Lee's eyes widened at Madeline's comment.
"You… you, how could you say that?" His voice wavered, turning sharp, he stood up abruptly pointing at Madeline, his face red from anger.
The woman beside him, his legal representative, sensed the situation spiraling. Her sharp eyes swept across the room, catching the confusion and murmurs from the reporters. She immediately straightened up, knocking twice on the table and cleared her throat with authority.
"Dear friends of the media," she began, her voice steady but carrying an unmistakable edge. "My name is Emily and I am Lee ju won's legal representative." She paused, holding up a thick report. "This report presents a comprehensive overview of Mr. Lee's medical tests."
She quickly handed it over to a staff to share it amongst the various reporters. One of the staffs even handed one to Madeline gaining approval from the legal representative.
"As you can see," the woman continued, gesturing toward the numbers, "the levels of sedatives found in Mr. Lee's system are significant. The large intake has caused measurable disruptions to his neurological and cardiovascular functions. This report does not only confirm the presence of these substances, but also indicates the damage they've caused over time."
The eporters leaned forward, murmuring to each other, some nodding as though this was a revelation they had been waiting for. Phones rose, capturing the data, sharing it to the internet instantly.
The woman paused, letting the tension hang for a second before pulling out a small flash drive from her bag. "Why would my client willingly take drugs that are harmful to him and cause problems for his body? I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but Miss Myers is putting us in a really difficult spot."
She handed it to the staff, who plugged it into the projector. The screen flickered and changed. Photos filled the screen instantly. Madeline's eyes narrowed at the images. The first photo was in an hotel room with a man asleep, his body limp, a towel draped over him, and a figure resting close, clearly, the person labeled as "Madeline." Others were more provocative, capturing angles and moments that could be twisted, manipulated.
The next slide displayed screenshots of text messages from Madeline to Lee, her begging for a role in Lee's upcoming variety show and saying she would do anything to get it.
The director's replies on the other hand was short straight and dismissive.
Chaos erupted in the room. The reporters were having a field day, whispers turned to shouts, and cameras clicked incessantly. Madeline's already fragile reputation seemed to hang by a thread, and she felt the crowd ready to engulf her in a wave of scandal.
Madeline muttered a curse under her breath. The original owner had been foolish, reckless and stubborn. She could turn to her family and use their connections to secure a role but no she decided to do gravel to a director for it. She clenched her hands which were itching to give someone a beating. She put on a calm face but inside irritation flared like wildfire.
She inhaled, composing herself before clearing her throat deliberately, loud enough to cut through the murmurs. "That's a good photo you have there." Her voice was calm, almost teasing, "Scary what AI can do these days, huh?"
A reporter's hand shot up, voice sharp. "What do you mean, Miss Myers? Are you saying that's not you in the photo?"
Madeline let the words hang for a moment, letting the tension build before trying to reply when she was cut off by another reporter "Yes, the face isn't entirely clear. But everyone here knows about the butterfly on your collarbone. The one you got after your mother passed. Clearly, that's you in the photo."
Her eyes swept the room, pausing on a reporter who seemed overly eager to press her, this Madeline has too many enemies she wondered who this one was working for. She gave him a glare before answering…
"Yes, I do have a butterfly tattoo," she said smoothly, but I also have this. She lifted her sleeves, revealing another mark: a faint birthmark on her inner arm, one she had carried since childhood. "And before anyone tries to argue that this is a new tattoo, you can cross-check my old photos. Noticeable, isn't it?"
The screen flickered, and for the first time, the woman beside Lee frowned. What was wrong with Madeline today, they had interacted before and she wasn't very bright so how was it that she was suddenly smart the one time nobody wanted her to. Madeline's voice, sharp and unwavering, held a weight that made the room shift.
"Funny how the birthmark vanishes in the photo," Madeline continued, gaze locking onto Lee. "Is there an explanation for that?"
The legal representative's frown deepened, eyes narrowing "If you claim the pictures are edited, what about the text messages? They are…"
Madeline cut her off, voice slicing through the tension like a knife. "Yes, the text messages are mine. But that was over a year ago. I am currently filming a drama. Why would I desperately pursue another role now?" She allowed herself a slight chuckle, letting the humor act as a blade to slice through the room's judgment. "And all of you already know about my… period of rest," she added, the words rolling off her tongue like silk, carrying a smile.
Everyone was shocked about her shamelessness, this was something she was always insulted and hated for. Madeline would film a drama and disappear for close to a year to "recharge" and would then come back with worse acting.
Everywhere went still, even the PR manager opened his mouth, ready to argue, but couldn't find the right words, he looked over at the woman but Madeline's next move shut the room down.
She looked directly at Lee, her grey eyes cold yet sparkling, and smiled. A small, measured smile that carried danger.
"Oh, right. I prepared a special surprise for you." a and then turning to the reporters and "more news for you" She lifted her phone casually, tapping a quick message to the driver. The smile lingered, disarming, but there was something venomous in it.
Lee's heart felt a slow, terrifying roll in his chest, that smile was scary. He had seen that that smile on Jake Myers before and what always followed was never something good. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He shot a glance at his legal representative, hoping for guidance, but she only frowned slightly but said nothing.
A faint sound echoed through the grand hall, the double doors at the back of the conference room opened, heads turned around instinctively, cameras ready to capture every movement.
A man strode in behind him was someone covered with a black hood. He bowed slightly at Madeline before taking the hood off. Lee's face drained of color. His eyes widened in recognition and his posture turned stiff instantly.