Mayqueen Gala #2

The air in the banquet hall was tight with anticipation, a fragile silence stretched thin across the hall.

Seth Blackwood walked forward with unhurried precision, his presence commanding without effort. The crowd parted instinctively as though the floor itself bent to accommodate his path. His gaze never left Thea, who stood flanked by two guards, poised but vulnerable.

“Release her,” Seth said, his voice measured yet final.

The two guards froze, torn between the order they had received from Runes and the authority now standing before them.

It was Seth Blackwood, the CEO of Blackwood Empire and Mayqueen industries, one of the most powerful men not only in the country but in the world. His words were not a request but law.

Immediately, the guards stepped back. One of them muttered an apology to Thea before retreating.

Thea exhaled quietly, though her chest was tight. Relief and dread tangled within her as Seth got closer.

Seth moved closer. His eyes swept over her face, her shoulders, the faint tremor in her hands. Without hesitation, he reached out, tilting her chin gently so he could look her over. His touch was firm yet protective, his thumb brushing the side of her cheek as though he could erase the humiliation she had just endured.

“Are you hurt?” he asked quietly, his voice meant for her, though everyone heard it.

Thea swallowed hard. “I’m fine.”

But Seth wasn’t satisfied. His hand lingered, his sharp eyes scanning her for any sign of injury. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with careful precision, his jaw tightening when he noticed the redness where the security's grip had dug into her arm earlier.

Runes, standing just steps away, bristled with fury. The sight of Seth touching Thea gently, sent a shock of jealousy and confusion through him.

What relationship does he have with Thea? And why does he seem to care so much about her?

“Mr Blackwood,” Runes snapped, forcing a laugh as though the situation were absurd.

Seth’s eyes went over to Runes, fuming in rage. “Did you do this?”

“Mr Blackwood, you don’t know what you’re doing. That woman has no business here. She’s an intruder, someone who doesn’t belong in a place like this.”

Seth ignored him. He brushed his thumb once more across Thea’s cheek before stepping slightly in front of her, a silent shield between her and Runes.

Runes’ voice sharpened. “She’s trying to sabotage this evening. She always meddles where she shouldn’t. Throwing her out is the only…”

Seth cut him off, his voice calm but carrying the weight of steel. “I said she stays.”

The crowd shifted, whispers buzzing like bees. No one had ever heard anyone dismiss Runes Sterling so coldly, so effortlessly.

Yes, there were rumours about him both offline and online but nobody dared to say the words in his presence.

But Runes wasn’t finished. His pride wouldn’t allow it.

“You don’t know her history, Mr Seth,” Runes said, his smile sharpening like a blade. “You don’t know what she did. She was meant to be my fiancée, until she betrayed me in the worst possible way. She destroyed our engagement. She destroyed her family’s reputation. And then she disgraced herself further in the eyes of everyone who mattered.”

He turned slightly, making sure the crowd could hear. “Thea Balmero is nothing but a scandal. She broke my trust and slept woth another man on the night of our engagement party.”

The crowd gasped, eyes staring at Thea. She stood tall, her head up high as she stared at Runes in nothing but pity.

He's so desperate to make her miserable by pretending to be so self righteous while being a pathetic liar himself.

“She broke my trust, my love and ruined everything we had together. She’s only here to ruin our signature ceremony, Mr Blackwood. Please, don’t let her do this..” Runes said, foreging concern fpr Seth.

Thea scoffed but Seth’s hand found hers and tightened, just enough to ground her. His expression never shifted from calm, though the storm in his eyes darkened.

And then Posy stepped forward, her gown glittering as though she were the centerpiece of the hall itself. Her face carried practiced grief, Thea rolled her eyes, she knew exactly what was coming from that look.

“Runes, don’t,” she said softly, laying a hand on his arm as though to calm him. She turned to Seth with a sympathetic tilt of her head. “Forgive him, Mr. Blackwood. He’s only hurt by the past. But you should know… I’ve done my best to care for Thea, even after everything she’s done. She’s my sister, after all.”

Her words dripped with false humility, she needed to paint herself as the virtuous sister trying to protect a wayward sibling. Thea couldn’t help but chuckle, Posy should have considered her future in the entertainment industry. She was just too good at playing the victim..

“She’s not well,” Posy continued, her eyes darting to Thea with feigned pity. “She doesn’t always make the best choices. We’ve all tried to forgive her, but sometimes…” She trailed off, shaking her head delicately. “Sometimes it’s hard to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.”

The audience nodded along, some convinced, some doubtful, but all swayed by the performance.

Thea’s jaw clenched. There’s no stopping Posy and she knew it. She would go on and on until everyone sees her as the angel she wasn't.

Runes seized the moment, his voice rising again. “You see? Even her own sister knows. She doesn’t belong here, Mr Blackwood. You’d be wise to let the guards do their job and remove her before she causes more trouble. People like her…”

“That’s enough.”

Seth’s voice sliced through the hall like glass shattering. The orchestra, the whispers, even the clink of glasses stilled.

He turned fully now, not just facing Runes and Posy, but the entire hall. His expression was cold, regal, and unshakable.. His hand never left Thea’s, holding it openly in front of everyone.

“You speak of her as though you are a man without fault, Runes Sterling.” Seth said, his voice carrying without effort. “

Runes’ smirk faltered. Posy froze.

“Uhm…I'm not sure understand what you mean…”

Seth’s gaze swept the room, daring anyone to look away. “She is mine.”

A ripple surged through the crowd, disbelief colliding with shock. Seth’s next words dropped like thunder.

“Thea is my wife.”

Dead silence.

For a long, suspended moment, the hall seemed to stop breathing. The chandeliers glowed too brightly, the air too still. Every eye widened, every mouth parted, as the revelation crashed through the golden hall.

Gasps broke the silence.

“His wife?”

“Thea Balmero? Married to Seth Blackwood?”

“The Seth Blackwood? Owner of the Mayqueen Empire?!”

Thea’s eyes flickered to the woman who spoke, what did she just hear? Her eyes scanned the hall and then it started to make sense.

The guards had listened to him without a single compliment and guards were lined up behind her like a shield.

Everything shes heard about the CEO of Mayqueen was happening right in her presence. How he commands attention, how the room goes dead silent when he walks in and how ridiculously handsome he was..

“No one knew…how…when…?”

“The CEO of mayqueen got married in secret? This will make headlines I tell you..”

Posy’s face drained of color, her perfect mask cracking for the first time. Her lips parted soundlessly, the word no trembling in her throat but refusing to form.

Runes stood motionless, disbelief carved into every angle of his face. “You… what?” he whispered, the word dragged from him unwillingly.

Seth ignored them both. His focus was only on Thea, who stood frozen beside him, her eyes wide, her breath trembling. His thumb brushed across her knuckles, grounding her once more.

“From this moment forward,” Seth said, his voice carrying like a vow, “any insult to her name is an insult to mine. Any hand raised against her is raised against me. And I will not forgive either.”

The words settled over the hall like a verdict.

The whispers began again, frantic now, the room buzzing with shock and curiosity. Families leaned toward each other, their alliances recalculating in real time. The Balmero name might have cast Thea out, but the Blackwood name was stronger, higher, and now hers.

Posy finally found her voice. “This… this can’t be true. You…you’re lying. She’s lying! Mr Seth, you don’t understand. She drugged herself, she ruined her own future! She’s…she’s nothing compared to what you deserve…”

“Enough.” Seth’s gaze cut to her, sharp enough to freeze her mid-sentence.

Posy recoiled, her face paling further under the weight of his disdain.

Runes shook his head as though trying to dispel a nightmare. His fists clenched, his pride clawing to the surface.

“You married her?” His voice cracked with fury. “Her? The disgrace of the Balmero family? You threw away every other possibility for her? Ypu are Mr Seth Blackwood! You could have married someone more reputable.”

Seth finally turned back to him, his voice quiet but lethal. “I believe my statement earlier was clear, Runes Sterling.”

Runes swallowed amd Posy glared at Thea in anger.

“Very clear, Mr Blackwood.” Runes managed.

“I believe we can proceed with the gala then..”