Chapter 1064: Out of Kindness?

Chapter 1064 – Out of Kindness?

Elise laughed softly, though her eyes stayed on Lux. "Then perhaps your reputation needs cleaning more than I thought."

Lux’s hand slowed over the cat. "You want to help clean my reputation."

"Yes."

"Out of kindness?"

Elise smiled. "Out of family interest."

Naomi’s eyes cooled.

Elise looked at her, then back at Lux.

"Since you are dating Naomi, your reputation affects hers. And hers affects ours. Like I said we rise and fall together, remember?"

Lux’s smile stayed pleasant.

But Naomi knew him.

The softness had left the edges.

He did not like that sentence.

Victor watched with approval carefully hidden.

Elise was good.

She was turning personal interest into strategic approach. She wanted closer access to Lux, but she was wrapping it in reputation management, family concern, and business cooperation. Good instincts. Too much curiosity perhaps, but useful.

Hugo watched his sister and smirked behind his teacup.

She had definitely fallen.

Not fully. Not pathetically. Elise was too proud to fall without three layers of denial and a legal escape clause.

But she was leaning.

And for Elise Delacour, leaning was practically emotional bankruptcy.

Lux looked at Elise for a moment. Then said, "You are not trying to help me."

Elise’s smile froze by one millimeter.

Lux continued, voice calm. "You are trying to acquire information at reduced cost."

Maribelle’s pen moved softly.

Hugo’s eyes flicked to her tablet.

She had written ’Accurate’.

Hugo almost laughed.

Elise’s eyes sharpened. "Is that wrong?"

"No," Lux said. "It is refreshing. Most people lie worse."

Victor’s smile thinned. "You speak boldly for a guest."

Lux looked at him. "I am trying to keep the conversation efficient."

Adrian nearly smiled.

He hated that too.

Elise leaned forward slightly. "Then let me be efficient. If you want to be accepted in this city, you need allies."

Naomi’s gaze moved to Lux.

Lux gave the cat another slow stroke.

The cat made a tiny sound. "Mrr."

He glanced down. "Yes, she is very ambitious."

Naomi blinked. "The cat?"

"She twitched during the word allies. It is omen-based market sentiment."

Celeste covered her mouth with her teacup.

She was not laughing. Absolutely not.

Elise, unfortunately, found that funny too.

Lux making dry jokes with a cat was worse.

Lux being fully aware of everyone’s manipulation and still choosing comedy was fatal.

Her attraction had now moved from speculative asset to active liability.

She needed to hedge. "Mr. Vaelthorn," Elise said, smile smoother now, "I’m serious."

"So am I."

"No, you’re playing."

Lux’s eyes met hers. For a second, the room seemed to narrow. "I play when the stakes are low."

Elise’s heartbeat stumbled again.

Naomi’s protective instinct rose like a stock bubble.

"Elise," Naomi said softly.

Elise turned. "Yes?"

Naomi smiled. It was polite. "If you want to discuss business with Lux, you can send a proposal through proper channels."

Lux’s mouth twitched.

Maribelle’s eyes shone with administrative approval.

Elise’s smile remained perfect, but envy curled hot beneath it.

Proper channels.

Meaning not through looking at him.

Naomi had drawn a line without raising her voice.

Elise did not like that. She did not like that Naomi had the right to draw it.

And she hated that Lux did not correct Naomi.

He simply sat there, as if Naomi’s boundary was law.

Hugo leaned back, amused. "Protective, aren’t we?"

Naomi’s gaze slid to him. "Yes."

The direct answer killed his smirk briefly.

Maribelle spoke without looking up. "Protective positions tend to emerge when predatory approaches are poorly disguised."

Hugo’s attention snapped to her again.

Victor’s eyes narrowed.

Elise’s smile sharpened. "Predatory?"

Maribelle looked up. Her face remained calm. "Would you prefer opportunistic?"

Silence.

Hugo stared at her.

There it was again.

That sharpness.

That clean cut.

Most people softened insults with laughter. Maribelle filed them under appropriate terminology and submitted them for review.

Hugo’s pulse kicked. He frowned, annoyed at himself. "You speak as if you know us," he said.

Maribelle looked at him. "No. I speak as if I listened."

A pause.

Then she added, "You should try it. It improves conversational returns."

Hugo’s face flushed. But instead of anger, something else spread through him.

Interest.

Very stupid interest.

He leaned forward. "Are you always like this?"

"Yes."

"Sharp?"

"Employed."

Hugo stared. He was absolutely losing this exchange. And somehow, that made him want to continue.

Elise noticed and turned her head slightly.

Her brother was interested in the secretary.

Oh, this day was a collapsing asset portfolio.

Victor noticed too, and his jaw tightened.

He had brought his children as support. Elise for charm, Hugo for pressure, both to reinforce family presence.

Instead, Elise was developing curiosity toward Lux, and Hugo was apparently flirting with administrative danger and calling it conversation.

Victor’s internal strategy chart lost several lines of stability.

Adrian watched the whole thing and felt an emotion dangerously close to satisfaction.

Not because the situation was good.

But because Victor’s children were no longer acting like precise instruments.

They were reacting.

To Lux, Maribelle and Naomi’s newfound spine.

Let Victor taste uncertainty for once.

Elise took a sip of tea. "Naomi," she said gently, "you misunderstand me. I’m not trying to take anything from you."

Naomi’s smile did not move. "Good."

Elise’s eyes flashed.

Lux looked between them.

Greed recognized the shape immediately.

Two women.

One man.

A fragile tea market with rising volatility.

His system flickered privately.

[Naomi Protective Index: 73%]

[Elise Envy Exposure: 61%]

[Hugo-Maribelle Distraction Event: Developing]

[Recommendation: Do not flirt.]

Lux thought, ’I wasn’t going to’.

[Historical data disagrees.]

Lux ignored that with royal discipline.

Victor set his cup down. "Perhaps we can discuss something less personal. Mr. Vaelthorn, if Elise’s wording was too forward, forgive her. She has good instincts for partnership."

Lux looked at Victor. "Does she?"

Victor smiled. "Very good."

Lux’s gaze shifted to Elise.

Elise lifted her chin slightly.

Lux stroked the cat once. "Then she should know partnership begins with clear value proposition, not vague reputation cleaning."

Elise smiled. "Fair."

"Send me a proposal."

Naomi’s eyes moved to him.

Lux added, without looking away from Elise, "Through Maribelle."

Maribelle smiled.

Elise’s expression flickered.