Looking through all of her scheduled appointments, Vivian was excited to see Del as her most recent request that she quickly accepted. Vivian and Del had been dating for several weeks now, but this was the first time that he had been a client. He hired her to join him at a Gala hosted by the CEO of Stellar Dynamics, one of the most powerful corporations in human history, and certainly one of the most violent and ruthless in pursuit of its goals.

Regardless of the number of ultra-rich psychopaths that were going to be in attendance, the highest-class affair was something she was very much looking forward to, especially as she would be able to spend it with Del. 

Vivian had very much settled into her new home. She was generally pretty good about cleaning up after herself after it had been drilled into her head for so long, but now that she had her own space with nobody constantly looking over her shoulder, some things started falling to the wayside. Her floor and furniture was gradually becoming covered in discarded clothing, and many of the surfaces were gathering dishes and trash that she never felt like putting away.

Ordering a companion wasn't an option that she was aware of until weeks into her residence here, but when she did finally realize that she could, she hesitated. It still felt like somebody would be watching over her, and she wasn't exactly wrong. Instead, the layer of clothing that covered the floor continued to grow as she ordered more outfits, trying to find the perfect one for the Gala.

After a week of mulling on several different outfits, Vivian settled on a tight dress with a deep v-neck and a high cut exposing her thigh. She completed the look with a pair of high heels and a rose in her hair that she would order on the day to make sure it was fresh.

Vivian was well-trained in etiquette, but took time to brush up with some digital practice and studying old movies and TV shows.

Vivian was ready hours before the gala started, but she never felt so. Even up to the moments before Del arrived in his personal transport, she was still meddling with her hair or jewelry and adjusting how her dress sat. When she heard the subtle hum of the transport arriving on her landing pad, Vivian rushed to the door, then calmly and elegantly exited to meet Del.

"Whenever I'm not with you," he said, "I seem to forget just how stunningly beautiful you are." Del was himself dressed to the nines in an understated black tuxedo with a high collar that accentuated his jawline. He also had a handkerchief in his pocket that transitioned to red to match Vivian.

"Speak for yourself," she said.

The two met with a gentle embrace and a kiss before stepping into the transport. After weeks of her residency on Nexus Spire, the novelty of the wondrous city and the massive spire was starting to wane, but it still took her breath away as they sailed through the skyline. Vivian expected the transport to take them to the top of the Spire, but they were instead whisked away to a tower that stood in solitary near the edge of the city.

The exclusivity of the Gala was clear at a distance. There was a line forming that their transport locked into. Gradually each vessel would land at a pad on the rooftop where the passengers were dropped onto a red carpet that led them to a large, luxuriously decorated space. Vivian was already growing tired of the red carpets that the rich and popular insisted on for their events, but she had to admit that this event was far-and-away the most opulent that she had been to yet.

She was surprised to see a lack of paparazzi and camera drones. It was refreshing to not have hundreds of people closely inspecting and critiquing her appearance, but it was also more unsettling to have them replaced with the critical eyes of a bunch of ultra-rich psychopaths.

Vivian could feel their gaze on her. She felt out of place, but also exactly where she should be. Every person she looked at had an air of darkness around them and would fit well as the villain in a film of television show, and head among them as the host of the Gala. Anton Walsh-Perez stood just inside the entryway to greet each arriving guest. His silver glow was hard to ignore as Vivian approached on the arm of Del.

"Mr. Bojang," Anton said, "I'm glad you were able to make it." The two clasped hands in greeting.

"You say that as if I had the willpower to refuse." Del laughed, then gestured to the woman next him. "This is Vivian Frost."

"Welcome, Ms. Frost." Anton kissed her hand. "A name befitting of that beautiful platinum mane. I do hope you enjoy your stay. Just make sure Mr. Bojang stays out of trouble, would you?"

"Certainly, sir. I won't be loosening my grip anytime soon." Vivian smiled and laughed.

Many of the rest of the guests had an expectedly unsettling color to them. Vivian knew that most of the people invited here had attained their wealth through the oppression of anyone and everyone they could take advantage of. Seeing their dark auras up close was exciting to her. Many of them were blacks, blues, and greys, but one guest radiated a deep red that sent chills down Vivian's spine.

For the most part, Vivian was patient. She didn't mind waiting by Del's side as he introduced her around the room and made innocuous conversation, but when she saw the man surrounded by red, she couldn't help but tug on Del's arm and point him out.

"Hmmm..." Del held his chin after scanning the man's bearded face. "That's Dr. Hayden Ibarra, head of  SynGen Cybernetic Pharmaceuticals. I know his company, but I haven't met him yet."

"Shall we?" Vivian asked. Del was surprised at Vivian's forwardness. After many conversations since they had met, Del was under the impression that she wasn't a big fan of the ultra-rich class. At this point, he was surprised that she was still with him, or that she'd even agreed to go with him. Of course, she was getting paid, but he expected this to be something of a torrid affair for her. Instead, she was reminiscent of a kid in a candy shop.

As they approached Dr. Ibarra, the man's gaze drifted to Vivian and stuck to her. Vivian wasn't sure if it was her stark-white hair, piercing blue eyes, or her exquisite dress that had caught his attention, but he was laser-focused on her until she stood before him.

"Dr. Ibarra," Del said, presenting his hand to shake. "I'm Delano Bojang founder of-"

"TitanArc Foundry." Dr. Ibarra finished the sentence for him with a smile as he took Del's hand. "I've heard of it. Quite explosive growth your company has been seeing!"

"Thank you, truly!" Del let his cool demeanor drop when he shook the man's hand, unable to hide the humble blush in his smile. Dr. Ibarra was happy to be fawned over, but Del could see his gaze drifting over to his beautiful companion, and he couldn't blame him. "Please, let me introduce you to Vivian Frost."

Dr. Ibarra presented an open palm to Vivian, but she hesitated for a moment before taking it. The darkness surrounding the man was a kind of violence that was a stark contrast to the man's outwardly pleasant presentation.

"I must apologize for staring," he said. "You seem to stand out in a crowd in more ways than one."

"I hope that's a compliment." Vivian smirked as Dr. Ibarra gently took her hand.

"Standing out among all these people is not an easy feat."