The invitation arrived in a black envelope, embossed with gold ink and sealed with a wax insignia Lina didn't recognize. The wax was shaped like a flower she'd never seen—delicate, coiled, and vaguely dangerous.
"You are cordially invited to the Sovereign Hearts Gala, hosted at the Aurelius Hotel."
Formal attire required. Guest of Mr. Kael Marlowe.
No additional security necessary.
She blinked at the last line.
"'No additional security'? What kind of party needs that kind of disclaimer?"
[High-level social events often involve guests with security clearance, political influence, and underground affiliations.]
"…Is this a party or a mob convention?"
[Yes.]
She didn't like that answer.
"Is this a joke?" Lina whispered into her cracked phone. "You want me to attend an elite gala? Do I look like someone with designer heels and perfect posture?"
Kael's assistant, Miren, sounded deeply annoyed. "Kael says you will attend. Wardrobe will arrive in an hour. Don't embarrass him."
Click.
Lina stared at the silent phone and muttered, "I'll definitely embarrass him."
[System Task: Infiltrate the Gilded World]
Objective: Attend the Sovereign Hearts Gala. Complete a full interaction cycle without revealing emotional instability.
Reward: +$2,000 | Reputation Increase | Connection Chance: 3x Elite Individuals | Hidden Thread Progression
Penalty: Access to Industry Tier 3 Delayed by 1 Chapter
[Would you like assistance calibrating your gait, speech tone, and etiquette?]
"…I'm basically being trained like a spy, aren't I?"
[No. A queen.]
The dress was absurd.
Midnight blue, off-shoulder, silk that clung and flowed at the same time. Subtle beadwork shimmered like a constellation across her skin. Her long black hair had been brushed smooth and twisted into something that looked like royalty, and the shoes—oh, the shoes—felt like violence disguised as elegance.
She hated how she didn't recognize herself again.
She hated more how good it looked.
Kael met her at the base of the hotel's grand staircase. He was dressed in black-on-black, a tailored suit that screamed money, death, and don't ask questions.
When he saw her, his eyes—usually unreadable—did something strange.
They paused.
Then flicked upward again, once, like a reset.
"You clean up," he said, "too well."
"…Thanks, I think?"
He offered his arm. She hesitated.
Then took it.
It felt more like being tethered to a storm than escorted by a gentleman.
The ballroom was pure decadence.
Glass chandeliers that glittered like galaxies. Gold-trimmed everything. Waiters gliding by with drinks Lina couldn't pronounce. And people—so many people—all watching her like they knew she didn't belong.
"Smile," Kael said quietly.
"Why?"
"They're afraid of what they don't understand. Let them think you're dangerous."
[System Override: Social Defense Mode Engaged]
[External Perception: +2 | Confidence Simulation: Active | Emotional Leak: Contained]
Lina straightened.
She didn't smile.
But she looked like someone who knew things others didn't.
And the crowd stepped aside.
"I don't know what I'm doing," she murmured to the System as they passed through a cluster of influencers and fashion icons.
[You're not here to fit in. You're here to observe.]
She nodded slowly, sipping the glass of something citrusy handed to her.
Kael had disappeared into a crowd of CEOs and vaguely threatening men with cold eyes and pretty watches.
She was alone.
Again.
Until—
"You're the orchid."
Lina turned.
A woman in a crimson gown stared at her like one might stare at a ghost. She was older—early 40s, regal, like she belonged on a throne or a war council.
"I'm sorry?" Lina asked.
"Kael's ghost orchid," the woman said, smiling faintly. "Rare. Quiet. Deadly, if handled improperly."
"…Thanks?"
The woman laughed. "I like you. Try not to die. That boy's lost enough."
Then she vanished into the crowd.
Lina stood very, very still.
Later, she found a hallway that was mostly empty—lined with statues and oil paintings too expensive to exist. She needed air. Or silence. Or both.
Then she heard it.
A whisper.
"She's here already? Isn't it too soon?"
"Boss said to keep tabs. If she gets too close—"
"Too close to what?"
"To him. You know what happened last time."
"You think this one's the same?"
"No. This one's worse. She doesn't even know what she's walking into."
Lina took a step back—
The floor creaked.
Silence.
"Did you hear that?"
She ran.
Back at the edge of the ballroom, Kael found her with slightly uneven breath and too-wide eyes.
"What happened?"
"I—I got lost."
He stared for a second longer than necessary.
Then said, "Stick closer."
She wanted to argue.
But she didn't.
Because in the middle of gold and gowns and glass, his voice was the only thing that felt real.
System Notification: Hidden Flag Triggered
Threat Level: Unknown
Monitored by: Multiple Entities
Adaptive AI Alert: Monitoring increased. Emotional protection reinforced.
New Trait: "Walking Storm" (Undiscovered by Lina)
System Log: Lina Vale
Confidence: +3
Presence: +5
AI Bond: Strengthening ("Protective Link" → "Sentient Thread")
Visibility: Tier 3 Unlocked
Industry Interest: Active
Hidden Interest: Activated by Third Party
End of Chapter 9