Yeah, his mansion had wards. Infernal ones. The kind of protective layering that pulsed with ancient sigils and discreet malice.
No sound from outside could breach the barrier.
No screaming mortals.
No sirens.
No news choppers.
And nothing from inside leaked out, either, not the moans, not the curses, not the occasional eldritch roar of sothing being accidentally summoned during a bath. It didn't matter if the mortal realm burned to the ground or if celestial armies lined up in front of his gates with holy paperwork. The world outside could erupt into chaos and Lux's estate would remain untouched, perfectly silent, perfectly sealed, just the way he designed it.
Lux closed his eyes.
The air was still warm from Sira's body, his shirt was halfway unbuttoned, and his pulse had finally started calming down from one rare mont of almost-peace. Almost.
And yet.
No rest for the greedy.
"Right…" Lux exhaled, rolling his neck as the sunlight painted his jawline like he was the reluctant lead in a very expensive scandal. "Now even I can't do sex in peace."
Sira let out an annoyed growl, flopping onto the bench next to him, her legs still draped over his.
Lux buttoned his shirt back up, one flick at a ti, voice flat. "What does she want?"
Fenrir, in his perfectly pressed black security uniform, badge, tie, and little earbud like this was a presidential summit, shifted uneasily. "She's yelling that you need to 'take responsibility,' my lord."
Lux paused, one button away from done.
"Responsibility," he repeated, blinking. "For?"
"She says you got her pregnant."
Lux's expression went blank.
Then cringed.
"Oh no," he muttered. "No, no, no, no, no. Please don't be who I think it is."
Fenrir looked down at his clipboard, then added, "She said her na is Aelitha Ninevyn."
Lux groaned and pressed two fingers into his temple. "That crazy fox woman again."
Sira, eyes narrowing, sat up straighter. "Fox demi-human? Auburn hair? Slled like fake sugar and regret?"
Lux nodded. "Yep. That one." He stood, straightening his cuffs with the sa precision he used to reject million-soul rgers. "I didn't sleep with her." He glanced at Fenrir. "It was Vincent Albrecht. She should already know. Yet she decided to co here."
He looked over his shoulder at her, the heat in his gaze shifting.
"I'll deal with this. Don't waste your ti." He leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips, slow and dominant. "Just wait for in bed. Or the bath. Your pick."
Sira bit her lip, the feral glint still flickering in her eyes. "You better make up for this."
Lux smirked. "Oh, I will."
He turned, his steps crisp, suit perfect, aura reactivating like a storm under his skin. The kind of charm that burned slower but cut deeper.
Fenrir fell into step beside him.
"I don't suppose she brought lawyers too?" Lux asked, casually.
"No lawyers," Fenrir said, glancing at his tablet, "but she did bring three influencers. One of them is livestreaming. The other two are apparently her 'truth witnesses.'"
Lux huffed a laugh. "Truth witnesses. Very brand-forward of her."
Fenrir hesitated. "Also… two reporters. And a blogger. Do we engage PR?"
"No need," Lux said with a half-smile. "I already bought the dia."
Fenrir blinked. "All of it?"
Lux gave him a look. "What part of 'Greed' do you think is negotiable?"
The doors at the end of the corridor opened smoothly, wood sliding apart to reveal the outer periter. Wards shimred faintly on the air like heat mirages. Even from here, the madness beyond was visible.
Lux stepped past the final ward and onto the blackstone walkway leading toward the grand gates.
And there she was.
Aelitha Ninevyn. Auburn fox ears twitching dramatically. Silk blouse two sizes too small. Tails floofed for maximum tragedy. Her eyes were watery in that perfectly rehearsed way. And yes, she had a gaphone.
"LUX VAELTHORN!" she scread through it, voice cracked with faux emotion. "YOU LEFT ! YOU ABANDONED AFTER YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"
She burst into theatrical sobs. The cara panned dramatically. One of the influencers handed her a tissue like a spotlight was about to descend.
Lux stood still. Watching.
Yep. This one? Absolutely not harem material.
Not even a little.
The mont Aelitha spotted him through the shimring infernal wards, she let out a shriek, an actual shriek and ran straight for the gate, fox tail fluffed like she'd dunked herself in static.
"LUX!" she scread, dropping the gaphone but sohow getting louder.
Fenrir stepped forward imdiately, body tense, hand hovering near the baton on his belt like she was a tier-three threat. The mont she reached the barrier, he extended one arm in a perfectly professional block.
"Ma'am. Please stand back."
"Let through!" she wailed. "Lux, baby, it's ! I ca all this way for us!"
Fenrir didn't move. "You are not authorized for entry."
Her eyes were already glassy. "I'm pregnant, and he just left after that night—" she pointed dramatically, "—and now he won't even look at !"
Lux raised a hand, voice calm. "Aelitha."
She looked at him like he was her whole world.
"I assu you've seen the news," he said. "The broadcast. The footage. Where I caught Vincent red-handed mimicking . Copying my look. My voice. Even my walk. You saw that, right?"
Her lower lip quivered. "I... I thought that was so kind of weird PR thing... You both looked so—"
"And yet here you are," Lux interrupted, "still claiming I'm the one who got you pregnant."
"I felt your aura!" she yelled.
"You said it happened a week ago," Lux pointed out, arms crossed. "Even a divine pregnancy test wouldn't read that fast. Unless you're carrying a ti-loop fetus, the math doesn't check out."
One of the influencers gasped. The blogger whispered, "...Ti-loop fetus sounds like a cursed webnovel."
Aelitha's ears flattened. "Y-you're just trying to dodge responsibility!"
Fenrir coughed and murmured, "Shall I remove her, sir?"
Lux shook his head. "Not yet."
He took one slow step closer, voice low but still sharp enough to slice through performance. "I didn't touch you. Vincent did. And if you were smart, you'd be suing him. Not stalking ."
Aelitha blinked. The tears dried suspiciously fast.
Lux gave her a smile. Cold. Final. "Now kindly step away from my mansion before I charge you with defamation. And trust , I own the legal board."
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