Without a second thought, Melinda turned to Raymond and said, "Let's head down!"
Raymond nodded, grabbed his coat, and the two stepped out of their suite.
Even though the party lights were dimmed on purpose, the moment Raymond and Melinda showed up, all eyes were on Raymond. His striking presence and confident strides commanded attention.
"Mr. Thomas is here."
"Oh my God! It's really him! I thought he wasn't coming."
"I can't believe I'm seeing Mr. Thomas in person. This is so exciting!"
"Who's the woman with him?"
The crowd buzzed with admiration, their voices nearly drowning out the music.
Emily clenched her hands tightly. The man she had been longing for, Raymond, was right in front of her, but he wasn't hers.
At that moment, the host took the stage. After a rousing speech, the camera slowly focused on Frank. As a representative of the country's top virus lab, Frank enthusiastically spoke about the lab's establishment and future direction.
But aside from the performances, everyone was eagerly anticipating the raffle. Rumor had it that tonight's prizes were exceptionally generous, with high chances of winning.
At seven o'clock, the performances began.
The first to take the stage was Melinda's favorite singer, Luna Star.
Luna Star appeared in a dashing outfit, like a prince, eliciting continuous screams from the fans below.
Melinda cheered and clapped excitedly from the audience.
Raymond wasn't watching the performance; instead, he was captivated by Melinda's excitement. His dark eyes, deep and intense, were fixed on her with a complex expression.
Melinda was completely entranced by Luna Star's charm on stage. He was singing her favorite song.
Raymond's cold gaze first swept over Luna Star's flirtatious gestures towards the audience, then settled on Melinda's enamored face.
So, Melinda went through all this trouble to attend the celebration just to see this singer?
Melinda finally felt Raymond's intense stare and turned to look at him. "What's up?"
Melinda was bold, daring to provoke him?
"Do you like him?" Raymond suddenly leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"What?" Melinda instinctively responded.
Even though the lighting was dim, Raymond's presence was overwhelming! His icy gaze was more intense than the cold air outside, making Melinda swallow nervously.
If she said she liked him, tonight would be hard to get through...
"Don't lie to me," Raymond said.
"I just think his songs are nice," Melinda replied.
"Is it really just the songs?" Raymond's expression was displeased.
Melinda had to appease him. She reached under the table and grabbed his hand. Only then did Raymond's expression soften a bit, and he intertwined his fingers with hers possessively under the tablecloth.
Melinda felt helpless but also sensed the strength in his grip. Luna Star finished two songs, and it was time for the first round of the raffle.
"Next, we'll draw fifty consolation prizes."
Names began flashing on the screen, and those who were drawn knew they were out of the running for the big prizes.
After the fifty names were drawn, the second performance began, featuring a sultry female singer. After her performance, thirty third-place prizes were drawn.
Lena also had a performance. She sang a love song, her eyes fixed on Raymond as if she were singing just for him.
Naturally, Raymond's gaze was on Melinda.
Seeing Lena's gaze, Melinda felt a sudden surge of anger. She dug her nails into the back of Raymond's hand.
Raymond turned to her with a smile, but Melinda pretended to be indifferent, not even looking at him.
Yet, she instinctively pinched him again.
Raymond smiled wryly. Melinda's habit of pinching seemed incurable. She could look at other men all she wanted, but he couldn't look at other women.
Melinda's face still held a faint smile, but under the table, Raymond's hand bore several red marks from her nails.
Hurting without leaving a trace.
Next was the drawing for the second prize, worth thirty thousand dollars.
Then came the first prize and the grand prize.
Frank excitedly announced from the stage, "You might not know this, but tonight's grand prize is a car worth five million dollars..."
The crowd erupted in gasps. A five-million-dollar car?
Whoever won would be instantly rich!
What a generous prize from Mr. Thomas!
Melinda was stunned and turned to Raymond for confirmation, but he remained inscrutable, not giving anything away.
She overheard voices behind her.
"I want it!"
"Yeah! A five-million-dollar car! I don't need the car, just give me the five million dollars."
Even Emily was thrilled, already imagining herself as an employee of the top virus lab, hoping for a chance.
Lena clenched her fists, hoping it would be her.
Only Celestia's eyes were filled with jealousy as she stared at Melinda, as if she knew something.
Another performance followed, and at eight-thirty, the first prize drawing began, awarding three prizes of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars each.
The three winners excitedly took the stage, and Melinda could empathize with their joy. But after the next three performances, everyone's attention was on the grand prize.
Melinda released Raymond's hand, clasped her own, and silently prayed. The event had reached its climax.
Frank's voice echoed through the hall again, filled with excitement as he returned to the stage.
The microphone shook in his hand, his voice resonating through the sound system.
"Everyone, are you excited for the grand prize? I know I am, haha!"
He laughed at himself, drawing laughter from the audience.
The lights dimmed, leaving only the spotlight on the large screen.
Frank stood aside, gesturing for everyone to look at the screen. "Let's count down together and witness the birth of the lucky winner!"
The numbers on the screen flashed rapidly, and everyone's heartbeat seemed to quicken.
When the numbers stopped, the screen displayed: "Grand Prize Winner — Melinda!"
Melinda sat in the audience, stunned as her name was announced. She couldn't believe it. People around her looked at her with envy, their voices buzzing.
Frank smiled at Melinda. "Ms. Sharp, congratulations! Please come up to receive your prize!"
Melinda stood up, her beautiful face glowing under the lights. She walked gracefully to the stage, each step feeling surreal.
When she reached the center of the stage, Frank handed her the microphone. "Ms. Sharp, do you have anything to say at this moment?"
Melinda took a deep breath and calmly responded, "I'm very surprised and happy. I think this might be the luckiest moment of my life."
She paused, glancing at Raymond with a complex look in her eyes.
"But, I can't help but feel like someone made sure I won this prize."
Frank was momentarily taken aback, then laughed. "What? Are you saying Mr. Thomas? Haha, it seems Mr. Thomas went to great lengths to make you happy!"
The audience laughed again, and Raymond smiled but said nothing.
Seizing the moment, Frank joked, "Ms. Sharp, since you're so happy, how about performing something for us to celebrate?"