The unstoppable vengeance of Micheal Krux.

18, The Offer

Chapter 18 ; The Offer

Gabriel Luxter POV

The market opened colder than expected.

I stood in front of the wall screen in my office, the glow from the numbers casting a pale light across the room as the opening figures settled into place. The air carried the faint scent of espresso from the cup I had set down untouched on the desk, its heat already fading, just like the confidence I had expected to see reflected in those numbers.

Luxter Energy dipped.

Not violently.

But enough to draw attention.

Enough to invite questions.

I tapped the remote once, switching between channels as analysts spoke in controlled tones about “uncertainty,” about “unexpected market sensitivity,” about “recent statements influencing investor confidence.” Their words were careful, but the implication was clear.

We were not in control of the narrative.

And that was unacceptable.

The door opened behind me with a soft click.

“Sir,” my assistant said, stepping in with a tablet in hand, her voice steady but carrying a hint of urgency, “there’s been another development.”

I didn’t turn immediately.

“What kind of development?” I asked.

“An external firm has made a proposal regarding the Krux family holdings,” she said.

That made me look.

“What firm?” I asked, taking the tablet from her as I turned fully toward the desk.

“Volkov International Holdings,” she replied.

The name meant nothing at first.

Which, in itself, was a problem.

I scanned the document quickly, my eyes moving across the key points, the structure, the language. It was clean, professional, and very deliberate in how it positioned itself.

Not aggressive.

Not desperate.

Confident.

They were offering to stabilize the Krux family’s falling stock through structured capital injection, market repositioning, and controlled media influence.

In return, they wanted five percent.

Five percent of a company that had spent decades building its position.

Five percent, offered at a moment of weakness.

I let out a slow breath, placing the tablet down as I considered the implications.

“This is opportunistic,” I said.

“Yes,” my assistant replied carefully.

“It’s also effective,” I added.

Because it was.

The timing was precise.

Too precise.

I walked back toward the screen, watching the numbers move again as the market adjusted in real time.

“If the Krux family accepts this,” I said, more to myself than to her, “they stabilize, and whoever is behind this gains a foothold inside their structure.”

“And if they don’t?” she asked.

“They continue to fall,” I replied.

Simple.

Clean.

Brutal.

I turned back toward the desk, picking up the tablet again, this time reading more slowly, more carefully.

Volkov International Holdings.

A foreign entity.

Minimal public footprint.

Strong financial backing.

No visible leadership profile.

That last detail stayed with me.

“Set a meeting,” I said.

“With Volkov?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “If they’re positioning themselves in this space, I want to know who they are.”

She hesitated for a fraction of a second.

“They’ve already declined two requests this morning,” she said.

I looked up.

“They declined?” I repeated.

“Yes, sir,” she said. “They stated that they are not available for discussions at this time.”

The room felt still for a moment.

Not because of the refusal, but because of the pattern.

First Harlow Group, now this.

Different names.

Same behavior.

“Send another request,” I said.

“They were very clear in their response,” she added carefully.

“I’m not asking for clarity,” I replied, my tone sharpening slightly. “I’m asking for persistence.”

She nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

She turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind her.

I stood there for a moment, letting the silence settle again, my mind moving through the pieces that had begun to connect whether I wanted them to or not.

Harlow Group’s sudden acquisition.

The refusal to meet.

The condition imposed on Layla.

And now this?.

A foreign firm stepping in at the exact moment the Krux family weakened, offering support that came at a cost just small enough to be accepted and just large enough to matter.

It wasn’t coincidence.

It couldn’t be.

I walked toward the desk again, picking up my phone this time and dialing directly.

It rang twice before Layla answered.

“Gabriel?” she said.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“On my way back,” she replied. “Why?”

“There’s a new player,” I said.

There was a pause on her end.

“What kind of player?” she asked.

“The kind that moves quietly and shows up exactly when it matters,” I replied. “They’ve made an offer to the Krux family.”

Another pause.

“What kind of offer?” she asked.

I glanced at the screen again, the red line still holding its position.

“Stability,” I said. “At a price.”

“And they’ll take it?” she asked.

“They don’t have many options,” I replied.

Silence followed.

“Do you think it’s connected?” she asked.

I didn’t answer immediately.

Because I already knew what my answer was.

“Yes,” I said finally.

By midday, the news broke very loudly.

Every major financial outlet picked it up within minutes, headlines spreading across screens, phones, and conversations before anyone could control it.

“Foreign Investment Firm Moves to Stabilize Krux Holdings”

“Volkov International Offers Strategic Buy-In Amid Market Drop”

“Mystery Investors Enter High-Stakes Corporate Shift”

I watched it unfold from my office, the sound muted but the impact clear.

Phones began ringing.

Messages came in.

Questions.

Concerns.

Opportunities.

The entire field had shifted.

And we were no longer the only ones trying to control it.

Somewhere else in the city, decisions were being made.

Not by me or by anyone I could see and that was what I didn’t like.

I picked up my glass finally, the espresso now cold, bitter as I took a slow sip, my gaze fixed on the screen as the numbers continued to move.

“Who are you?” I said quietly.

Not out of curiosity.

Out of intent.

Because whoever was behind this wasn’t just entering the game.

They were reshaping it.

And if I didn’t find them soon, they would take control of it completely.