"Do you mind excusing me?" Rafael asked, his voice clipped, irritation flickering beneath the surface. Cecilia was always being too much.
Cecilia straightened her spine, smoothing invisible creases on her dress. "I won't ruin your day. Have fun," she replied.
If she had been more flattering, she could have convinced him to set up a marriage date for Erica.
Cecilia dialled Erica's number again, pressing the phone to her ear. No answer. Again. And again.
"Where is she? She can't miss this event," Cecilia muttered under her breath, her tone sharp. "How long will she bury herself in shopping?"
Rafael had the stem of his glass between his fingers while his gaze drifted, caught by a flash of red. A woman, poised, commanded the room without saying a word. He watched as she sipped from her glass—lips painted a deep red, movements precise, almost predatory.
There was something about her, the practised tilt of her chin, the faint curl at the corner of her mouth. She looked... untouchable. Dangerous.
Yet, he couldn't look away. His eyes lingered, studying her. A stranger. Or so he told himself.
Who was she?
Rafael couldn't suppress his burning curiosity about this mysterious woman. He set his glass down and moved toward her, driven by something he couldn't name.
Madelyn, on the other hand, downed her wine in one swift gulp, bracing herself for the moment she would have to perform. And after that, she would leave quietly.
Suddenly, her earpiece crackled in her ear.
"Maddie, brace yourself. Rafael is heading your way," Margaux's voice warned, clipped with urgency.
Madelyn's breath caught, her pulse quickening. She froze in place, lips parting slightly as his name echoed eerily in her head.
She hadn't expected him to approach her, despite her efforts to appear neutral with heavy makeup that concealed her features. She wasn't sure what he wanted from her.
She couldn't confront him yet, still not ready to reveal her identity, and didn't wish to say a word to him. Suppressing the rising panic, she avoided looking at him, turning sharply to leave. Her heels clicked against the polished floor as she tried to disappear into the crowd.
But his hand found her wrist—firm, steady, warm.
Her heart stumbled, a hollow ache blooming in her chest as she stared down at his grip. A pang—familiar, unwelcome—washed over her, but she shoved it down, straightening her posture.
"Excuse me, miss," Rafael spoke, his voice deceptively calm. Yet there was something in it—eagerness, maybe. Or something darker.
Madelyn's fingers tensed, her first instinct to yank free and face him with the grudges she'd harboured for so long. But she reminded herself: not yet.
She pivoted, her expression carefully schooled into indifference.
"What do you think you are doing, Mister?" she asked, her voice smooth, measured.
For a moment, Rafael said nothing. His jaw slackened, eyes narrowing in confusion as if the sound of her voice had knocked the air from his lungs.
How could she sound like her?
Madelyn could almost see it—the way her voice unsettled him, stirred something in him he couldn't name.
"If you have nothing to say to me, let go of my hand," she said, her voice crisp, her gaze cold as glass.
Rafael's eyes searched hers, questions churning behind them. His grip tightened slightly, then loosened.
His throat bobbed as he swallowed, struggling for words.
"I... I want a moment with you. Please, follow me," he said at last, voice low, almost hoarse.
Madelyn's eyes narrowed. She slowly, deliberately pulled her wrist free.
"I don't take orders from strangers," she replied. Her tone, though calm, carried an unmistakable finality. "You can't expect me to follow you without question. This isn't a movie, Mister."
With that, she turned away, escaping the hall that suddenly felt suffocating with his proximity.
"Maddie? What's going on?" Margaux's voice crackled in her ear.
Madelyn's steps didn't falter. "I'm stepping outside for fresh air," she whispered, exhaling a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"Did that jerk upset you?" Margaux asked, concern lacing her tone.
"He tried to get me to follow him. I refused," Madelyn replied, her voice steady, though her hands trembled at her sides.
"Good. You can't leave with him. We're not ready yet. Stay the course," Margaux instructed.
Madelyn nodded faintly, barely a dip of her head. "I'll manage, Margaux."
"Call me if anything happens."
Madelyn exited the hall, her heels echoing in the quiet corridor. Late arrivals brushed past her, oblivious to the storm raging in her mind.
Just a little longer, she told herself, and this will all be over for today. She barely noticed when a presence loomed suddenly in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.
A sharp inhale escaped her nostril, looking upward at Rafael.
Madelyn frowned, attempting not to speak further with him. She turned, desperate to leave, but before she could take a step, his arms wrapped around her waist, and in a sudden, effortless motion, he lifted her onto his shoulder.
"This is wrong!" Madelyn's voice cracked as she struggled, striking at his back with the heel of her hand, though it felt like hitting a wall.
"Put me down! Where are you taking me?!" she shouted, the words tearing from her throat as her vision blurred.
Her protests echoed down the corridor, bouncing off empty walls.
Her earpiece slipped from her ear, falling unnoticed to the floor with a faint, almost imperceptible click. Her breath hitched, and pulse hammered in her ears as she stared at the tiny device on the ground, her mind going blank with dread.
Moments later, she noticed Rafael had brought her to the main hotel, calling for help from the onlookers around, but no one dared to confront them.
Rafael remained unfazed by her endless protests as he stepped into the elevator and set her down. Madelyn could only watch as the elevator doors closed, with him standing in front of her like a barrier between her and her freedom.
Inside the elevator, silence enveloped them as it ascended; Madelyn felt her soul teetering at the edge of despair as if the ground wanted to swallow her whole.
She stood behind him, dwarfed by his imposing and brooding presence. She believed she could face him and seek her revenge without feeling threatened after what had happened five years ago, but her mental state was betraying her again, making her tremble in distress at his proximity.
Ding!
The elevator door opened.
When they arrived at his floor, Rafael stepped out first while she trailed behind him.