Elijah's POV
There are conflicting emotions in her eyes. I can see that. She looked away and hid it by scoffing mockingly.
"I'm not the jester tonight, Elijah. You are. It's rare that you listen to me. Tell me, what kind of surprise did you prepare for me, huh? It's making me curious," she says.
I thought she'd drop her façade as soon as possible, but I was wrong. She was doing her best to act prideful, strong, brave, and arrogant.
The shields she made to survive were enough to turn her into an unbeatable foe. "Why would you be so curious? You threatened me enough that I'm trembling inside. You should be proud. You hold all the aces in this game, Claudine," I replied.
I used my peripheral vision to see her reaction. "Should I be?" she says it in such a meaningful tone. The door opens. I give her my arm, and she places her hand around it. Her expression became cold.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Let's all welcome Mr. Elijah Riego and Mrs. Claudine Riego!" Jin-ah announces.
I know my cousin did that on purpose. Everyone stood up and turned around. They're looking at us.
In the past two years, this is the first time that they saw me with my legal wife at a party or anniversary of the companies under Riego and Sartoni Group. I noticed that her fingers were trembling.
No matter how ready Claudine was, she still has that meek and timid behavior. She can't hide that from me.
"Please, let's give them a round of applause!" Jin-ah says.
The guests start clapping their hands, but a pair of eyes were deadly glaring on us. That's Samantha, my lover.
She gets mad at me when I tell her that we can't be seen sitting at the same table tonight. She asks why, and I told her that she'll know the reason.
Now that she saw Claudine with me, she's dead furious. "Take a seat. I'll be the one who will give an opening speech," she whispers softly.
I was expecting that. I saw the table that was meant for us and Jin-ah too. My secretary and executive assistant/driver were sitting at the same table on our left side along with the other directors.
"Let's welcome Mrs. Riego for the opening speech," Jin-ah added.
She looks at Claudine and smiles. She went down the stairs while my wife went up. I take my seat and lean over.
I want to know what kind of speech she will say. I wonder what she would say. She didn't have any notes to read.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Today marks the 37th year anniversary of Sartoni Aviation. It's almost four decades since Sartoni Aviation has offered its service to different companies," she starts.
I simply looked around and saw how people buzz. No one had ever seen my wife's real face. They even believe that Samantha is Mrs. Riego.
"Thanks to all the engineers and employees of Sartoni Aviation, we achieved the second rank as one part of the top 10 most trusted aviation companies on this continent."
"I applaud and appreciate each and every one of you for your hard work and commendable efforts. Sartoni Aviation gives all the praises to all of you. Great job, everyone!" she adds.
She looks at the employees and gives them a beautiful smile. "Cheers for more decades together. Also, I want to thank the Sartoni family, may they rest in peace, for the passion and hard work they poured to start this business. Because of them, our dear passengers are safe when they travel in the sky," Claudine adds. She's smart and an effective speaker.
You will listen to her words before you know it. "Today, I stand here with you to celebrate this year's success. On behalf of my late mother-in-law and my husband, we thank you all for being here tonight," she continues.
She shifted her eyes and looked at me. I notice how cold yet passionate her gaze was. She looks away and roams her eyes to the guests.
"I know everyone isn't familiar with the real face of Mrs. Riego. Well, I know most of you are familiar with my face. Yes, I'm the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hautea of Hautea Enterprise. I've been studying abroad for 2 years."
"Now that I'm back, I'll be helping our dear chairman of Riego and Sartoni Group in running the business. I hope everyone will get used to my presence from here on."
I cross my legs and grab the glass of wine on the table. I take a sip and play with the liquid inside the glass. She's milking this.
"Before I close my speech, I want to clarify the murmurs that I heard from all of you. Yes, I'm the real Mrs. Riego. Whatever rumors were circulating around by malicious people, you may all stop believing them."
My brow arches. Claudine didn't directly warn them, but when her eyes landed on Samantha, the guest and our employees understood that she did hear their whispers. She knows how to simply threaten or show her authority.
"Well, that's it. Let's end this boring part. Enjoy the party, everyone! Employees, treat yourself with the food and mingle with each. You deserve a night of appreciation. Have a nice evening to all of us!"
Jin-ah raised her hand and initiated a round of applause. The employees seem to appreciate her words of gratitude. Last year, I didn't mention them.
All I mentioned was the success that the aviation had for that year. She walks down the stairs and halts on her way in at our table. I notice the pain that flashes in her eyes.
She shakes her head a bit and continues walking in this direction. Jin-ah glared at me. "Pull a chair for her," she whispered, asserting.
I stood up and did as my cousin instructed. My wife fakes her smile and takes a seat. "Here's some water. Are you okay?" Jin-ah asks.
I saw how worried my cousin is. She gives Jin-ah a warning gaze. They're not just in-laws but truly best friends.
"Well, it's normal for you to be nervous. This is your first appearance as Mrs. Riego. You even talk in front of the guests," Jin-ah says.
The two of them were doing their best to hide the truth. The truth that I'm aware of. I looked at the other table, and Samantha was giving me that sad and teary expression.
She looks at her phone and starts typing. After a few seconds, my phone buzzed. I opened it and saw her message in my notification panel. She wants us to meet outside.
I was about to reply when Claudine grabbed my phone. She starts typing and turns off my phone after. Her eyes shifted to the table on our left, leaving a death stare.