ＩＭＰＥＲＩＡＬ ◼TONY STARK◼

ｎｉｎｅ

Audelia Motter was one of the strongest, most hardheaded women in the business. She was the female Tony Stark in many ways, except she was a lot more levelheaded and rational. She rarely gave interviews, so when she did it was headline news. She walked into parties with that Stark confidence, having gained it from so many years with the family. Red carpets were nothing to her. The third annual Firefighter's Family Fund gala was her first major public appearance since Tony came back, since he had halted the weapon's manufacturing, and since her and Tony began to harbor the secret of a giant project they couldn't tell anyone about. To say she was finally letting her nerves hit would be an understatement, but she'd be damned if she didn't shake them off.

Pepper and Nathan were the first to step out of the car, waving to the paparazzi that awaited them at the red carpet of the event. Nate held out his hand for his fiance, taking it as helping her out of the car as the questions thrown toward them group increased.

"Ms. Motter! Is it true that you actually made the weapons decision?"

"Audelia! Is it true that you and Tony have been in a secret love affair?"

"Where's Tony, Audelia!"

With her head held high and a smile on her face, Audelia only waving at all of the paparazzi as her, Nathan, and Pepper made their way down the carpet toward the hall. 

Almost at the stairs, Obadiah stepped out in front of them, his arms held out and a grin on his face. Deli tried to hold her smile, not wanting the cameras to see her change in mood, as she turned to Pepper and Nathan.

"You guys go ahead, I'll meet you both in there," as the pair walked away, Audelia made her way up to Obadiah, turning and allowing him to place a hand on her back as they posed for pictures and she spoke through her teeth. "Obadiah, how unpleasant to see you."

"Is my presence still unpleasant to you?"

"Truthfully, it always has been," as the pictures ended, the pair turned together to make their way up the steps into the hall. "Heard you didn't send Tony and invitation to his own party. How exactly does that make sense?"

"He's supposed to be laying low in the public eye, especially now with the board filing and injunction on both him and you. Technically, you probably shouldn't be here,"

"Oh yes, because both Tony and I both not showing up definitely wouldn't start anymore rumors regarding our fabricated secret love affair," Deli turned to Obadiah as they stepped through the doors of the hall, her eyes narrowing. "Although, remind me again, wasn't it you years ago that planted that ridiculous seed in the media's heads during an interview?"

"And one day, when I'm right, I'm going to be laughing all the way to the gates of heaven,"

"Hmmm, more like the gates of hell," Deli flashed him another dazzling smile as she turned her back on him, walking into the party. "Enjoy your night, shiny head."

A waiter strolled by Deli, carrying a tray of champagne as the woman reached out, plucking two glasses off of it and downing the contents of each before placing them on a side table and grabbing yet another glass.

Her eyes caught sight of Nathan and Pepper standing in the middle of the room together, smiling and laughing at someone that Nathan had probably said. Nathan was leaning against one of the high top tables in the middle of the room, grinning as he watched Pepper laugh and shake her head at something he had said.

"Glad you both seem to already be enjoying the party," Deli told the two as they both straightened up as she walked over. She took another sip of her third glass of champagne as she looked between the pair. "I think Obadiah has already made it his mission to make mine hell."