at the stern, where the security guards were checking the invitations before allowing them to get on board. But something else fascinated the attention of the guests, who were still waiting for their turn to board. 

At the bow of the yacht, a special boarding gate had been arranged. Unlike the regular entry, a red carpet was rolled out to welcome the mysterious guests– but right now, it was completely empty. 

“Honey, let's go take a look." 

Kenneth nudged Quella, as they were still quite far behind in the line. They walked over, and he looked at the exclusive entrance with longing eyes. 

“I bet this is reserved for the real big shots… Probably some foreign dignitaries? Or maybe the Morgan family themselves, what do you think?”

But Quella wasn’t listening anymore. Her gaze was fixed on a very familiar figure approaching the dock.  

Julius.  

And just when she thought he couldn’t humiliate himself any further, he arrived dressed like a homeless bozo.  

He was dressed in casual clothes and slippers, like he had just strolled out for a smoke break. 

On this night? On this yacht?!?

Kenneth followed her gaze, and the moment his eyes landed on Julius, he burst out into laughter.  

“Oh my Gosh!!" 

Kenneth said loudly, making sure others turned to look. 

“How the universe plays its game, I was just talking about big shots, and look what we have here! A shipwreck survivor.”  

The nearby guests snickered as they looked at Julius, and Kenneth placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be concerned. 

“Julius, my dear brother, tell me, are you here to apply for a waiter position? Because I have to tell you something in good faith. Even the waiters on the Primrose Hill wouldn’t be caught dead in those pathetic rags.”  

Kenneth clicked his tongue, tilting his head. 

“Or maybe I’m mistaken? Maybe you are here to scrub the deck? Oh, I'm so sorry for the tough times you're facing. It must be so hard to be kicked out of the house! If I was in your place, I wouldn't hesitate to accept a job scrubbing toilets, if someone offers you that. You can't really say no to any offers, just like a stray dog doesn't have the luxury to demand a steak!”

Quella smirked.  

“Well all jokes aside, Julius, I hope you realize that you can’t board the Primrose Hill without an invitation. And we all know that you don’t have one. So what are you doing here?”

Julius finally broke his silence, shoving his hands into the pockets of his joggers. 

“Who said I needed an invitation?”  

For a moment, there was silence.  

“Oh my God, he's lost his mind!" 

Quella looked at her ex-husband with shock, and Kenneth patted her hand lightly. 

“It's okay honey, he is suffering from delusion. Maybe he banged his head somewhere, or maybe his miserable failure has really hit him hard. I mean, first, he lost his wife, his home… and look! It took just a few days to lose his mental balance.”

Quella nodded in sympathy. 

"How pathetic! Standing here, barefoot like a beggar, and he still thinks he can make us believe he belongs among us.”  

Julius simply looked at them, and as if on cue, the whir of a helicopter’s blades filled the air.  

A sleek grey helicopter made a perfect landing on the yacht’s helipad, its presence commanding instant attention. 

The doors opened, and a group of fashion store employees quickly stepped out. Kenneth’s smirk flickered with confusion as a young woman stepped out to give them some instructions, which the staff promptly began to follow. 

The young lady was dressed in an elegant, floor-length evening gown; it was blush pink, embroidered with golden thread. 

The fabric of the gown shimmered with every step as she got down from the deck, hugging her curves perfectly and flaring at the bottom like a blooming flower. 

A diamond choker adorned her slender, swan-like neck, and she was absolutely breathtaking.  

And at this moment, she was leading the staff behind her, but they weren't moving towards the guests, or the Morgan family. The fashion store employees rushed to Julius’s side, carrying boxes of stuff. 

And before anyone could process what was happening, the staff had surrounded Julius, quickly opening their cases to reveal rows upon rows of luxury shoes, ties, and cufflinks for him to choose from. 

Within minutes, Julius’s casual clothes had been replaced by a high-profile, tailor-made suit. Someone was fixing his cufflinks, someone else adjusted his tie, while another person polished his shoes. 

Even his watch was a customized piece from an exclusive luxury brand, and Kenneth’s jaw tightened.  

But apparently, their share of surprises didn't end there. Miley smiled softly and spoke in a voice laced with warmth, surveying Julius from head to toe with pride and satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. 

"Dear, I'm sorry I'm late. Did I delay you from attending the dinner?"  

Julius looked at her, and for the first time since meeting them, he smiled. 

“No, you're perfectly on time.”

Kenneth’s face twisted with disbelief. “What the fuck?”  

But nobody paid attention to him, as the staff packed up the remaining things, leaving Julius and Miley standing near the red carpet entrance. 

Kenneth could feel Quella squeezing his arm too tight, but he didn't dare to take his eyes off Julian. 

This must be a trick, or some cheap tactic–

Just then, Miley stepped in front of him, taking a neatly folded square handkerchief that matched the color of her dress, and carefully placed it in Julius’s chest pocket.  

It was the perfect finishing touch, and the crowd watched in stunned silence as the so called beggar had transformed into a prince in front of their eyes! 

Kenneth felt his throat dry up.  

And before anyone could fully process what just happened, Miley wrapped her arm around Julius’ left arm, and together, they walked toward the red-carpeted entrance at the bow.  

The exclusive entrance, that was meant for the "super big shots."  

Kenneth’s stomach dropped, and Quella’s entire body stiffened.   

Their minds raced to find an explanation, any explanation for what they had just seen. 

And moments later, he found it. Kenneth gritted his teeth with anger as he turned towards Quella. 

“He swapped the invitation.”  

Quella’s hands trembled slightly. 

“That’s impossible–”

Kenneth’s eyes were wild. 

“No, think about it! That invitation, the one you got back from Julius… it must have been fake, or maybe he switched it! Didn't you say that he denied having it first? This has to be it… there is simply no other way he could’ve gotten through the special entrance!”  

But his ex-wife… she wasn’t so sure.  

She whispered, almost to herself, 

“But… did we even deserve the highest-level invitation letter to begin with?”  

A hint of doubt crept into her voice, and Quella had no idea what kind of surprise was waiting for her.