Chapter 49: The Celebration

6 December 2025

The pop of the cork rang out like a gunshot, and the spray of Champagne followed soon after. Bob laughed as his hands were drenched, but he still managed to neatly pour the sparkling wine into the eight flutes arranged at the table.

The dinner at Six by Nico had been exquisite. Each course on the tasting menu had surpassed the last, with only dessert left to arrive. Between the exceptional food and the triumph of the board takeover, the table was in high spirits, with Bob in the best mood of all.

And why shouldn’t he be?

Everything was coming together just as he had been talking about. He and Jenny, Olivia corrected herself. A lot of this is her idea.

Olivia couldn’t identify anything that was obviously wrong. That didn’t stop her from feeling as if something was off.

Bob was surrounded by his women. The group consisted of four couples: Jenny and Rebecca, Ginny and her colleague Caroline, Bob and Mary, and finally her with Talia.

Olivia only knew of Rebecca, but she had never met her before tonight. Similarly, Caroline was a stranger to her. But each of the women here had played a part in bringing Bob - their master - to his present stage of success.

It felt odd, though, for her to be included in this particular celebration. She was only eighteen, after all. She and Talia didn’t fit with this lot.

On the flip side, being around these women also felt completely right. Better than right.

She had come to terms with her new reality. She was a slave to her father, her master. She was one of several women he had enslaved through the virus Jenny had found. And even though she barely knew a couple of the women here, and there were more women who she didn’t know at all, she felt a kinship with each of them.

Whenever she was with any of them, she felt a hum inside her. That reaction made her want to be closer to one of them.

But tonight, being around so many other infected women, she felt something new. The urge to increase the circle of women for Master was far stronger than before.

Even though this was a private party, Bob had chosen to celebrate in a restaurant. A public place.

A place filled with dozens of women.

And despite herself, Olivia felt a craving to kiss every single one of them so that her master could add to his collection of completely obedient slaves.

No, that wasn’t even accurate. She wanted to be the one to do it. She wanted him to be happy with her. And to reward her. She yearned for his praise. And she yearned for his cock again too.

Fuck, that’s so mental. And yet…

“Livy, you alright?” Talia asked. “You look like you’re getting worked up there.”

Olivia smiled, a bit of a mask on her true feelings. “Yes, alright, T. Just… thinking.”

Talia took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Then she reached into her clutch bag to fish out her mobile.

Olivia felt the vibration against her hip and reached into the pocket of her black jeans.

You don’t have to lie to me, Livy. I feel it too.

She blushed at being called out by her best friend.

Sorry, T. I’m not used to THIS level of honesty, right?

Talia tapped on the screen, trying not to attract attention from the other party guests.

Need to talk about your hunger tonight after we ditch the oldies. You’re looking proper insane tonight, and I want a piece of you.

She finished it off with a series of heart emojis.

Olivia looked over at her friend and saw Talia’s smouldering expression. Olivia chuckled and nodded silently as she pocketed her phone.

That got her re-centred nicely.

***

Rebecca worked her way around the table to Bob.

She had meant it when she told him earlier in the week how much she had missed seeing him. It wasn’t as though she suffered from separation from him. When he wasn’t around, she almost felt like her old self. She could work longer hours and focus more intensely than before. She was less worried about the opinions of others about her, which freed her to take care of her personal and professional tasks.

But at the same time, she never lost sight of the fact that her entire world was oriented on Bob’s behalf. Any news she heard or opportunity she encountered, she analysed it with his desires and well-being at the top of the priority list. The women she met were considered for their value as new slaves for his harem.

This orientation was imposed upon her by both the conditioning that Jenny put her through before they met him and by the gravitational force that the virus bestowed upon him. He was the sun she revolved around. Even considering a universe without him at her centre left her feeling cold and lonely.

She recently had an episode which startled her. She met up with her mother for afternoon tea, which was something the two of them had done on occasion. But when she arrived, she had a flashback to being that scraped unit.

Subject 04.

Rebecca struggled to connect her intellectual memories of her mother with any sort of emotional ties. The punishment applied to her by Jenny’s techniques had weakened the power of their familial connection. And the worst part was when her mum was talking about memories of some wedding she had been to. Rather than being able to enjoy the anecdote, Rebecca could sense pulses of red light inside her mind.

They cut the emotional enjoyment with a sharp blade.

Subject 04 does not need attachment. Subject 04 needs to obey Master.

The memories of those experiences still made her flesh creep from time to time. She did not miss being Subject 04.

Not to mention the fact that Jenny never did explain why she picked that bloody number.

Rebecca took a deep breath and memory-holed that robotic role. She wanted to compose herself for this conversation.

She gently but intentionally placed her hand on Bob’s forearm. “Can we talk about your needs for the Richmond Project?”

Bob excused himself from Mary’s side so that he and Rebecca could drift away from the table.

“Bob, for some of the legal work you need, I am not competent to serve as your solicitor.” This was a standard disclosure to make to a client, but it pained Rebecca to admit her inability to satisfy Bob’s needs. It has to be done, though. “I have almost no experience with property and planning issues, and I have zero experience with the political hoops you’re going to have to jump through.”

He regarded her for a moment before speaking. “I can see your point, Rebecca. I’m probably not the first client to think that all lawyers know about everything under the sun.”

Rebecca let out the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. These simple admissions were harder than she expected.

“If only that were the case,” she chuckled. “But you’re absolutely right. If we’re going to move and move fast, then you need at least two more legal professionals on your team. And it probably wouldn’t hurt if you had someone plugged into the borough council.”

“You’ve put some thought into this, haven’t you, my dear?”

Rebecca smiled at him. “As a matter of fact, I have. And you’re going to like my suggestions.”

***

With Bob away from the table talking to Rebecca, Mary was free to get acquainted with the stranger in their party. She knew from her husband that Caroline worked at the bank and that he had claimed her, but until tonight, Mary had known of the girl only through her mother’s reputation.

Caroline’s mother was Miranda Webb, someone with whom Mary was much more familiar. Or rather, Dr Miranda Webb, the best-known paediatric oncologist in England. Mary was exceedingly grateful that she had never needed to know Dr Webb in a professional capacity.

Dr Webb was well known in the philanthropic community for her participation with Angels Among Us. Angels was the largest charitable organisation dedicated to cancer research in the UK, and Dr Webb served on its board of directors.

“Caroline, it is such a pleasure to meet you,” Mary said as she approached the younger woman. “I have to admit to being an admirer of your mum.”

“That’s very kind of you, ma’am. Did your daughter have cancer?”

“Oh no, thank God. I just think she is remarkable for working so hard at her career and then giving so much of her time to the Angels on top of that.”

Caroline smiled. “You’re right. I was jealous at first because she wasn’t home a lot. But when I was in my teens, she started taking me to the children’s hospitals and I met some of the kids. I would have been a royal prat to be upset at them and what she does for them.”

“We have all been prats in our lives, I’m sure,” Mary replied. “Please don’t ask my daughter for her top ten list.”

The two women shared a laugh.

“What can I do to help you?” Caroline asked.

“This may sound selfish of me, but would you be willing to introduce me to her? I got active in charitable work after Livy went up to secondary, and I would be ever so grateful to run in circles like your mother’s.” Mary paused as she felt something new. “I would also like to introduce her to my husband. Her and all of her colleagues.”

Mary noted the brightening of Caroline’s blue eyes at the second reason.

“It would be my honour to introduce Master and his wife to my mum and all of her friends and colleagues.”

“Thank you, love. I’ll make sure that he knows that you offered to help us.”

Caroline’s cheeks got red, and Mary watched the flush rise from the woman’s chest as well.

“Thank you, ma’am. That’s so very kind of you.”

“Tell me, would you like to accompany my husband and me home tonight after dinner?”

“Oh,” Caroline gasped. “That would be… I mean… of course I’d love that, but I kind of…”

“Spit it out, girl. It’s okay. You’re among friends.”

“Well, Ginny and I were planning to go to a club tonight, and I can’t quite stand her up.”

Mary felt a momentary surge of old, familiar resentment at that other girl. But it faded before it could sink its vicious claws into her and was replaced by a surprising new desire.

“Tell you what, dear. Why don’t we tell Ginny that plans have changed, and that the two of you are spending the night with us?”

Caroline’s eyebrows jumped.

“Are you shitting me, ma’am? You want to invite Ginny and me over?”

“Just like I said, love. We can all put our prat side behind us.”

Caroline raised her glass. “Cheers to that!”