Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

He caught her wrist.

Gently. Firmly.

"You're worth plenty, Aelitha," he said quietly. "Just not to me."

The moment froze.

Silence.

Not awkward. Not cold.

Just…

Calculating.

And then, he let go.

Like brushing off a receipt.

She stepped back. Smiled again—tight now. Strained. "You know, the socialites will eat this up. Aelitha Ninevyn and the infamous Mr. Vaelthorn. All dressed up. One picture and the market will go wild."

"That's cute," Lux said, walking ahead now. "But I'm not your marketing campaign. And I don't do rentals."

Her heels clicked faster. "Oh come on—one photo? Just one. We don't have to pretend we're married. Unless you're into that."

Lux exhaled slowly.

He stopped in the hallway, turned slightly, and gave her a full, glorious, CFO-tier smile.

The kind that says, 'I own three of your banks and I haven't decided whether to crash them yet.'

"Miss Ninevyn," he said, voice cool silk over hot coals. "Let's get something clear."

"You may wear a fox's grin. You may wear a backless designer gown. But don't mistake fashion for leverage."

She blinked.

"I don't respond to bait," Lux continued. "I don't bend for flattery. And I don't owe Fiera—or her cousin—a damn thing."

"You want photos? Hire an actor. You want sales? Run a better ad campaign. You want me?"

He leaned in. Close enough she could feel the heat in his skin, the infernal whisper behind his voice.

"Then bring value. Not ego."

He stepped back.

And smiled. Again. Casually. "As for tonight… feel free to enjoy the appetizers. They're not poisoned."

With that, he walked away.

Like a storm exiting the stock exchange.

Aelitha stood in the hallway.

Perfect dress. Perfect makeup.

Plans?

Shattered.

And yet—

Her heart beat faster.

Because dear gods…

That man.

Was dangerous.

She bit her lip.

And whispered to herself,

"…Now I really want him."

She chased him.

Not literally. No, no. That would be uncouth.

But with her presence. Her smile. Her perfume. The deliberate swing of her hips, the curated sway of her crimson fox tails like they were crafted in a designer lab.

Today, she wasn't just a woman—

She was a guest.

Fiera's proxy. Her name on the invitation.

Despite being rejected before, Lux hadn't slammed the doors shut.

So… she slipped back in.

A loophole. A clause.

And loopholes? Were how empires fell.

And how foxes feasted.

Her heels clicked across imported obsidian tile, her scent—a tailored blend of jasmine, heat, and the soft velvet of ambition—trailing behind her.

She was ready to smile, to pose, to maybe take a few photos of Lux in the background and post them later with something ambiguous.

After all, if she couldn't have him…

Then Fiera wouldn't either.

But then—

She stepped into the lounge.

And her blood… ran dry.

Because sitting on that velvet crescent couch…

Were them.

Not them as in nobles.

Not them as in celebrities.

Them as in Fiera's inner circle.

Rava.

Mira.

Elyndra.

She blinked. Once. Twice.

No.

No, no, no.

This wasn't—

And then she saw Naomi.

Carson's ex. The scandal-stained heiress.

And then—

Her.

Aelitha's throat dried.

The woman in red.

No—not just red.

Her red.

Same color. Different fabric. Different cut.

But it didn't matter.

Because on this woman?

It looked like power.

It looked like temptation, stitched into royal bloodlines and dipped in ancient sin.

Aelitha's crimson was meant to seduce.

Hers was meant to conquer.

And gods—she wore it better.

Effortlessly.

Like she didn't need to try.

Like the world owed her devotion and was already paying in monthly installments.

Even Naomi frowned.

Mira raised a brow.

Elyndra tilted her head in visible appraisal.

Rava swirled her wine with her tentacle and smirked.

But that woman in red?

She looked at Aelitha… like a pest.

Not competition.

Not threat.

Just a minor, inconvenient glitch in her evening.

Aelitha's smile wobbled. Just slightly.

But she recovered.

Because foxes didn't panic.

And then he spoke.

"I believe you ladies already know each other," Lux said casually, gliding into the room like sin in a tailored body. "Mostly."

His cologne hit her again. Like leather contracts and broken hearts.

"Except her," he continued, gesturing to the crimson-draped goddess. "The woman in red. Her name is Sira Shadowborn."

Sira.

That was her name?

Even her name sounded like scandal and royalty had a baby and raised it on silk.

Aelitha tried not to flinch.

"And Sira," Lux said, turning smoothly, "this is Aelitha Ninevyn. Fiera's cousin."

Sira tilted her head.

Didn't stand.

Didn't blink.

"Oh," she said softly.

Aelitha felt it.

That moment.

That quiet social execution.

She smiled. Forced. Poised. "Lovely to meet you, Lady Shadowborn."

Sira didn't return the smile.

She evaluated.

Like a banker scanning the credit score of a fraudster.

Rava raised her wine. "I didn't know Fiera was sharing her guest list."

"She's not," Mira murmured. "At least not with us."

Elyndra sipped her tea and smiled like a cat. "So curious."

Aelitha swallowed.

No one believed her.

Maybe Lux did.

But these women?

They knew.

They knew.

She could already feel it—the market crash of her influence in the room.

But she couldn't retreat.

Not now.

So she walked further in, each step a poker bet.

Each smile a bluff.

Lux gestured to a nearby chair.

"Please. Make yourself comfortable."

She sat. Gracefully. Legs crossed. Chin high.

Sira's gaze never left her.

Aelitha tried again. "Fiera's quite busy these days, so she asked me to come in her stead. She sends her regards."

"Did she?" Rava asked, tilting her head. "Funny. She was texting me earlier. Didn't mention it."

Mira's fan fluttered open. "Perhaps it was a last-minute decision."

Naomi said nothing.

Just watched.

Evaluated.

Lux stepped in smoothly, voice like silk draped over razors. "Well. No business politics tonight. Just wine, laughter, and maybe a little emotional asset redistribution."

Elyndra raised a brow, amused. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

Lux flashed a grin. "I rebrand everything."

Sira placed her glass down with a soft clink. "Even liabilities."

Aelitha didn't react. Not visibly. Just a blink. Just a breath held too long.