Chapter 3

One week had passed and Madeline's life was going perfect. She was working on her project and her Uncle was always there to help her.

The party mentioned by the head a week ago was organized in a luxurious resort near the sea shore tonight.

Madeline was ready for the show with her pristine white pantsuit, paired with metallic gold heels. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail, and a few strands were down on the side of her face. The look was polished by a classic gold chain and snow white pearl earring embellished in a golden flower frame on both sides of the ears. Maria's signature-style mask was tied on her upper face, and the red Matte Liquid Lipstick on her plumpy lips turned Madeline into a celebrity from a nerd who stays all day and night in a room without any world news.

As she step out of her car, she was accompanied by her Uncle, who was wearing an expensive tuxedo rather than his daily regular shirt pants.

 Both Uncle and Niece entered the hall, gaining everyone's attention. There were some known faces of investors, businessmen, and women who Collab with scientists to create new innovative products.

Madeline was never really into money. All of their matters were generally taken care of by her Uncle. He was chairman of the private research center where she works and the out hand connectivity to the outer world so she doesn't have to distract or worry about making money.

In the past, many investors and business officials tried to convince her to work for them. Though, she always refused them to not lose her passion and motive under slaving for someone else. It is equal to the death of Maria that she built with so much effort in her heart and in everyone's eyes.

Besides that, she never showed her face publicly, and that always made her a hot topic among them. Madeline is now used to these curious and awkward stares.

The gathering was going smoothly, as everyone was chattering and shaking hands. Madeline, as an introvert, just remained behind her Uncle, who was dealing with others.

Madeline eventually got bored and uncomfortable with a lot of the crowd around them. Nothing seemed suspicious to them the whole time, and as Mr. Bennet was busy, she decided to go out for a walk alone quietly. Her brain was wandering around the prototypes they were preparing for trials with each step as fresh air beside the pool hit her body with calmness and peace.

Unexpectedly, she felt a tap on her shoulder that gained her attention. She turned around and saw a muscular man in a formal purple tuxedo with a shining silver feature lapel pin in his late 20s. He had hazed eyes with pale skin and sharp facial features. Having a smile on his face, he greets her.

 "Hello, Prof. Maria." Madeline nodded to his baritone voice but didn't reply.

He gawked her head to toe for a minute which created a discomfiting silence between them for her. Not to mention Madeline got mysterious vibes from this man as his eyes wandered toward her face.

"You must be wondering who I am." His smile suddenly shifts to a smirk.

To her astonishment, he stepped closer, which got her on alert with his strange aura. "Well... I’m your Plutus." He bends down to her face and her breath hitch.

"Sorry?" She took a back, looking confused by his action.

"No need to give that look. I’m Kevin. CEO of SK groups, one of the biggest companies in New York, you know." He gave a pompous stare as she stepped back.

"Do I have anything to do with you, mister?" She replied with narrowed gazes under her mask.

Kevin pressed his lips in with a long breath, and a laugh cracked from them like he was enjoying this Maria's bewildered state. "Tonight's party has everything to do with me and you." He answered, and her confused figure did not catch up with his round words.

"Okay, now I will come to the point." He slowly grabbed a creepy grin on his face. He again strolled closer to her, but her feet froze at his next phrase.

"What if I gave you a billion dollars for your ARCER?”

Her eyes widen as how in hell he knows about her secret project. Her words stuck in her throat as he kept taking his dangerous steps like a tiger towards injured deer. No way he could know about her ARCER, which she is preparing in her hidden lab in her house with all securities.

Kevin was amazed by Maria's known cold gaze turning into shock as they stared at him straight with all her attention. The environment around them was quiet, but her heartbeat of fear was echoing between them.

He snapped his finger in front of her eyes, bringing her back from shock and her brain signaled her to act dumb.

"What are you talking about, I don't know anything?” She spoke in a low and whispered voice as her sight fixed on his eyes.

Her vision darkened as his smirk didn't stop with his creepy gaze.

"Oh woman, stop this acting. I know you are going to launch some low-cost energy-generating device as a stupid generator for that charity thing of yours, but it's all waste. If you work for me and convert that ARCER into a weapon, I will give you any payment you ask." He had a playful smirk.

She was stunned was the amount of knowledge he had about her invention. 

"How on earth did you know all this?" She glared at him. "No way, the head...?"

"You should not blame him. He only traded your secret with his life." He chuckled evilly as her eye again widened in shock.

"so what do you think, sexy brain? Let’s deal." He licked his lips as his hand got in his pocket.

"I’m not interested in any deal, so please." She shot and was about to escape, but he pulled her by her wrist. A pain rushes in her arm over his harsh grip.

"You still have no idea whom you are talking to, do you?" his tone went from amused to threatening on her glares.

He calmed himself after jolting her to stop moving. "Did I tell you I’m the leader of the Shaw Mafia group? The dangerous Kevin. Shaw." He laughed as her knees went weak and sweat started to cover her arms.

"And I have other ways too to get things I want." He pulled her on his chest and took out a gun from the back. His teeth shined shamelessly as he points the gum on her head.

Her hands started shivering and cold sweats covered her forehead. Her frightened state sent bounce to him and declared a chuckle. He stares into her eyes for the next couple of minutes. His gun began to move, tracing her mask from the side and then at her lips. She got more scared with the thought of her getting exposed to this monster with just one strand of her mask, pulled by him.

"Please..." she whispered with a trembling voice. Her eyes squished on the contact of cold metal on her neck.

"What a pleasant voice to hear." He slowly gets closer to her neck and sniffs over it, which trembled her in disgust. "I will come back tomorrow to your house to finalize the deal with papers." he down the gun and took a step back

"Till then, you can think of your price. I will pay you fairly, but just don't do anything stupid. Otherwise, what will happen to that old Bennett... baby." His smirk-plastered face turns around and walks away.

Whole this time, Madeline couldn't able to breathe. She collapsed on her knees, shivering from head to toe.

"This is impossible...How... did... he...."