Fire And Desire

THE PLOT THICKENS

Luca deposited Gia in front of a high rise building with shimmering light, and luxury at every turn.

One would think after spending so many years with the billionaire family and the heiress, Gia would get used to this kind of life.

But she never did, always uncomfortable in these sort of gatherings, and clinging to her friend more than necessary. And it seemed this night won’t be any different from the normal routine.

She walked into the building, her heels clicking against the polished floor of the reception as she made her way to the receptionist table.

“Good evening, madam.” A strawberry blonde lady, all smiling in a uniform that had a tag, ‘Linda,’ greeted her. “Good evening,” Gia replied equally, then asked. “Please, what floor is the Charity event holding?”

“Penthouse ballroom,” the receptionist answered kindly, her smile unwavering. Gia glanced around awkwardly, hoping for the life of her that the lady would provide direction because she was no regular visitor in the building.

Like Linda heard her thoughts, she spoke in a soft voice. “Go straight down to your right, you’ll find an elevator. Take it to the seventh floor, and someone will be there to assist you immediately when you step out.”

“Thank you!” Gia said with a polite nod as she followed the directions given to her. Soon enough, she found the elevator and took the ride alone to the seventh floor where she saw a man in the same uniform as Linda waiting at the other side of the elevator opened doors.

Behind the young man, was a small lobby, which led to an even bigger space where double glass doors separated the room. “Welcome ma’am,” the man with the tag, ‘Derek,’ spoke respectfully to her, asking. “May I see your invitation?”

“Right!” Gia chimed as she rummaged through her small clutch for the envelope Luca had given her before they departed. She showed the letter to Derek, which he collected from her and briefly accessed it.

When it met the requirements, he sidestepped her, and tipped his head. “Please enjoy the evening.”

Hopefully she would.

Passing the glass doors, and stepping into the ballroom, Gia was instantly enveloped by the sheer opulence of the place. She would never get used to this kind of extravagance, especially for a kid who was surviving on scraps and stealing, now amongst the one percent of the population.

It still felt surreal.

Multiple chandeliers sparkled above, illuminating the room which was decorated by round tables and chairs at every turn, with floral arrangements on each side of the table and the entirety of the space.

Waiters glided through the room filled with people, holding trays of champagne flutes that must cost more than her monthly rent.

In this kind of overwhelming situation, the first thing she would do is search for Rhian, the sole reason she was there in the first place.

And it didn’t take much to find her because she was always at the front table, front row, sometimes even on the stage if needed be. Her best friend was always the center of attention, right under the spotlight doing her thing, and Gia was right there, a few steps behind, cheering her on.

“Gianna,” a too familiar voice came from beside her, drawing her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Rhian’s uptight personal assistant, Delphina, who was a usual pain in the neck.

“Delphina, nice seeing you,” Gia said with a fake smile plastered on her facial features. “Can’t say the same for you. I mean…Luca said you were almost run over, doing us the pleasure of riding you ourselves.”

Gia scoffed, not surprised Luca had already reported to the head of her anti-fan club. The night hadn't even started properly and they were already riling her up.

Instead of entertaining any more of her nonsense, she inquired. “Where’s Rhian?” To which Delphina rolled her eyes, saying, “find her yourself,” before walking off without another word.

Dismissing the bitter P. A, Gia scanned the entirety of the room for her best friend, specifically for her distinct shade of dirty blonde hair.

And it didn’t take her long to find a woman who fit perfectly in this category, who was wearing a striking red dress, swamped by a lot of people trying to engage her in conversation.

Gianna walked the length of the ballroom to the front where her best friend was standing, and when Rhian saw her, her face lit up, excusing herself from the group of people she was speaking with.

“Finally!” Rhian exclaimed, coming to Gia’s side. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it.” Actually, she almost didn’t make it, but she doubted Delphina or Luca mentioned that tidbit detail to their boss.

“Sorry, the cab broke down, and the driver wasn’t even—”

“It’s fine, you’ve said so.” Rhian interrupted Gia, looping her arm around her friend’s own as they walked to their table. “What matters now is that you’re here and I can rest easy.”

If anything, it was the opposite for Gia, she wasn’t an introvert per se, but this kind of setting wasn’t her thing, even though her friend remained insistent on making it ‘their’ thing.

They navigated the bustling hall filled with philanthropists, millionaires, entrepreneurs, designers and socialites, who all but stole a glance at them, specifically Rhian Hult. She was at present, the top of the food chain in the room, being the only child of Billionaire and business magnate, Thomas Hult.

All the while, Gia just felt like she was moving through a world that wasn’t hers, she might be best friends with the big fish, but she would never fit in. That’s why Delphina and the rest kept coming for her.

They finally reached their table which had only three chairs unlike the there with a maximum of six, and settled down for the event to start.

Every so often, Rhian would whisper in her ear about a particular individual, about what she thought of them and their secret her father had procured through his countless sources.

“Dad said Mr Amit was pumping money to his mistress at the other side of town, while he locked his wife in a mental institution.” Rhian was saying while her face held a visible disgust for the certain Mr Amit.

A bald man who won’t stop gurgling down champagne after champagne. “He looks the part,” Gia chuckled, masking her discomfort with humor. “I don’t know how you keep these things in your head, I would have gone straight to confront him.”

Rhian grinned mischievously. “All in good time, Gia.” Just as her best friend was about to whisper another scandal, the room went silent as if someone had dropped a bomb.

Both their eyes instinctively searched the ballroom, to see a new presence at the double glass doors. Next to her, Rhian sucked in a sharp breath, as they stared at the strikingly handsome man by the entrance, flanked by a considerable number of guards.