Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation-Chapter 151: Messy Kraken

Chapter 151 – Messy Kraken

Ten minutes later, the bathroom door finally opened.

And the world slowed.

Rava stepped out first.

Kind of.

It was more like... wobbled out.

Her heels made contact with the polished marble hallway like she’d forgotten how walking worked. Legs slightly bowed, one hand pressed against the wall as if it were the only solid thing left in the world. Her dress—still technically on—was wrinkled in all the wrong places, and her lipstick was fighting a losing battle with reality. The fresh swipe of powder on her cheek couldn’t fully hide the smudged aftermath of Lux’s mouth or the faint flush that still clung to her collarbones.

Behind her, Lux stepped out like he had just returned from vacation.

Not a single button undone.

Not a hair out of place.

He held Rava by the waist, fingers light but possessive, and guided her forward like a gentleman who absolutely didn’t just rearrange her insides against a bathroom counter.

The bastard even had the nerve to adjust his cufflinks as they entered the dining room again. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The girls?

Feral silence.

Mira’s jaw tightened, her glass halfway to her lips.

Ely’s back went ramrod straight like she’d just sensed a king approaching.

Fiera, mid-macaron bite, forgot how to chew.

And Lux?

Lux smiled.

He pulled out Rava’s chair for her, letting her sit with as much dignity as a woman could after being wrecked in surround sound.

Then he took his seat like nothing happened.

Like this was a business brunch.

"Sorry for making you wait," he said smoothly, reaching for the wine. "Hope the sound didn’t bother you too much."

Rava covered her face with both hands.

Mira snorted. "Oh, it was."

She lowered her glass, smirking faintly. "You both were loud. Like... I-need-to-rethink-my-standards loud."

Lux nodded thoughtfully. "Funny. It was loud, huh?"

Mira blinked. "Obviously."

He tilted his head. "Then why did you all decide to eavesdrop, just to hear it more loudly?"

The table fell quiet.

Mira’s jaw twitched. "We didn’t."

"Didn’t you?" Lux asked casually, swirling his wine. "Because the bathroom is soundproofed in all the right angles—except the door. And it was slightly ajar."

He smiled. "Which only happens if you lean against it."

Fiera looked horrified.

Lux’s gaze flicked to her. "Also... I believe the macarons sacrificed to the floor were strawberries."

Mira turned her head slowly.

Glared.

Fiera held her breath.

"I was stressed!" she barked. "I needed a sugar distraction!"

Mira arched a brow, tone flat as silk stretched over daggers. "At least you could’ve kept your sugar distraction on the plate."

Fiera pointed at her with the last remaining macaron. "I was in a hurry!"

Mira leaned forward, voice razor-smooth. "Then you should’ve picked them up."

"I didn’t want to get caught by him!" Fiera hissed.

Mira tilted her head, all sharp amusement. "You mean while you were crouched by the bathroom door, throwing pastries like breadcrumbs for your dignity?"

Fiera looked mortally offended. "I was listening responsibly."

"While eating macarons."

"It’s called multi-tasking!"

Elyndra cleared her throat like she hadn’t just died of secondhand embarrassment. She adjusted her neckline again and smiled, voice painfully polite.

"So... you’re going to stay the night here?"

Lux looked at her. That smile faltered.

Just for a second.

"Yeah," he said. "That was the plan."

"Was?" Fiera asked immediately, her tone sharper than it needed to be.

Lux leaned back in his chair.

And for the first time since entering the room, something shifted in his expression. Just a flicker. But it was there.

Displeasure.

Or maybe... worry?

"Something’s come up," he said.

Mira narrowed her eyes. "What kind of something?"

Lux took a sip of wine. "Private."

"That’s vague," Ely said gently. "Is it business?"

He set the glass down carefully.

"Half of it, yes. Business."

He looked away for a moment.

"Half of it... trouble."

Fiera sat forward. "What kind of trouble? Is it your company?"

"No," Lux said, too fast. "Just... something else."

"Something personal?" Mira pushed.

Lux met her gaze.

And for once, his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

"I can’t say," he said. "Sorry, ladies."

Rava turned to him, her brows pulling together slightly. She didn’t say anything. But her hand—still faintly trembling—brushed his thigh under the table like she was grounding herself with his presence. Or maybe asking what he wasn’t saying.

Lux didn’t look at her.

But he reached down, took her hand, and laced their fingers together.

The tension at the table coiled like a stormcloud.

Mira’s gaze dipped to their joined hands.

Then back up.

"Is this trouble something we should be worried about?"

Lux hesitated.

"No," he said finally. "But it’s something I have to handle."

Ely asked, "Alone?"

Lux smiled again.

But Rava knew it wasn’t real.

She knew what that smile meant now.

He was retreating. Wearing his mask again.

And the fact that it slipped at all? That was what worried her.

"Can we help?" Fiera asked suddenly." I mean... if it’s because of the auction..."

Mira shot her a look.

Fiera ignored it.

"No. It’s not related to the auction," Lux shook his head. "This is one of those things where help turns into leverage. Or body bags."

Ely’s brows rose slightly.

"Dramatic," Mira muttered.

Lux didn’t flinch.

"Truthful," he said simply.

There was a pause.

Then Rava, still quiet, leaned over and whispered something in Lux’s ear.

Something none of the girls caught.

But it made Lux smile for real.

Small. Crooked. Honest.

He kissed her knuckles under the table and stood up slowly.

"Anyway. I’ll stay a little longer," he said, smoothing his shirt. "But then I need to head out. Just for the night."

Fiera bit her lip.

Ely watched him like she was trying to memorize something she might never see again.

Mira, arms crossed, didn’t say anything at all.

Because deep down, all three of them knew— That man walking out of Rava’s bathroom and back into his clothes?

That wasn’t just a rich, hot heir.

That was something else entirely.