Chapter 55: Episode 55: I actually have some questions.

Adonis barely blinked at the woman in the crimson gown before he gave a curt, perfectly measured nod.

“Welcome, Roxy,” Adonis greeted, his voice a smooth rumble. “It is with honor to receive you.”

Before Roxy could respond to his greeting, Adonis’s attention had already snapped back to Nikki. His hands, still resting possessively on her waist, tightened slightly.

“Come,” he commanded, his voice softening only for her. “Let me introduce you to some important people.”

“Okay,” Nikki breathed, her heart still doing flips from the way he was looking at her. She reached back blindly, grabbing Roxy’s hand and dragging her along.

As they followed the imposing, broad-shouldered General through the parting sea of Sector 1 elite, Roxy leaned in close, her breath tickling Nikki’s ear.

“Are you absolutely sure he is an Android?” Roxy whispered fiercely. “And the actual General A-01? Because he doesn’t look like a machine. He looks at you like he wants to eat you alive, Nik. Like, literally consume your soul.”

Which was such a human thing to do.

Nikki giggled, a flushed, happy sound, and nodded. “Yes, Rox. He’s the one. And trust me, the machine parts are definitely real.”

I worked for this, you know.

They navigated the hall until Adonis stopped before a small, secluded circle of people. Unlike the rest of the glittering, overly-botoxed crowd, this group consisted of elderly individuals.

They were aged, but they exuded an aura of profound health, immense wealth, and Old World power.

The moment their eyes landed on Nikki, their faces lit up with genuine, almost startling warmth.

Nikki suddenly felt incredibly small. Despite her stunning midnight-blue gown and the towering God of War standing protectively at her back, she felt like a child who had just been dragged into a room full of imposing grandparents.

They cooed over her, their voices gentle as they offered polite compliments, clearly trying to coax a smile and a laugh out of the terrifying General’s mysterious companion.

“May I present Nikki,” Adonis announced, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority. “The newly appointed Director of Human-AI Relations.”

Nikki’s smile froze on her face.

Director of what? she screamed internally.

Since when did I become a government official?!

She kept her composure, nodding politely, but she made a mental note to kick Adonis in the shin later.

While the group murmured their impressed approvals, Nikki noticed one man who wasn’t smiling. He was an older gentleman with sharp, hawkish features and silver hair neatly slicked back.

He was staring at her with an intensity that made the hair on her arms stand up. His gaze wasn’t warm; it was deeply unsettling.

The creepy vibe sent a shiver down her spine. Unable to bear the heavy stare any longer, Nikki cleared her throat and addressed him directly.

“Excuse me,” she said, her voice polite but firm. “Do we know each other, sir?”

The old man blinked, as if snapping out of a trance. The sharp intensity vanished, replaced by a smooth, practiced mask of upper-class indifference. He gave a slight, dismissive wave of his hand.

“No, no. My apologies, Miss Nikki,” he said smoothly. “You just look awfully familiar to a child I knew back then. A trick of the old mind, I suppose.”

Nikki mouthed a silent “Oh.” Beside him, an aged woman adorned in heavy pearl necklaces scoffed, brushing his shoulder playfully.

“Oh, ignore Dr. Aris, dear,” she said to Nikki, rolling her eyes. “That is just how he is. He is always pining over that little child he took in. He treated her as if she were his own flesh and blood. She was such a brilliant little thing, too. So smart, and she absolutely loved to explore tech and machinery. Too bad…”

The woman’s voice trailed off, her eyes dropping to her champagne flute as she sighed in profound grief.

A pang of sympathy hit Nikki’s chest. “I am so sorry for your loss,” she murmured.

The woman looked up quickly, shaking her head to correct the assumption. “Oh, heavens no, dear. The child didn’t die. She just… went missing during the Fall.”

Nikki’s lips parted in another, silent “O.”

A strange, cold sensation fluttered in her stomach. A missing girl who loved tech. A doctor who looked at her like he knew her. But before she could dwell on it, Adonis shifted his stance.

“We must excuse ourselves now,” Adonis stated, effectively cutting off the conversation. He placed a guiding hand on the small of Nikki’s back and steered both women away.

He pulled them toward another faction of the hall. This group was vastly different, younger, sharper, and overtly hostile. Their smiles didn’t reach their eyes, and their posture screamed arrogance.

Adonis didn’t bother with pleasantries here. He introduced Nikki with a tone so laced with underlying threat that the aristocrats physically flinched. He didn’t linger for small talk, establishing her dominance by his mere presence before moving on.

A few minutes later, a sleek silver drone hovered over to Adonis, projecting a flashing red priority sigil.

Adonis sighed, a sound of pure annoyance. He turned to Nikki, his expression softening instantly. In front of the staring eyes of the most powerful humans on Earth, the God of War lifted Nikki’s hand and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her knuckles.

“I must attend to a logistical dispute in the southern grid,” he murmured. “I will return shortly. Stay here.” He shot a warning glare at Roxy. “Do not let her wander.”

Roxy offered a lazy, two-finger salute.

As soon as Adonis disappeared into the crowd, the atmosphere shifted. The protective bubble around Nikki popped.

Within minutes, three women draped in glittering, excessive haute couture drifted over to the edge of the buffet table near Nikki and Roxy. They didn’t approach them directly; instead, they turned their backs slightly and began to gossip. Loudly.

“Did you see the fabric?” one of them sneered, a brunette with too much filler in her lips. “Sector 4 trash draped in synthetic silk. It’s like putting a diamond collar on a sewer rat.”

“I heard she doesn’t even have a formal education,” another laughed. “Director of Relations? Please. We all know what relations she’s directing to keep the General’s attention.”

Roxy’s jaw locked. Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “Hold my drink, Nik,” she growled, cracking her knuckles. “I’m about to show these silicone-stuffed snobs how we handle ’relations’ in the slums.”

Nikki grabbed Roxy’s arm tightly, digging her nails in. “No. Stop. Roxy, it’s not worth it. Let’s just ignore them and walk away.”

Roxy seethed but let Nikki pull her away from the table.

They tried to pivot toward the balcony, aiming for some fresh air and quiet, but the Sector 1 elite were relentless.

One of the ladies, a tall blonde intentionally stepped backward, completely blocking Nikki’s path. The woman turned around, a sickly-sweet, venomous smile plastered across her face, her eyes raking up and down Nikki’s dress with undisguised contempt.

“Oh, hi there, Nikki,” the blonde purred, her voice dripping with fake politeness. “I actually have some questions about your new… appointment. Could you spare me your time?”

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