She swept her gaze across the audience before continuing, "Please, I didn't wish to ruin this atmosphere with the past. I'm here to share a toast to Rafael Vellani for his incredible achievements and the expansion of his group in recent years." Her voice dripped with a hidden grudge.
Madelyn paused, letting her words linger in the air like genuine happiness. Then she turned her head to Rafael, who wore a puzzled expression filled with pain.
Rafael shot her a death glare. "What are you trying to do?" He struggled to mutter, feeling trapped between hell and the afterlife of wrenching pain.
He felt uneasy with this mysterious woman in his presence.
"Nothing much just wanted to celebrate this day with you," Madelyn said, a sly smile curling her lips as she leisurely sipped her champagne.
Rafael tightened his jaw at her boldness, wanting to react, but he couldn't.
Madelyn then looked away from him towards the crowd and declared, "Let's check out Rafael Vellani's appreciation section in the journal."
Margaux met Madelyn's signalling gaze for a brief second.
"We should see what has caught the beautiful lady's attention. Please check your journals; it might be something important," Margaux urged the guests, flipping open the journal in her hand.
Curious, the guests began flipping through their journals until one of them found the same image of a massive middle finger, a silly meme, with bold words written underneath:
'Thank you for giving me this chance to sustain this position. Love you all, dickheads.'
High-profile guests frowned in shock at the unexpected vulgarity that had their faces each in a silly emoji.
"What is the meaning of these offensive words and images?"
"Rafael, are you so insolent as to give this to us as if we meant nothing?" another guest added.
"This is disgusting! How could you do this?"
Suddenly, the hall was filled with murmurs of disappointment and hurt over the inappropriate souvenir journals they received.
Rafael stared shocked and puzzled by their sudden, blunt accusations. He swiftly snatched the journal from Madelyn, flipping through it to find the obscene words.
"Mr. Rafael, is this your speech of gratitude to the members of the Vellani Empire for their support and your achievements? Isn't it disrespectful?" asked a reporter who had been ready to take notes.
"I apologize. I'll explain later. Right now, I'm not stable for questions," Rafael answered.
"Are you mentally ill? Or do you have some health issue?" another reporter pressed.
Rafael furrowed his brows at their misunderstanding. "I'm neither mentally ill nor experiencing health challenges. Please don't publish a misinterpreted event from this evening on your social platforms," he warned firmly.
His serious warning sent a wave of fear through the reporters, making them halt their intent to write a negative article. However, when they met Madelyn's cold gaze, they began typing again.
Amid the unfolding displeasure, an outraged voice rose from the crowd.
"I don't believe a word you said. You meant what you wrote by offering this nonsense to us!" a prominent guest spat, slamming the obscene journal down.
"I don't believe you either! I'm so disappointed!" shouted another guest, throwing his journal to the floor as he stormed out of the hall.
The remaining guests turned in frustration and exited the hall, their murmurs echoing in the air.
Rafael struggled to contain his embarrassment, feeling the weight of pain becoming unbearable. He stepped down from the dais with his head held high, trying to appear unaffected by the ugly scene that had unfolded.
He couldn't help but wonder if someone had orchestrated this chaos. His mind was too clouded with emotions to think clearly or respond to the situation.
Victor, Rafael's assistant, rushed into the hall with a few bodyguards when he noticed the guests leaving in anger one after another. He quickly formed a barrier with the bodyguards, aiming to shield Rafael from the intrusive cameras and microphones of reporters.
Together, they safely ushered him out of the hall, the bodyguards surrounding him protectively.
Madelyn's eyes smouldered with deep-seated grudges as she watched Rafael exit the hall. "You've managed to throw a party to celebrate your achievement... but who knows, it might just ruin your ego and your glamorous evening. Your downfall starts today," she declared.
Madelyn descended from the dais, her posture confident, a satisfied aura surrounding her as she savoured a small portion of revenge. She walked calmly through the murmuring guests, who became a swirling tide of chaos but remained unfazed.
No one dared to confront her.
Following Rafael from a distance, Madelyn watched as he settled into the backseat of his car, which sped away from the underground parking bay.
A smug smile curled on her thin red lips, adding a mischievous glint to her elegant appearance. She glanced down at the costume and small bottle containing a powdered substance she held in her hand.
"It has to hurt this much, Rafael," Madelyn muttered under her breath.
Before the ceremony began, Margaux had sneaked into the room where the journal was kept and replaced the original with her own printed, obscene version.
Savouring the sweetness of a lollipop, Margaux stood beside Madelyn and whispered, "It was just a small dose, but he seemed to be in bad shape. I hope he doesn't fall into a coma before they get him to the hospital."
"He needs to be conscious to feel my revenge because I haven't even started yet," Madelyn said, her voice cold and devoid of warmth or remorse for her actions.
"You did well, Sis," Margaux complimented, smiling at Madelyn.
Putting on a pair of sleek sunglasses, Madelyn emerged from the dimly lit underground parking bay with an air of mystery.
Margaux walked alongside her as they made their way to the grand entrance of the opulent Vellani five-star hotel.
As they stepped into the open air, a black, luxurious Mercedes Benz limousine awaited them. Its sleek and polished exterior hinted at the extravagance within.
Upon noticing the esteemed young ladies approaching, the imposing guards swiftly opened the backseat doors, bowing deeply in their honour.
Madelyn and Margaux exuded elegance as they settled into the back seats, and the limousine drove away from the hotel, leaving behind an aura of sophistication.