CHAPTER 31: CH 31: DAMN.

"But these all depend on one thing, you’ll have to get me into that gala with you."

Claire’s last words widened their eyes.

The same solutions they had been thinking about for hours now and yet she made perfect solutions in minutes of her knowing about them.

But soon Jace snapped out of thought, "There’s no way that we can get you into the gala."

She scoffed.

"I was once the best recruit here before— him."

Jace retorted.

"The key word being ’once’."

She said nothing more, a slight vein gathering on her forehead.

Levi cut in, "Alright, there’s got to be a way for her to be there. She’s right, she was once the best recruit and you’re an Elite Jace, pull some strings."

Jace sighed.

"Fine, I’ll take to Manhattan and convince him that you might be useful in getting sponsors to spend. Hey, maybe I’ll tell him you’re a whore."

She fired back.

"Of course I’m a whore, your mother trained me herself and she’s the best."

The tension between them made it too thick to even breathe freely.

Levi turned to Claire, ignoring their back and forth.

"You said there was something that could help us get blood from Mr Manhattan or bypass the gene scanner?"

She didn’t reply momentarily, eyes fixed on Jace.

"Yeah," she said finally, "come with me."

She stood and proceeded out of the cafeteria with Levi and Jace right behind her.

They moved swiftly and silently, not even sparing one another a glance.

They got to the garage area, obviously because of the countless rows of trucks being worked on, the smell of oil and grease wafting their noses and heavy machinery by the side.

Most of the soldiers there ignored them, too focused with their work.

She marched to a metallic tool chest, brought out a key from her pocket and unlocked the first drawer.

She reached in and brought a tiny ring in the palm of her hand.

Circular, obsidian black— as it radiated the fluorescent light above, with a slightly raised emblem crest.

She moved it further to their faces, "That’s it."

Levi, confused, "Uhmm... What’s that Claire?"

She sighed before reaching for his right hand and sliding the ring into his index finger.

"That’s the prototype of the needle ring I’ve been working on. When it’s complete it’s supposed to be able to inject vampires with suppressants or poisons without them noticing it."

Jace scoffed, "How do you stand someone with a needle without them knowing?"

She explained.

"It’s a mirco-lanet, barely as thick as a thread but as sharp as a knife but it’s pressure sensitive so it packs a punch depending on the user... And that’s why I gave it to Levi, in regards to the super strength and all."

Levi brought the ring on his finger to his face, catching it glimmering in the light.

"Then how does it extract blood?"

"The same way it’d inject poison," she placed her hands on her hips.

"The crest holds the space for the sample plus it’s sealed with a magnetic lock.

When you shake him it’ll run a needle straight out from the bottom into his finger in seconds and extract the blood but you’re gonna have to keep the shake going for a little while.

The band will tighten slightly when it’s full and loosen slightly when empty, I made it so user friendly even a monkey can use it so congratulations."

Levi and Jace just couldn’t take their eyes off the ring, something so small yet held this much machinery.

She chuckled.

"You two look like cavemen right now."

They shook themselves out of thought as they left the room to their respective locations.

---

Levi let out a long sigh as he oozed into the soft mattress of his bed, he’d got used to it, the comfort... So to say, no matter how much he hated to say it, it was almost like L.U.X was a part of him now.

He looked at the ring one more time, the pattern and design was impeccable.

He’d given it back to her to make a few tweaks and when she handed it back to him the crest at the top of it was a minimalist shield with a stylised ’K’ on it.

Claire said it was the perfect corner to say it was the last family trinket he had.

She somehow had an answer for everything with practical ease, not only that she was insanely beautiful.

It was truly a wonder what brought her to a place like this.

The next few days before the gala were just secret prep meetings in the cafeteria to plan how to ideally make this go perfectly.

And minutes turned to hours and then days and suddenly it was the day of the gala.

Most of the elites weren’t going as other elites and higher ups would be there to... beg enough for them all.

A figure left his room.

The tux was slightly loose and yet hugged him like they were made exactly for him and no one else— because it was.

The jacket was jet black,matte-finished but threaded with subtle veins of silver that shimmered only when the light caught them right.

His shirt was midnight grey, tailored to perfection, with a collar that sat high and clean—no tie, no frills.

The trousers were sleek, tapered yet free enough not to restrict movements—formal enough to pass in high society, flexible enough to sprint or strike if needed.

His shoes? Deep and polished black, so much so they reflected every light that hit them like a mirror— designed for movement not comfort. No heel clicks. No sound. Just excellence.

The Watch on his left-hand was more of a timepiece— clean, understated, and precise. Every tick of the second drew attention.

His hair was finally kept at bay as he tied it in a high ponytail letting his violet eye be fully noticed and appreciated.

And then he topped it all off the needle ring.

Levi walked out of his room with one thought,

’Damn, I look good.’