The unstoppable vengeance of Micheal Krux.

25. Fall in public

Chapter 25; The Fall in Public

Layla Luxter POV

The ballroom was too bright.

That was the first thing I noticed as I stepped in, the golden chandeliers casting sharp reflections across polished floors, the hum of conversation blending with soft music that tried too hard to sound elegant. The air carried the scent of expensive perfume and aged wine, thick enough to feel artificial, like everything else in the room.

This was supposed to be a recovery event.

A strategic gathering.

Investors, partners, media, all invited under the illusion that Luxter Energy was still in control.

I walked in beside Gabriel, my posture straight, my expression composed, every step measured despite the tension coiled tightly in my chest. Cameras turned almost immediately, flashes going off in quick succession as people captured what they wanted to believe was stability.

“Stay close,” Gabriel said under his breath, his tone low but firm.

“I always do,” I replied.

But tonight felt different.

The smiles around us were were not as bright as they used to ma.

Nobody came out to purposely greet us, it was as though we didn’t matter overnight.

We hadn’t even reached the center of the room before the whispers started.

Soft.

Careful.

But loud enough.

“That’s her…”

“The one who… ”

“…denounced the Krux name…”

“…and it still didn’t work…”

I kept walking, my expression unchanged, but each word landed, sharp and deliberate, cutting deeper than they should have.

Gabriel greeted a group of investors, his voice smooth, confident, slipping easily into the role he had mastered. I stood beside him, listening, observing, the weight of the room pressing harder with every passing second.

“We’re entering a new phase,” Gabriel said, holding a glass lightly in his hand. “Short term fluctuations are expected, but our long term position remains strong.”

One of the investors nodded slowly, but his expression didn’t fully agree.

“That depends,” he said carefully, “on how much influence your competitors gain in the meantime.”

Competitors.

The word sat heavily.

Gabriel’s smile didn’t break.

“We’re managing that,” he replied.

But even as he said it, one looked convinced, not even him.

An hour later, the event abruptly shifted.

A subtle movement near the entrance drew attention first, a ripple that moved through the crowd as conversations slowed and heads turned almost instinctively.

I followed the motion without thinking.

And that was when I saw him.

Michael.

He didn’t rush.

He didn’t announce himself.

He simply walked in like he belonged there, his presence cutting through the room without effort, his dark suit sharp, precise, every step controlled.

He walked with such authority that people made way for him as he moved, even those who didn’t know him felt the power he mixed with.

“Who is that?” someone whispered nearby.

“I don’t know…”

“But look at how…”

The murmurs grew with curiosity as the attention was flooded towards him.

He stopped just inside the room, his gaze moving slowly, deliberately, as if he was taking everything in, measuring it, owning it without saying a word.

His eyes found mine and held it for a second.

My chest tightened before I could stop it, my breath hitched as I looked at the improved ghost of Micheal standing in front of me.

“Do you know him?” Gabriel asked beside me, his voice lower now, sharper.

I didn’t answer immediately because in that moment, I myself didn’t know the answer to that question.

Everything felt like it was shifting again.

“He’s the one,” I said quietly.

Gabriel’s attention snapped fully toward him.

Michael moved forward then, calm, unhurried, as if the entire room was simply part of a plan already set in motion. Conversations quieted as he passed, people instinctively stepping aside, not out of recognition, but out of something they couldn’t quite define.

Authority didn’t need introduction.

It showed itself.

He stopped a few feet away from us.

Close enough.

Not close enough to be familiar.

Gabriel stepped forward first, his posture firm, his voice controlled.

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said.

Michael’s gaze shifted to him briefly, then back to me.

“You’ve been trying to,” he replied.

The response was calm.

Too calm.

Gabriel’s jaw tightened slightly.

“If you’re here to make a statement, this isn’t the place,” he said.

Michael’s expression didn’t change.

“This is exactly the place,” he replied.

And then he turned his attention fully to me.

Not the room.

Not Gabriel.

Me.

The shift was immediate.

Sharp.

Unavoidable.

“You made your statement,” he said, his voice carrying just enough to draw attention from those closest to us. “I thought I should respond.”

The room grew quieter.

Not silent.

But focused.

Every word now mattered.

I held his gaze, refusing to step back, even as the pressure built.

“This isn’t the time,” I said.

“It’s the perfect time,” he replied.

And before I could respond, hdreached into his jacket and pulled out a document.

He handed it to one of the nearby media representatives.

“Read it,” he said.

The man hesitated for a second, then unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning quickly before widening slightly.

“What is it?” someone asked.

The man looked up, uncertain for just a moment before speaking.

“It’s… a confirmation,” he said. “Ownership records… Volkov International Holdings…”

He paused before he continued.“It states that the acting CEO is…”

He stopped.

The hesitation stretched.

“Say it,” someone pushed.

The man swallowed.

“Michael Krux.”

Silence.

Real silence this time.

Heavy.

Crushing.

Every sound in the room seemed to disappear at once.

The realization spreading like fire, fast and unstoppable.

Gabriel turned sharply toward me.

“What did he just say?” he demanded.

But I couldn’t answer.

Because my eyes were still on Michael.

And he was still looking at me triumphantly like he had been waiting for this moment, for everything to finally come into the light.

The whispers started again.

Louder now.

Shocked.

Confused.

“Krux? But he’s …”

“I thought he…”

“This changes everything…”

Gabriel’s composure cracked just slightly, just enough for me to see it.

“This is some kind of trick,” he said, his voice tightening. “You expect us to believe…”

“I don’t expect anything,” Michael interrupted.

His tone didn’t rise.

But it cut through the room.

“I’m simply correcting the narrative,” he added.

Correction.

The same word he used for me.

Gabriel stepped closer, his control slipping further.

“You’re lying,” he said.

Michael met his gaze without flinching.

“No,” he replied. “You just didn’t ask the right questions.”

Gabriel had no control over the room, it’s all now Michael’s.

I stood there, in front of everyone wondering what happened and how best I needed to salvage myself because Michael’s return was might just jeopardize everything I’ve worked hard to keep.

He had carefully planned, perfectly timed and delivered a face slap in front of everyone that mattered.

And there was nothing I could do to stop it.