"Who is that b*tch?" Ruby muttered from her seat as she stretched her neck like a giraffe and tried to catch up with the drama in the front.
Immediately, people in the ten-metre radius turned to her harshly with disbelief written all over their faces. Since the surroundings were quiet, they heard her and couldn't believe her stupidity.
Scarlet Queen was a legend. She rose to fame as a stage actress in her early twenties but ended her career at the peak to marry a man believed to not have a name or anything. Hence, earning the title of the eternal queen of the acting industry.
Her name disappeared from the newspapers as she didn't do anything to catch attention.
But she made a dramatic comeback and made the headline of the century in her mid-thirties. The media announced that the man she married was Levi Queen, the son of a mafia boss and the head of a yakuza lady.
At that time, The couple rejected any kind of interview. And so it was unknown what kind of business they did.
Years later, the couple made a headline by opening to the public that the mysterious, skyrocketing company was their own.
The Queens corporation was famous for choosing the right material, knowing the trend, and high-quality service at an affordable cost.
No one thought that could happen since Scarlet was known to have low education and from a poor family. And Levi with his background as a mixed identity of mafia and yakuza. Also known as the darker parts of the world, to do something in the light.
Of course, the media and the public had mixed opinions. Some supported the couple, saying what they accomplished was spectacular. While others bad-mouthed that they must have used resources from their family ties and had good luck.
Scarlet proved them wrong by stepping into the board of directors and making logical and clear decisions. She showed off her charismatic skills in the industry people thought she had no knowledge or skill.
Levi, on the other hand, released a statement that showed no connection between his business and his family business.
Despite the public and media's prediction that they would fall in the first five years, the Queen's corporations were still standing, tall and mighty, with only a few at their level.
Scarlet's story was simply incredible and sounded straight out of a movie. She proved she was capable of building a successful company with low education and can start anything at any age. Of course, this real-life story inspired many and was made into a movie.
"What?" Ruby sneered and rolled her eyes. They dared to look at her that way. The amount of disrespect she experienced was higher than Burj Khalifa.
Few people tried to tell her, but when they saw her attitude, they stopped and minded their business as they talked among themselves.
"Instead of looking at me that way, why don't you use your filthy mouth and tell me who that old hag is?" She was in a bad mood and wasn't going to hide it.
Although she demanded angrily, no one told her. Obviously, the girl was a fool to think anyone would want to be kind to her after being treated like her servant.
Ruby crossed her legs and arms and waited for an answer. But all she saw were people whispering to each other while looking at her or simply ignoring her existence. So she did what she thought would be a perfect way to intimidate people. Kicking the leg of the table.
"F*ck!" She cursed loudly and stood up, flipping the chair. In fact, the scream was so loud that even the Queens in the middle of the reunion talk paused.
----
"What is that?" Scarlet asked with a frown.
"I don't know." Her son shook his head.
"Get her out of here."
----
Ruby looked down at her brand-new heel to realise that the front part she used for kicking was completely spoilt. Strings were coming out here and there, along with cracks on the sole.
"B*ITCH!!" She cursed and stomped her foot, causing more pain. "Owww."
"Hey, hey!!" Her friend came to her aid in haste, but Ruby pushed her away like a savage.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!!"
Hannah winced as her hip made contact with the hard table. But this didn't stop her from trying to shut up her friend. "Ruby..."
"F*CK YOU, HANNAH!!" The girl in pink screamed and grabbed her drink to splash it on her friend. She was also about to throw the empty glass when a strong hand captured her arm from behind.
For some reason, Ruby thought it was her dear prey, Ares, that came to stop her. Maybe she thought that way because she read too many Wattpad novels, but that didn't matter at the moment. She thought when she turned, she would see the boy with a sad face, ready to confess he was in love with her and coax her.
However, the reality was not a fantasy romance and did not work like that.
"You are coming with us, young mistress." A bodyguard with a large burn scar told her uninterestingly.
"Let me go!!" The girl tried to hit the annoyingly handsome, straight-faced man with her other hand, but that was stopped too by another similarly faced bodyguard.
Now that both her arms were secure, they simply nodded to each other before leaving the hall effortlessly despite her desperate tantrum of the girl. They carried her out like a piece of log, and after their silent but quick exit, the door closed behind them, shutting out ugly screams of Ruby.
The hall was silent for some time, "Well... Resume!" Scarlet clapped her hand once, and that was the signal for everyone to forget about the girl.
Two male heirs also came to aid Hannah and escorted her out of the hall along with two other bodyguards to get medical attention.
"Uh huh!..." The host laughed awkwardly. "I wonder if her throat would be okay... I think she is fit for the next Godzilla movie." With a few laughs, the host retained his earlier atmosphere. "What was that? That was the little Godzilla in my body also known as my stomach, growling to be fed. It's time for dinner, ain't it?!" He then directed the attention to the entrance where the waiters walked in a line, each with a wagon.
Scarlet sighed in relief as she took a seat, "Thank goodness. I'm starving."
----
Eirene drank her glass of red wine in the dark corner gracefully. Standing in the correct posture and her movements here are smooth but deadly.
Now that they were done eating, tables cleared, and small business talks done, there was a slow dance in the middle of the hall, lighting them softly.
As she took another sip, she heard a man ask her, "May I have this dance?"
She only side-eyed the man coldly and continued with what she was doing.
"I though that would work..." Jaxon tsked jokingly and leaned on the wall next to her. From where they were, they could see every couple dancing.
The actress nose laughed and exchanged her empty glass with another one when a waiter passed by. "Stop being ridiculous."
"I wasn't." Her manager shook his shoulders and unbuttoned the first button of his tuxedo shirt unnoticeable with a little struggle. "The cause of my death was about to be a headlock from a shirt. That would be dumb." He then turned to Eirene and asked seriously. "If I ever die like that, could you steal my death certificate and make it something cool? Like died of fighting a shark, or assassinated because I found the cure for cancer?"
Eirene let out a chuckle. "If only I have time."
"Make time for me."
"..."
"I've been with you for almost a decade, and that's how you'd treat me? That's straight-up mean, Eirene." Jaxon said childishly. "That's why you are lonely, here in the dark, chugging wine like you are going through a breakup."
The actress nonchalantly replied, "Sometimes, I simply admire your creative mind."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"Supposedly so."
"Wow, Eirene. Wow." With that, Jaxon faced the dance stage just like how the woman was watching.
The actress knew that her manager was trying to lift her mood and get her to talk. She appreciated the effort, but knowing what kind of influence she had on other people, she just couldn't make that decision easily.
Anyone she conversed with or even approached her faced heavy criticism, and some even quit the industry because of mental illness. But it was too late to regret it as she was already caught talking with the Queens. Surely, that was going to be a headline tomorrow that will claim, she was manipulating the Queens to support her, or even worse, she was sleeping with Cristian and that was why she was invited.
Thinking about the bullsh*t headlines the next day morning, she gulped the remaining liquid and gave the empty glass to Jaxon. That was the fifth red wine she drank that evening.
"I'm going to use the bathroom on the floor below."
"Do you want me to tag along?" The man asked with concern.
"No, It's fine. I'll be back in five minutes." With that, the actress walked out of the opened entrance without gathering attention.
The corridors were almost empty, apart from the occasional security guards, who didn't even bat an eye as she passed by. She unusually skipped down the stairs and got into the female bathroom a floor below.
----
"Good naming sense, I'd say." A voice startled Eirene out of her mind and really look in the mirror. There was supposed to be non one in the room but was proven wrong when a woman with a pair of sharp silver eyes was looking at her through the mirror. "Queen of Villains, huh?"
The woman didn't falter from the gaze of Eirene and even approached her. The red dress illuminated different colours as the lighting changed. Now with a bloody red dress, Scarlet Queen smiled at the other Queen.