NOVEL NEXT Chapter 345: Sharks
The collectors grunted in agreement, emboldened by their boss's defiance. One muttered, "Yeah, looks like a poser to me." Another added, "Bet that watch is fake."
Elias opened his mouth, but Thomas cut him off, raising his voice. "If you think you can bluff your way into this deal, you're dumber than he is desperate. I've seen a hundred wannabes like you. Investors who flash a smile, drop a few buzzwords, and disappear when it's time to pay."
He leaned in closer, eyes cold. "So unless you can show me real proof you've got money, you should walk before I decide to have my boys here escort you out."
Lux tilted his head, almost amused. His aura simmered under his skin, leashed but waiting. He let the silence stretch, eyes flicking between Thomas and the three debt collectors who were already starting to sweat.
Then Lux chuckled. Low. Dangerous.
"Pretend?" he said softly. "You poor bastard."
The sound made the collectors shift on their heels, something animal in them recoiling. But Thomas stood taller, defiance carved into his smirk.
"What? I've never even seen you before," Thomas snapped. "Do you think sharks like us don't have our own communities? We know our power. We know how to dominate." He jabbed a thumb against his own chest, arrogance dripping from every word. "Let's say—fine—you've got money. Maybe a bit. Then what? We've got tricks up our sleeves you wouldn't even dream of. We can kill a company, drag it through the mud, bankrupt it before the ink on a contract dries. Can you beat us?" he challenged.
Lux tilted his head, red eyes half-lidded, a smile tugging lazily at his mouth. He didn't answer. Not right away.
But Elias did. His voice cracked, his whole body tense. "You…!" His eyes widened as recognition slammed through him. "It was you."
Thomas blinked, then smirked harder, and that was all the confirmation Elias needed.
"You're the one behind the black campaign three years ago!" Elias shouted, his face red with fury. "You sabotaged my game! You spread the fake reviews, the bot floods, the smear posts—you killed our momentum before we even got a chance!"
He lunged. Fists clenched. But the collectors shoved him back like swatting a fly. Elias went down hard, coughing, arms trying to push against men built like reinforced doors. He wasn't built for fighting, not like them.
Thomas looked down at him like a king looking at a beggar. His tone was venom dipped in smug. "Know your place."
Lux laughed.
Not a polite chuckle this time—an honest, rich laugh that filled the studio like smoke. It wasn't just amusement. It was mockery. It was the kind of laugh that said 'Oh, this is good. This is exactly what I wanted.'
He stepped forward, casual, elegant. His steps didn't hurry. He didn't need to. He walked like someone who already owned the air between them.
Thomas bristled but held his ground.
Lux smiled, smooth and sharp. "You know," he said conversationally, "you almost sound like you're trying to convince yourself."
Thomas snorted. "Please."
Lux leaned closer, voice velvet edged with steel. "See, where I come from, when the rich talk business, we don't bark about power like stray dogs. We sit down, pour the wine, and smile while we carve the world into neat little pieces. That's how sharks dine."
Thomas's jaw flexed. He hated the way Lux made him feel smaller without even raising his voice.
Lux's smirk deepened, his tone dripping sarcasm now. "But here you are, puffing up your chest in front of debt collectors, like some street hustler who stumbled into the wrong gala."
The collectors shifted, uncomfortable, but Thomas snarled. "Big words. But money isn't magic, and you're no one."
Lux's eyes glittered like coins catching firelight. "Oh, I'm someone." He reached out—slow, deliberate—and raised two fingers. Then he tapped Thomas's shoulder, as though dismissing an invisible speck of dust from his expensive suit.
It shimmered.
[Skill activated: Wealth Rewrite – Drain]
[Target Locked: Thomas Crosswell]
[Initiating Direct Contact…]
[Drain Conditions Met: Arrogant Touch + Insolent Attitude + Stupid Enough to look down on Lux]
[Activating...]
Thomas stiffened, a chill crawling under his skin. He didn't see the interface. He didn't hear the system's whisper. But he felt something—like a weight dragging against his chest, like numbers bleeding out of his accounts without permission.
His smirk faltered for a half-second. Barely noticeable. But Lux noticed.
The collectors noticed too, one glancing at the other. "Boss?"
Lux smiled wider. "What's wrong? You look pale. Don't tell me your tricks aren't working today."
Thomas growled, trying to shove down the sudden ache in his gut. "I don't know what game you're playing, but—"
"Game?" Lux interrupted, soft and amused. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing just enough to flash danger. "This isn't a game. This is business. And trust me—business is always personal."
He leaned in, close enough that Thomas could smell the faint spice of his cologne, feel the heat of his breath.
"I could liquidate you before lunch," Lux whispered. "And all it would take… is a smile."
Thomas clenched his fists, but his phone buzzed in his pocket. One of the collectors shifted uneasily.
"Boss," the man said quietly. "It's your bank."
Thomas pulled the phone out, irritation carved into his face. He glanced at the screen. And his expression cracked.
The notification blinked.
"ACCOUNT ERROR. FUNDS UNAVAILABLE. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR BRANCH."
Lux stepped back, casual again, like none of this mattered. He adjusted his cuffs, his smirk smug enough to curdle blood. "You were saying?"
The studio fell silent, the tension thick enough to choke on.
Elias, bruised but still standing, stared between the two men. He didn't understand what just happened. But he felt it. Something had shifted.
Lux hummed, lazy and calm, like he was already bored.
"Here's the truth, Thomas. You're not a shark."
He leaned back against the wall, sipping imaginary wine, eyes half-lidded with disdain.
"You're bait."