The Royal Contract

She saw the cameras before the media saw her. But she already expected their presence. After all, it was a fundraising event for the children in the Cancer ward.

She was probably not the only important person attending the function. She could already identify a few familiar faces among the arriving guests from her standpoint.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Serena?" Sebastian concernedly asked her as he parked his rental car on the pavement, slightly away from the main entrance and fast-growing crowd.

She knew what she had signed up for when Sebastian asked her the other day about considering helping with the fundraising.

At first, she was hesitant, but eventually, after thinking of how many kids she could help by attending this event, she knew she could not say no.

"Yes." She hissed along with her nerves, feeling the air trapped in her lungs.

She guessed seeing the reporters and the paparazzi still gave her goosebumps. And she could feel the tiny bids of sweat spreading across her forehead and nose.

However, she could not disappoint those kids by cowering away. At some point, she had to stop being afraid of her past. And today, she had no choice.

Besides, if not now, when?

"Nobody knows that you will be here. So, you can still back out if you want. I will not take it against you if you are not ready." Sebastian informed her, probably sensing the nervousness in her actions.

The offer was tempting as her fear slowly crept up from the dark recesses of her mind. But then again, her heart would not let her quit, knowing kids were counting on her support.

Besides, she could not avoid the press forever. She knew they were bound to see her sooner or later. And if she wanted to be with Adam, she had to face all the ghosts of her past.

"I appreciate what you are doing, Sebastian, but I am good." She tried to assure her friend, not wanting him to worry about her.

Still, she needed a few minutes to prepare before her grand appearance in the middle of the spotlight. She had gotten used to the silence that it might be overwhelming to be at the center of attention again.

Moreover, she doubted that the press had forgotten all about her. And she believed once they saw her, they would bombard her with the same questions again.

"Maybe it would be best if we tried another entrance." He suggested instead of walking on the red carpet. He pulled the car to the other side of the building.

He asked the other car that carried the Sisters and the children to proceed to the main entrance. Of course, they did not want the kids to miss all the fun.

On the other hand, Sebastian guided her to a different entrance. "This is the back entrance." He declared to her. "Sorry for the lack of a red carpet." Pointing to the cement floor.

From what she had heard, the back entrance was the last place you would like to go out. Fortunately, she was entering the building, not exiting.

It was not much to look at compared to the beautiful entrance and lobby of the hospital. But as they said, the dead would not appreciate the aesthetics anymore.

"I don't mind. At least there are no intrusive paparazzi around here." So far, she had not noticed a single one. It seemed everyone did not want to miss the buzz at the front.

At the door, a representative of the hospital greeted them. "Ms. Serena Anderson. Welcome to our hospital. We are so glad you can join us at our fundraising event."

It seemed that Sebastian notified them for assistance. Quickly, the management team escorted her inside.

"It is my pleasure to assist in any way I can." She responded, thankful for the warm welcome.

She could not help but wonder how people perceived her these days after all that had come out of the news. She guessed this would be the moment of truth.

As they entered the premises, everyone who saw her easily recognized who she was. She supposed only a blind man would fail to identify her or someone who was not a fan.

"That is Ms. Serena Anderson." She could hear whispers among the crowd in the hallway.

"She is so beautiful."

"She is that actress..."

"Oh! That actress that won that..."

"Yeah! The one that had an affair..."

Sometimes, she wondered why people had to whisper when everybody could hear what they were saying. Why not shout it out loud?

All they would have to do was walk to her and say it to her face instead of whispering behind her back. But they always used the coward way out.

But she guessed she was no different. She also ran away because she could not face her demons, faults, and insecurities. But not today.

"Serena, would you like to see the kids? Maybe spend several minutes with them before we proceed to the party." Sebastian whispered to her ears.

She guessed that was a good suggestion. After all, she was here for them. She could also use this time to prepare herself for the main event.

"Sure. I will love to." She excitedly responded, knowing the young ones always had a special place in her heart.

Soon, Sebastian guided her to the Paediatric Cancer Wing of the hospital on the upper floors. Some of the kids who were up to it would be joining them at the party.

On the other hand, the other children would have to stay confined in their beds because their bodies were too weak.

"Ms. Serena, this is Donna." The charge nurse introduced the kids that had gathered to greet and see her.

She could see the excitement on their faces despite the circumstances of their health condition. How she wished she could do more. But some of them would need a miracle to survive.

But as they said, laughter was one of the best medicine. It might not be enough to heal their physical body, but at least it would help their mental state.

And she intended to do just that. She wanted to put smiles on their lips and hear their waves of laughter. It was the least she could do for now.

"It is nice to meet you, Donna." She greeted each child, and with the help of Sebastian, they managed to buy them a few gifts that she handed to them.

"Do you think my hair would grow as beautiful as yours?" She felt the little angel's fingers twirling around her few dangling locks.

She could not help but feel sorry for the young ones who had to lose their hair due to the treatment. "I am sure that once it grows again, it will be more beautiful than this."

She rotated around the different rooms of the Children's Wings, hoping to meet more kids and learn more about their conditions. But sadly, there was just not enough time.

"I guess it is time to face the music." She whispered to Sebastian when they said goodbye to the last sets of kids.

The party was already starting as they entered the large portion of the main lobby where they held the event. The cameras flashed across the room as the activities commenced.

In a few seconds, the lights shifted, focusing on her as people noticed her walking hand in hand with Sebastian across the floor.

"We are pleased to announce that we have another special guest joining us in our crusade to raise funds tonight." The master of ceremony spoke on his microphone as his voice echoed inside the massive room.

Now, all eyes turned to her. She could see excitement, while others were indifferent. Still, she had no idea what was going through their minds as they stared at her.

Were they happy to see her, just like the kids? Or just tolerant. But why should she care about them? She was not here because of them. She was here for the kids.

"Thank you." She mouthed to whoever clapped in her direction, seemingly welcoming her in their midst.

But, of course, she would have no way of knowing who was genuinely happy to see her. She had learned the hard way that, in this elite circle, sincerity was hard to come by.

Still, she had to do her best to mingle with them because that was part of her job. At this moment, she represented the kids' needs. And she was here to garner their support.

"I saw your last movie. You were spectacular. By the way, I am a fan." One of the guests shook her hand, introducing himself to her.

Of course, she donned her character, the actress. She smiled at all the other heroes of this momentous event, performing what she did best, acting.

But her intentions were pure. She was here to advocate for these innocent young ones who badly needed assistance.

"Thanks, but today, I am not the star, but the kids are." She pointed to the kids roaming around the room, engaging themselves with the other guests or simply playing with the other kids.

"I hope that just like the support you gave me, you can also support our young real live heroes." Serena encouraged all the guests around her to join her in her plight to raise funds for the different hospital programs.

Besides, it was not just about the money they would raise through this event but what that financial aid could do for these kids and the treatment of the disease.

It might not be enough, but she believed it was the thought that counted. And more importantly, it was about giving back to the community.

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