This is my first YGO fanfic, even if I have known this manga for more than 10 years. Characters will likely be a little OOC because remaining perfectly in character is almost impossible in fanfics. I hope you will like it. Constructive criticism is welcome and if you note some grammatical or lexical mistakes, please tell me.

While walking in the streets of the classiest area of Domino, Yûgi wondered for the umpteenth time how his youngest friend had managed to convince his dragon of a brother to let him invite them. Sure, it was his birthday party so Kaiba had certainly told him this was his present… for this year and the 5 years to come. Yet, it was a real surprise: being allowed in the den of the most misanthropic CEO of Japan (and probably of the world) was a privilege. The young duellist was fully aware of his luck. Those who had been invited by Seto Kaiba were very few. Even when he had to organize an event to make an official announcement or launch a product, he preferred using the KC headquarters rather than his own house.

If Yûgi was happy, his friends were overexcited. True, Jonouchi was not overjoyed to see the CEO but the perspective of spending the whole weekend in a luxurious, castle-like house made up for the inconvenience. Anzu had spent the last two days preparing her bag. She thought this weekend was the perfect occasion to try that too expensive dress she had bought some time ago. And Honda was impatient to dive into the giant swimming pool Mokuba had talked about.

The group had taken the bus up to Green Hill, the area where all the celebrities and wealthy businessmen of Domino City had their principal residences. It was located outside the city, far from the nuisance of the city centre. The houses were disseminated on the hill, hidden by a lush vegetation and high walls.

The bus had dropped them at the foot of the hill so that they had to walk to reach their destination. Of course, Jonouchi had said grumpily that Kaiba could have, at least, sent a car to pick them up. On the contrary, Anzu thought that walking allowed them to visit the area. So they had resumed their path, trying to catch sight of the gorgeous houses through gigantic portals.

When Yûgi had asked Mokuba which mansion was his own, the kid had answered playfully, "You'll see: it's the biggest one." And indeed, after half an hour, the group arrived in front of an impressive mansion. The frontage was pristine white with marble columns and a majestic pediment that made it look like a Greek temple (a huge Greek temple). An alley led to the front door with perfectly trimmed trees on both sides. The lawn was green and impeccably clipped. Everything was flawless in this scenery, as expected. Kaiba was famous for his perfectionism. He only wanted the best for him and, above all, for his little brother.

The group stayed in awe for a moment before remembering why they were here in the first place. Yûgi was the first to notice the intercom. He was about to press the button when he heard the door opening. He expected Mokuba or one of the servants (Jonouchi and Honda hoped for a sexy housemaid). Instead the gang saw an irritated Seto Kaiba forcefully dragging an equally irritated woman by the arm. She was in her mid-forties and was probably a beautiful woman but anger deformed her features. While they came closer, Yûgi could perceive what she was saying. Or rather screaming.

"Stop standing up for him! Everything's his fault! Everything!"

Kaiba said nothing. When they passed the portal, a black saloon stopped in front of them. The CEO let go of the mysterious woman who had finally stopped screaming. The driver exited the car and bowed respectfully.

"Shachou."

"Drive her to the central station." The young man ordered. Before the woman could protest, he grabbed her arm again and brought her closer. For a second, Yûgi was afraid Kaiba would become violent. He looked furious. His usual poker face was gone. His eyes threw daggers and his jaw was clenched. The duel champion didn't know what that woman had done to make his rival so angry but he really pitied her. Fortunately, the CEO didn't lose his self-control.

"Don't you ever come near him again." He spat. The threat was more than clear. He let go of the unknown woman who glared at him before entering the car. Kaiba waited for the saloon to disappear around the corner. Then he turned around and faced the group.

"The party is cancelled. Go back home." His tone was flat. A sharp contrast with the poison-filled tone he had used just seconds ago. He let them here and went back to the mansion. The portal closed behind him.

The gang stood on the pavement for a moment, silent, stunned. Jonouchi was the first to break the silence:

"Er… what happened?"