Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

Chapter 648 – Silent Competition

”Oh,” the redhead in the blue mesh cover-up whispered, heat sparking in her voice. ”Dangerous and hands-on.”

He opened one eye lazily and smirked. ”Depends on where I’m putting my hands.”

They giggled. A bit too loud.

Someone poured more wine. Ice clinked. Sunscreen smell mixed with pool chlorine and growing arousal.

One of the girls leaned closer, pressing her elbow on the edge beside his. Her fingers brushed his forearm, slow and testing. ”So... are you throwing a real yacht party next? You totally look like the type.”

Lux tilted his head. ”What type is that?”

”You know,” she grinned, ”Mysterious billionaire. Vacationing incognito. No social media. God-tier cheekbones. Yacht full of champagne and secrets.”

He laughed. ”That sounds exhausting.”

”But accurate,” another chimed in. ”You do look like one of those rich foreign guys that never lists because no one knows your real name.”

Lux took a breath. ”I’m not that mysterious.”

”Then tell us.” The elf cocked a brow. ”What do you do, exactly?”

Lux looked at her. Then at all of them. He let the silence linger.

”I’m a CFO.”

There was a pause.

”CFO of what?” the brunette asked.

He swirled his finger lazily in the pool water. ”Underground finance.”

”What does that mean?” the redhead asked, voice breathier now.

”I handle assets,” Lux said smoothly. ”Debt. Interest. Acquisition. Some contract enforcement.”

”Oh my god,” the elf whispered. ”Are you like... from a mafia family?”

”Not exactly.”

”Then where are you from?”

Lux smiled faintly. ”Down there.”

They blinked.

”Down...? Like the South?”

Lux just smiled.

”And now you’re here... for vacation?” one asked, tucking a strand of damp hair behind her ear.

He nodded. ”Needed a break from boardrooms and betrayal.”

That answer only added fuel.

To them, he wasn’t just hot anymore. He was interesting. Untouchable but right here. Smooth but dangerous. Wealthy but not flashy. And now they were hungry for more.

One reached out, bold now. Her manicured fingers trailed across his thigh under the water.

”Do you... have time tonight?”

Another leaned in from behind him. Her breasts brushed his shoulder. ”We could make it worth your while.”

A third reached for his hand. ”Do you give your number to strangers, or do we need to earn it?”

Lux just rested his head back, calm as ever.

This was his field. Not just the pool, but the energy. The power. He was forged in Lust and Greed. The stronger the desire around him, the more precise he became.

But then...

”Stop it.”

The voice cut through like ice.

They all turned.

It was her.

The woman from earlier. Now standing on the marble, clutching her phone like it was her last thread of control. Her eyes rimmed red. Her voice shook.

”You guys are my friends,” she snapped. ”Yet you’re throwing yourselves at him while I’m... while I’m panicking?!”

The others blinked, glancing at each other, suddenly tense.

She stepped forward. ”He’s not picking up my calls! The guy I slept with! He promised to take responsibility if I got pregnant!”

A hush fell.

The elf MILF raised an eyebrow. ”You didn’t seem that worried when you were bragging about it just now.”

The redhead added, ”Yeah, you said you had him wrapped around your fingers.”

The brunette shrugged. ”You made it sound like you had him twice.”

”I didn’t know he was a fake!” she shouted.

The elf gave a cruel smile. ”And we didn’t know you were that delusional.”

”I’m not delusional—!”

”You posted the hickey pic!” another snapped. ”You tagged it finally mine! You even laughed when you told us that your husband almost had a heart attack!”

”And said we were jealous!” the brunette chimed in. ”Of what, you getting ghosted?”

Lux didn’t say a word.

He knew what this was. He’d seen it a hundred times before.

High society friendship wasn’t about trust. It was leverage.

They bonded over gossip and cracked when they couldn’t one-up each other.

Buy a new bag? The others show up with limited editions.

Sleep with a powerful man? The others compete like it’s a currency.

Toxic as hell. Addicting, too.

It was never said out loud, but it was always there. The competition. One after another, they measured themselves in glances, in reactions, in who got noticed first, who got praised longer, who walked away with the better story.

Validation was their real currency. Not love. Not loyalty. Just the quiet hunger to prove they were prettier, smarter, more desirable than the others. They’d smile together, laugh together, drink together... then silently rank each other in their heads and pass judgment without ever announcing the verdict.

But he wasn’t here to mediate their downfall.

He was here to find information about Vincent.

Lux finally moved. He stood slowly. Water dripping down his chest. His hair slicked back. His aura tightening.

They all turned toward him.

He raised his hand.

”Vincent Albrecht,” he said calmly.

Silence.

”He’s the name of the man who mimicked me.”

The women froze.

”He used my face. My name. My reputation.”

He looked at the woman still clutching her phone.

”You’re not the only one. You just thought you were first.”

Her lip quivered. ”Vincent Albrecht?”

Lux nodded once, slow and deliberate, like saying the name was a verdict in itself.

Silence spread across the poolside like a ripple. Even the sound of the fountain seemed quieter. The women exchanged looks, confusion bubbling between their brows.

”The young master of Albrecht?” one of them asked, voice hushed.

”The cursed one?” another said. ”I heard he has... like... awful luck in romance.”

”He never used to cause problems,” the redhead added, furrowing her brow. ”He was harmless. Awkward, even.”

”Yeah,” the elf said, arms crossed under her chest. ”I met him at that joint fundraiser last spring. Polite. Wouldn’t even look anyone in the eye.”

Another woman bit her lip. ”I remember seeing him in the background of a gala photo. He looked like he got lost between the valet and the coat rack.”