CHAPTER 509: GREED’S OLD MODEL

Chapter 509 – Greed’s Old Model

Lux adjusted the collar of his white suit, smoothing the fabric down with a palm that trembled just slightly.

Not fear. Not guilt. Just tension. That tightly coiled, CEO-on-a-knife’s-edge pressure that never really left him, even when he wore mortal silk and perfume instead of infernal runes and tailored soul-thread.

The fabric was clean. Crisp. Mortal made.

But still... it fit. Too well, maybe.

He sprayed the cologne across his neck and wrist. The scent was sharp at first—citrus and oud—but melted into something softer, warmer. Like gold dust and late night ink. A subtle flex. Just like everything he wore. Everything he built.

He stared at himself in the mirror.

The suit made him look less wicked. Less infernal. Like someone respectable. Like someone the Upper Realm wouldn’t label a walking diplomatic incident.

"Just... act normal," he muttered to his reflection. "Smile. Talk. Flirt. Avoid seducing anyone until after dinner. And maybe ask about the investigation. Slip in something about the bounty. Casual. Friendly."

He inhaled again and clicked his tongue. "Fck. This feels like prepping for a board meeting disguised as a fashion show."

"Did someone say investigation?"

A voice from the shadows.

Lux didn’t even flinch. Just tilted his head.

The shadows in the corner twisted like ink in water, and then...

Corvus.

Fully materialized now, stepping out of the dark like a burnt-out hacker who hadn’t slept since coffee bean was found. Hood down. Dark robes fraying.

And, of course, holding a half bottle of something that was definitely a high caffeinated coffee. Yeah, he drank coffee in a bottle like wine.

Corvus plopped down onto Lux’s pristine velvet couch like he owned the damn place, feet up, expression completely unimpressed by the ambiance.

"Nice couch," he said. "Would look better covered in crime scene photos and blackmail folders."

Lux turned to him slowly, fingers still adjusting his cufflinks. "You look like hell."

"I am hell," Corvus grinned. "So, technically, I look cool."

Lux rolled his eyes. "What did you get?"

Corvus spun the bottle in his hand and leaned back with a groan. "About the lamia? The circlet smells like your bloodline. Greed royal. Deep cut too. It’s not just branded. It’s blood-bound. I tried to hack it. No dice. Magic kicked me out like I owed it rent. Fck that shit!"

Lux raised a brow. "So it’s protected?"

"It’s more than protected. It’s loaded. That thing’s got more ancestral coding than your vault passwords."

Lux crossed the room, picking up a sleek data screen. "Tell me something new. I already know it’s Greed-made."

Corvus squinted. "You knew?"

Lux paused. Then exhaled. "I found out... recently. From the infernal realm. Turns out... my old man? He had a twin. Zoltarin."

Corvus blinked once. Then again.

"Oh shiet," he whispered. "So that thing has blood blood relationship with your family."

Lux nodded. "The circlet was made from the first Greed blood. And Zoltarin? He was in the old tower of Greed. Sealed. But... Grandpa protected him with his barrier. The sin lords’ seals weakened. And... Grandpa made a deal with the king to keep him alive. Even after death."

Corvus muttered something in a language Lux didn’t recognize. It sounded like a curse mixed with a drink order.

Lux tossed the screen onto the table and sat across from him. "Anymore info?"

Corvus sighed and sat up straighter. "Alright. About the lamia. Lylith Seravelle. Real name. No alias. High society royal. Jewelry empire heiress."

"I know that."

"Yeah, but did you know how deep it goes?"

Lux narrowed his eyes.

Corvus pulled out a small hologram disk and tossed it into the air. It activated mid-spin, projecting a series of floating visuals. Economic maps. Auction results. Enchanted mine territories. Political influence zones.

"She’s more than just a pretty necklace collector. Her family owns half the enchanted gem production in the northern continents. The other half? Rented from her. She funds rebel uprisings. Not to cause war. But to trigger ownership resets. Then her company moves in, ’stabilizes’ the region, and oh look. New gems for export."

Lux said nothing.

Corvus gave him a look. "Sound familiar?"

He didn’t answer.

Because it did.

That was Greed’s old model. The brutal, calculated approach. War as opportunity. Collapse as acquisition.

It was what Lux had spent years trying to replace with balance. With long-term sustainability. With economics that didn’t bleed the system dry.

"She’s..." Lux started. Then stopped. His voice was quieter. "She’s my uncle’s descendant."

Corvus nodded. "The way she moves? It’s not Lust. Not Wrath. It’s manipulation. Resource leverage. Asset wars. She’s not flashy. She’s strategic."

Lux leaned back. Fingers steepled in front of his lips.

"She doesn’t even know," he muttered.

"Know what?"

"She thinks she’s acting on her own. Driven by ambition. But it’s his echo. His scent. His signature. She’s Greed-blood, even if no one told her."

Corvus tilted his head. "What do you want to do?"

Lux didn’t answer.

He just stared into the corner of the room, where moonlight touched the floor and shadows refused to scatter.

"I don’t know," he said eventually. "But I might need to kill her. But the problem she is still a mortal. Or half mortal. The agreement between me and the celestial realm won’t let me do it directly."

Corvus drained the rest of his bottle. "Then figure it out fast. Because her profile’s rising. And if she keeps winning bids... she’s gonna be untouchable soon."

Lux stood. Walked back to the mirror. Adjusted his tie again. This time, slower.

Corvus watched him. "You gonna tell the others?"

"Not yet. Maybe after the party. But I can’t tell the celestial realm yet."

Corvus frowned. "Why not?"

Lux leaned his weight on the dresser, voice dropping lower. "Because this ties directly to my bloodline. If I say something now, it could disrupt every agreement I’ve already negotiated with them. I need to be absolutely sure before I open my mouth."

Corvus raised a brow. "Sure about what?"

Lux exhaled slowly. "Whether she’s just a descendant... or a vessel."

Corvus stood as well, stretching his back with a painful pop.

"You sure you’re not still working?"

Lux smiled faintly. "I’m always working." Yeah, at this point, he already gave up.

And in the mirror...

He looked like it.

Even in white.

Even smiling.

The devil was always there. Just better dressed.

He turned toward the door.

Time to host.

Time to see how much of the past had already bled into his future.

And if Lylith...

Was part of the family tree.

Or the blade that would cut it down.