NOVEL WEB Chapter 193: Liability
The interior lights shifted slightly as the doors shut—golden reflections on polished black paneling, soft jazz humming through hidden speakers, and mirrored walls that seemed too polite to judge what was about to happen.
The floor number ticked upward with an almost sarcastic slowness.
Aelitha didn't waste time.
"So," she began casually, voice dripping with curiosity masked as civility. "Are you Fiera's new boyfriend?"
Lux turned slightly, just enough to glance at her without giving her the satisfaction of full attention.
"Does it matter to you?"
His voice was calm. But not warm.
And yeah, he could already smell it.
Not literal perfume—though she was wearing something expensive, a foxflower blend with notes of desire and brandy.
No. This was something different.
A scent he knew far too well.
And the eyes… her eyes. He caught something behind that glint.
Envy.
Not the rabid, foam-mouthed kind. But the quiet, classy variety.
The kind that wore stilettos and smiled during brunch while planning your downfall.
Familiar. Exhaustingly familiar.
Aelitha tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear, pretending not to be offended by his answer.
"It does matter," she said. "Fiera… never really talks about anyone. She's all business. Private. Fierce. But then you show up out of nowhere, walk her runway—as the only male model she's ever used, by the way—and poof. Now she's posting things that look suspiciously like date photos."
Lux didn't flinch.
Because yeah. That tracked.
Fiera was dramatic, brilliant, deeply possessive, and didn't owe anyone explanations.
But he didn't need Aelitha to spell out the real issue.
The tone of her voice already did it.
This wasn't curiosity.
This was competition.
He filed that away.
"I guess I made an impression," Lux said simply.
Aelitha let out a small laugh, then—right on cue—stepped a little closer. Just a little too close.
The bodyguards didn't react.
They were clearly trained not to interrupt unless plasma started leaking from the ceiling.
She leaned in like it was an accident.
But it wasn't.
Her arm brushed against his.
And yes, her chest did too.
Soft. Subtle. But very much there.
She looked up at him through long lashes, eyes gleaming.
"So who are you really?" she asked. "New rich boy in town? Foreign businessman? Secret royalty hiding in plain sight?"
Her tone was flirtatious with a light coating of accusation—like she expected him to admit he was wearing someone else's wealth like a borrowed jacket.
Lux smirked, lazy and unbothered.
"Foreign businessman."
"From where?" she pressed, raising a perfectly arched brow. "Let me guess—one of those exotic tech cities? Thalys? Ourea? Maybe Aetherian Syndicate?"
"Somewhere more dangerous than those places," he said, still not fully facing her.
"Oooh. Mysterious and dramatic."
She chuckled. "I like that."
Of course she did.
Lux's smile didn't change. But his eyes cooled.
Internally, he gave the order.
'Maximize my Incubus Pheromones. Now.'
[Are you sure about that, sir? This is... unusual.]
'Do it,' Lux replied, tone sharp. 'She's trying to use me. I don't like it. Let's give her something to regret.'
[Activating. Maximum output. Concentrated exposure radius: 1.8 meters. Estimated time to physiological response: 8.5 seconds.]
The shift was subtle.
No visual cue. No scent trail.
Just… pressure. A presence.
Like heat under your skin you didn't realize was building until your breath got shallow.
Aelitha didn't react at first. She was still mid-comment, still fluttering her lashes like this was her playground.
But then…
She paused.
Her cheeks flushed.
Her breath hitched just slightly.
Her pupils dilated in real time.
And for a fraction of a second, her tongue flicked out to wet her bottom lip.
Bingo.
-Ding!
The elevator chimed as they reached his floor.
Lux stepped out smoothly.
Didn't look back.
Didn't say anything.
He just walked toward his suite door like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just casually weaponized a passive aura that could destabilize marriages.
Aelitha blinked hard. "Wait—!"
He turned.
Not fast.
Not dramatic.
But with a kind of slow, glacial chill that made every molecule between them freeze.
His eyes locked onto hers.
And that look?
It wasn't anger. Or flirtation. Or interest.
It was something worse.
Disgust.
Cold.
Demeaning.
The kind of look you give someone who thought they were being clever when really, they were just… predictable.
Aelitha flinched.
Not visibly. But inwardly.
She recognized that stare.
It was the same one her tutors used when she brought them copied homework. The same look her father gave her when she failed another business pitch. The same one Fiera gave when Aelitha wore her shade of red to a party.
And Lux?
Lux didn't blink.
Didn't nod.
He just turned away again.
The elevator doors closed in front of her with a soft finality.
He vanished from her view.
Just like that.
[That was brutal.]
'She's lucky,' Lux replied without a hint of remorse. 'I didn't bill her for emotional damage.'
[You could've fucked her, you know.]
Lux paused mid-step.
'Excuse me?'
[She's rich. Beautiful. Technically not a gold digger. Just… competitive.]
'She was trying to use me,' Lux said, tone flat. 'To compete with Fiera. That's not desire. That's posturing. I'm not a trophy. I'm not a tool.'
[But you're an incubus. Making her your fling wouldn't be entirely out of character. One-night stand, then move on.]
'No.'
[No?]
Lux looked toward the high windows down the hall—morning light bleeding across the polished floors like a slow drip of molten gold.
'No,' he repeated, firmer. 'Fling means exposure. Entanglement. Distractions. That kind of thing's not a perk, it's a liability.'
[Noted. Emotional calculations adjusted.]
Lux's hand slid into his pocket as he walked.
Then—
A pause.
He passed a cleaning staff member, a young woman in a slate-blue uniform pushing a cart of fluffy towels and hotel-grade lavender spray. She glanced up, met his eyes, and immediately turned scarlet. The blush bloomed across her cheeks like spilled wine. She fumbled the spray bottle and nearly knocked over a stack of folded sheets.
Lux blinked. 'Oh right…'
The poor thing squeaked an apology and practically sprinted down the hallway, face glowing like a signal flare.
'…Turn off the pheromones.'
[System: Noted. Incubus Pheromone output reverting to standard mode. Also… room temperature increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius during deployment. You might want to open a window.]
Lux reached his suite door and tapped the key.