CHAPTER 288: HARD BARGAIN

Chapter 288 – Hard Bargain

Lux set his cup aside, fingers steepling, his smirk fading into sharp calculation. "Send eyes deeper. I want every vault, every bond, every hidden clause he owns. Find me the contracts. Find me the weak clauses. Because if Aelius thinks he can toss me into Limbo and profit from it..." He leaned back, eyes gleaming. "...he’s about to learn what compound interest looks like when Greed collects."

Lyra appeared at that moment, a tray in hand. She set down Corvus’ monstrous coffee—sixteen shots steaming in a single mug—and Lux’s second cup beside it. Her gaze flicked between them, calm but wary.

"Breakfast will be served shortly," she said. Her eyes lingered on Lux a heartbeat longer. "For the ladies as well. They should be waking soon."

Lux nodded, distracted, his mind already racing through projections of Aurealis vault architecture. "Good. Thank you, Lyra."

As she turned, Corvus picked up his cup, sniffed it, then chugged three gulps at once like a lunatic. His eyes dilated instantly. "Fuck yes. Wings wired. Ready to burn Heaven down."

Lux chuckled, shaking his head. "Easy. First we audit. Then we burn."

The room still smelled like roasted bread, bacon, and dark coffee when the faint sound of slippers padded across the hall.

Lux’s sharp senses caught it first.

Rava emerged from his room, hair damp from a too-quick rinse, dressed in casual silk that didn’t quite hide how wrecked she still was. Her tentacles twitched sluggishly, like they hadn’t gotten the memo that the night was over.

"Morning," she rasped, her voice warm but tired.

Before he could push off the sofa, Naomi appeared behind Rava, clutching a robe to herself, her hair a hopeless tangle, lips bitten, skin still marked from teeth and fingers. She froze in the doorway—her eyes widening as they fell on Corvus perched lazily like a goth gargoyle with too much caffeine.

Rava froze too.

They exchanged a look. Then they both whispered, almost at the same time. "Guest?"

Corvus tilted his head, twitching like he was parsing a code string only he could see. His grin was lopsided, half amusement, half boredom. "Well," he said finally, voice dry, "I’ll excuse myself then. Women aren’t my thing... unless they come with codes attached."

He tossed the rest of his Americano down in one gulp, and before either Naomi or Rava could ask another question, his form unraveled into shadow and feathers. He was gone before the cup hit the floor.

Except it didn’t hit.

Lux’s hand shot out, snatching the glass mid-air with a practiced ease. He passed it smoothly to Lyra, who had been standing in the corner supervising the puppet-servants with her usual neutral face. She nodded, took it wordlessly, and slipped away.

Lux stood, stretching, then walked straight to the girls. He cupped Rava’s cheek and pressed a kiss to her temple, then brushed his lips across Naomi’s mouth softly before she could ask.

"Morning, sweethearts," he said warmly.

Naomi blinked up at him, still a little dazed. "Who... who was that?"

Lux smirked. "That was Corvus."

Rava frowned faintly, her tentacle curling around the hem of her robe. "But... Corvus is supposed to be a raven?"

Lux shrugged easily. "He is. That’s just his other form. Don’t worry about it." He stepped aside, gesturing toward the dining table where the servants had already begun laying steaming plates and pouring fragrant tea. "Anyway—breakfast is served."

He hesitated, then frowned, "Where’s Sira?"

"Still sleeping," Rava yawned.

"Let her. If I drag her up this early, I’ll get dragged again."

They sat together, the porcelain clinking softly as servants poured tea.

Naomi held her cup between both hands, steam brushing her tired face.

Rava slumped against the chair, already reaching for the soup bowl. Lux sat across from them, one arm sprawled on the back of his chair, the other lazily stirring his coffee.

He watched them for a moment—the two of them eating quietly, their bodies still recovering from last night. A pang of satisfaction stirred in his chest, but also a flicker of guilt. He’d driven them hard. Feral state had no brakes.

"Anyway..." he began after a sip of coffee, "we didn’t exactly talk yesterday." His smirk tilted. "Mostly because you ambushed me and dragged me into the bedroom."

Naomi coughed, cheeks flushing as she set her tea down. "True. We... got caught in the heat yesterday."

Rava’s lips twitched into a grin. "That’s one way to put it."

Lux leaned his chin on his hand, turning his gaze on Naomi. "So. Your business with Carson—is it finished?"

Her expression sharpened slightly, but she nodded. "Yes. He’s done. And..." she hesitated before smiling softly, "I got permission to stay in your mansion from my father."

Lux arched a brow. "Permission?"

"Yes," she said quickly. "But there’s a condition. I still have to work like usual—family business. They’ll send a car every morning to pick me up. And..." her eyes flickered down for a moment, "I still need to go home once in a while. Hard bargain, but I managed it."

Lux studied her for a long moment. Then he grinned and reached across the table, brushing her knuckles with his fingers. "Not bad. Negotiated your own contract. I like it."

Naomi smiled faintly, relief flickering across her tired face.

Rava slurped her soup, then chimed in, "Same. Except I don’t need anyone’s permission." Her tentacle curled around Lux’s wrist, squeezing gently. "I just think... this place is better for us."

Her grin softened into something more honest. She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "And... I don’t want to break someone’s heart."

Lux’s chest tightened for a beat. He smirked, though his tone carried more sincerity than usual. "Thank you."

They continued eating, the quiet clinking of silverware filling the space. For a moment, it almost felt... normal. Domestic, even. Lux hated and loved that feeling all at once.

Finally, he leaned back, coffee in hand. "I might throw a housewarming party tonight. What do you think?"

Naomi arched a brow. "A party? Already?"

Lux grinned. "Of course. You don’t buy shares without announcing it to the market. Might invite Mira, Ely, and... Fiera."