It was Aria, the very woman she had clashed with that morning at the property management office.Clad in a black dress with a daring slit and her bold red lips, Aria was a head-turner at the banquet, her notorious 'son' conspicuously absent.'It's a small world after all,' Madeline thought wryly.Trevon gave her a quizzical look. "Something wrong?"Madeline bit her lip.Daniel had filled her in on the way over about the stakes of the dinner party.It was a pivotal gathering for the Gibson Group, shaping the company's commercial strategies for decades to come. The banquet was a gathering of esteemed partners, crucial to the Gibson Group's future collaborations.Whether the partnerships would pan out seemed to hinge on the dinner's proceedings.Madeline was not sure where Aria fit into all that, but she did not want to sidetrack Trevon's business, so she quietly filled him in on the morning's altercation.Learning that the culprit behind the dangerous littering was Aria's son ma
"I don't believe I did anything wrong this morning," Madeline replied, her smile unwavering, her stance firm.Aria snorted with a mix of laughter and rage."Clearly, you have no clue who I am. My husband is Milton, the general manager of the Winchester Group. We're here at the Gibson Group president's invitation to talk shop."Judging by your plain-Jane getup, I'd say your husband isn't much of a big shot, so do yourself a favor and apologize. Otherwise, I'll have Mr. Gibson toss you and your hubby out on your ears. He might even blacklist you from the Gibson Group for good."Madeline was once again taken aback by Aria's audacity.She had expected Aria to tone it down for such a high-stakes gathering.Everyone has their pride, after all.Madeline had hoped that would be the moment to mend fences with Aria, but she was as unyielding as ever.Madeline offered a slight smile. "What would you like me to do to apologize?"Aria tilted her head up, her eyes dripping with disdain. "Bo
Madeline was without a hint of fear, her eyes as serene as a calm lake.She had seen it coming—Trevon was going to dump all the blame and pressure on her.Why did it matter though?She did not think she had done anything wrong.Aria smirked at her gleefully, as if she could not wait to see Madeline crumble and kneel right there and then.Trevon spoke up, his voice cool and detached. "My wife is the kindest soul. I can't imagine what Aria did to earn such a harsh word from her."Aria's eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Gibson, what are you talking about? She's your wife?"They had walked in one after the other, looking like total strangers.She had been so sure Madeline and Trevon had nothing to do with each other. It was, after all, common sense that couples always walked together.Trevon, unfazed, beckoned Madeline over.When Madeline just stood there, looking lost, he went to her and took her hand. "Yes, she's my wife. What exactly did you do to upset her, Aria? She's gone all qu
Aria was just sobbing, not saying a word for a long time.Milton got it right away that Aria had definitely screwed up and instantly lost some of his steam.With Aria unable to get her story straight, Madeline stepped in, albeit reluctantly, to clear things up."Your son chucked a Lego model from the second floor last night, and it hit Mr. Gibson. The property management called me in this morning to figure out what to do, but Aria gave me an attitude and was totally uncooperative. She even had the nerve to demand I compensate her. I really think people who don't care about public decency need to improve themselves."Madeline squirmed, trying to shake off the heavy hand on her waist.Trevon seemed clueless, having placed his hand there, giving her awkward rubs, which was driving her nuts.She was dying to shoot Trevon a look that would get him to back off, but she knew it was not the time.Trevon did not take the hint, instead giving Madeline a woeful puppy-dog look. "My back's k
"It's not every day we get to see you, Mrs. Gibson. Please have a drink," said a woman with a touch of affluence, a stranger to Madeline. She held out a glass of wine.Catching the puzzled look in Madeline's eyes, the woman introduced herself."I'm Sarah Lundy. My husband is Carlsen Lundy, manager of the Gibson Group's Smart Home Business Department."Madeline understood that she was the evening's hostess. She offered a friendly smile but did not take the wine glass from Sarah.Catching Trevon's eye and seeing he was not going to step in, Madeline said apologetically, "I can't drink alcohol, but I'll gladly toast with some other drink."Sarah could not hide her surprise.At a dinner party, it was almost unheard of not to partake in a toast.She could not really do anything about it though. Trevon was several ranks above her husband in the corporate ladder, which pretty much made Madeline several ranks above herself. She was in no position to force Madeline to accept the toast.S
That line was a carbon copy of 'A little drink's fine, just drive slower afterward'.Both were equally dismissive of the value of life.Madeline finally understood why Aria and her son shrugged off the danger of tossing stuff from skyscrapers like it was nothing.It was their family's way.Sarah's expression darkened.She pieced it together. Aria was aiming for Madeline, using that moment to put her on the spot.Of all times to stir up trouble, she had to pick the moment Sarah was toasting Madeline. It was as if she was the one helping Aria stir up trouble.Sarah had no clue what Madeline was like, but she was crossing her fingers she was not the vindictive type.Otherwise, what would happen to her husband's prospects at the Gibson Group?Sarah was kicking herself for toasting to Madeline.Madeline shot Trevon a withering look.If he had not been so set on the dinner, she would not have been in that mess.All eyes were on Madeline, waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Milton was no stranger to the power plays at social gatherings. The pressure to drink was just part of the game. At first, it had taken him some time to adjust.Aria had explained to him that in those circles, pushing someone to drink was all about asserting dominance. Eventually, he joined in, using his status to coax drinks out of others.Given his position, even someone like Madeline, or even Edith, could not easily refuse him. So, when Madeline turned her down and pulled out that pill, he saw it as a sign of disrespect.Milton spoke up, giving Trevon an easy out—a small gesture of goodwill. Deep down, he was testing Trevon, trying to gauge just how far their partnership could really go.Trevon shot Milton a look.He was still acting all high and mighty.Did that guy really think he was untouchable, clueless about the situation at Winchester?Milton should have known better after their last run-in. The deal was not about the Gibson Group groveling to Winchester. It was Winche
Milton left as quickly as he had appeared, not leaving Madeline any room to reject the gift.Aria was fuming in the car. "I went through so much trouble to get that makeup from France. It's a one-of-a-kind, limited edition! How could you just give it to Madeline?"It was not the makeup itself that was a big deal. It was the packaging. Crafted into a unique angel shape with pink crystals, it was the only set of its kind in the world.Aria had not even had the chance to brag about it to her friends.Milton's expression turned stern. If that set could curry favor with the Gibson Group, he would give away ten, a hundred sets without a second thought."Come on. No tears now. Remember that diamond ring you liked? We'll go pick it up soon."There it was, a dazzling 3-carat pear-shaped ring. It was a beauty, and a rare one at that.Aria had been eyeing it forever, but Milton had always played it cool, never giving in. When he finally caved, Aria's tears of frustration turned into tears