Chapter 917 – Love or Attraction

Somehow, Fiera felt more seen than she had in years.

The suite had become quiet.

Not silent.

Just... peaceful.

The kind of quiet that came after walls fell.

Lux stood in front of her, one hand still resting against the wall beside her.

For a man who could stare down infernal kings, hostile investors, and assassination attempts without blinking, he suddenly looked strangely uncertain.

That realization made her smile.

"You are rough..."

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Lux winced.

Actually winced.

"I’m aware."

The immediate response made her laugh.

A real laugh.

The kind she rarely showed in public.

"Oh, you know?"

"I had several clues."

His deadpan delivery only made her laugh harder.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

For a second he seemed surprised.

Then his arms settled around her automatically.

Comfortably.

Like they belonged there.

The realization sent warmth through her chest.

Most people only saw the rumors.

The billionaire.

The playboy CFO.

The terrifying negotiator.

She was beginning to discover the man underneath.

And... She liked that man far more.

"I guess I finally experienced what happens when you lose control."

Lux immediately raised an eyebrow. "That?" The corner of his mouth twitched. "No."

Fiera blinked. "No?"

"Not even close."

She stared at him. Then burst out laughing. "Oh that’s concerning."

"A little."

"A little?"

Lux shrugged. "If I genuinely lose control, my mind tends to stop participating."

That answer made her curiosity spike immediately.

"What does that mean?"

He thought for a moment.

Actually thought.

Which meant he was giving her a real answer.

"Instinct." His gaze drifted toward the city beyond the windows. "Heat." A pause. "Touch." Another pause. "Frictions."

His voice had become quieter. More honest. "My incubus instincts take over."

Fiera listened carefully.

"People forget what demons are." His smile became slightly crooked. "I wear expensive suits and spend most of my time working. But my instincts are still there."

His eyes met hers.

"I’ll always be part demon."

The statement wasn’t bitter.

Just factual.

A truth he’d accepted long ago.

Fiera reached up and touched his cheek.

Immediately.

Instantly.

His expression softened.

There.

That reaction.

That tiny reaction.

She kept finding them.

The moments where the polished executive disappeared.

Leaving only Lux.

And every single time she saw that version of him...

She liked him more.

"I think I understand now."

Lux narrowed his eyes. "Those words are dangerous."

"Probably."

"What do you understand?"

Fiera smiled. "I understand why they fall for you. You don’t act like the demon I expected."

His gaze remained fixed on hers.

Steady.

Careful.

Then he asked quietly, "Love or attraction?"

The question surprised her.

Not because of the words.

Because it sounded genuine.

Like he actually wanted the answer.

For a moment she simply looked at him.

The man who carried entire empires on his shoulders.

The man who constantly protected people while pretending it was just business.

Then she smiled.

"At this point?"

Lux waited.

"It’s both."

Something flickered across his face.

Gone almost immediately.

But she saw it.

Fiera squeezed his hand.

"I’m an heiress, Lux. Attraction alone doesn’t make women like me trust someone."

His expression became quieter.

More serious.

She continued. "It definitely doesn’t make us stay."

The room seemed smaller now.

Warmer.

Filled with things neither of them usually said aloud.

"Your reputation got my attention." A small smile touched her lips. "But that’s not why I’m here."

Lux didn’t say anything.

But his gaze... somehow that made her heart melt.

She laughed softly and rested her forehead against his.

A simple gesture.

Gentle.

Intimate.

Fiera realized something that was both wonderful and terrifying.

She wasn’t falling for the myth anymore.

She was falling for Lux.

The real one.

And that was infinitely more dangerous.

Lux opened his mouth but decided to close it agaib.

Which, for him, was already a full system crash.

Because usually? Words came easy. Too easy. Negotiations, manipulation, deflection, charm... he could spin ten outcomes in his head before the other person even finished their sentence. But this?

This wasn’t a deal.

This wasn’t leverage.

This was... real.

And real didn’t come with contracts.

His hand was still on her waist. Not tight. Not claiming. Just... there. Like he hadn’t consciously decided to put it there, and now didn’t want to think too hard about removing it.

Fiera was still close.

Too close.

Close enough that he could still feel her warmth, still smell that faint mix of perfume and morning air and something unmistakably her, something that had already lodged itself somewhere inconvenient in his brain.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

She pulled back just enough to look at him properly.

That look again.

That ’I figured you out and I like what I found’ look.

Lux hated that look.

Lux absolutely did not hate that look.

"I need to shower."

There it was.

Simple sentence.

Casual.

Normal.

Except it hit him a little wrong.

Just a little.

His brows pulled together slightly before he could stop it.

"You’re going to leave?"

He kept his tone neutral.

Controlled.

Like this was just a logistical question.

Like his brain hadn’t immediately gone ’why does that sound like she’s walking away already?’

Fiera noticed.

Her lips curved slowly into that dangerous little smirk.

Not teasing.

Not entirely.

There was something softer under it.

"I need to prepare myself to move here."

Lux blinked.

Once.

Twice.

System lag.

Fiera tilted her head, watching him process like she’d just dropped a bomb in a boardroom and was waiting for the explosion.

"Mira told me."

Fiera stepped back, just enough to give herself space to stretch slightly, arms up, posture relaxed, completely unbothered.

Which was illegal, honestly.

"You’re Greed. And possessive."

She said it so casually.

Like she was talking about weather.

Lux stared at her.

There was a very specific kind of tension building in his chest.

Not defensive.

Not offended.

Something else.

Something sharper.

"...And that scare you off?"

Fiera laughed.

"Lux."

She stepped closer again.

"Look at me."

He did.

"I’m not stupid."

Her voice softened just a little.

"But I’m also not naive."