The unstoppable vengeance of Micheal Krux.

35; The name Nobody mentioned

Chapter 35; The Name Nobody Mentioned

Layla could not sleep.

She turned several times on the bed before finally giving up and sitting upright. The digital clock beside her bed showed 12:47 AM, but her mind still replayed everything that happened earlier at the office and later at the mansion.

Michael’s face.

Her father’s anger.

Gabriel’s silence.

Nothing about today felt normal.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she became. Everyone reacted too strongly whenever Michael Krux was mentioned, and nobody seemed willing to explain why. It felt like she had walked into the middle of a war that started long before she even realized it existed.

After sitting quietly for another few minutes, Layla slipped out of bed and wore a light robe before leaving her room.

The mansion was unusually quiet at that hour. Only a few lights remained on downstairs, casting soft shadows across the expensive hallway walls. As Layla approached the staircase, she noticed a faint light coming from her father’s study.

She paused.

At first she intended to continue toward the kitchen, but the sound of voices made her stop.

Her father was inside.

So was Gabriel.

Layla frowned slightly.

It was already late, and neither of them looked relaxed during dinner earlier. Curiosity pulled her closer before she could stop herself.

The study door was not fully shut, leaving just enough space for their voices to pass through clearly.

“This situation is becoming dangerous,” Gabriel said quietly from inside the room. “Michael is moving faster than we expected.”

Her father let out a tired scoff. “That boy has always been stubborn.”

Layla remained still outside the door, listening carefully.

Gabriel sounded frustrated. “The board is nervous already. Investors are asking questions every day, and now the media keeps dragging Luxter Energy into every headline connected to him.”

“That’s because you people underestimated him,” her father replied sharply. “I warned all of you years ago that leaving him alive would eventually become a problem.”

Layla’s eyes widened slightly at the statement.

Leaving him alive?

The words sounded too serious to ignore.

Inside the study, Gabriel lowered his voice further. “Sir, saying things like that now won’t solve anything.”

Her father laughed bitterly. “You still don’t understand. Michael didn’t come back for business. He came back because he wants this family to suffer.”

Layla leaned slightly against the wall as her heartbeat became uneven.

There was too much hatred in her father’s voice.

This was no longer sounding like ordinary business rivalry.

Gabriel sighed heavily before speaking again. “The problem is that Layla is starting to ask questions.”

“She should stay out of this,” her father replied immediately.

“That may not be possible anymore,” Gabriel said carefully. “Especially after today.”

A brief silence followed before her father spoke again.

“I should never have trusted the Krux family in the first place,” he muttered.

Layla’s brows slowly pulled together.

The Krux family.

Not just Michael.

The way her father said the name sounded deeply personal.

Gabriel did not reply immediately. When he finally spoke, his tone sounded more cautious.

“What happened back then wasn’t entirely their fault.”

Her father slammed something against the desk hard enough to make Layla flinch slightly outside.

“That woman destroyed everything the moment she entered this city,” he snapped angrily.

Layla frowned.

What woman?

Gabriel’s next words came slower, almost careful.

“Michael resembles his mother more every day. Maybe that’s why seeing him bothers you this much.”

The room became quiet for a moment.

Layla’s confusion deepened.

Nobody had ever spoken about Michael’s mother before.

In fact, she could barely remember hearing anything about the woman at all.

Then her father spoke again, and this time his voice carried something she had never heard from him before.

Fear.

“If Michael ever finds out what truly happened to his mother,” he said quietly, “then all of us are finished.”

Layla stopped breathing for a second.

A cold feeling settled heavily inside her chest.

What exactly happened to that woman?

Before she could think further, her phone suddenly vibrated loudly in her hand.

Layla’s eyes widened instantly.

Inside the study, both men became silent.

The chair inside scraped sharply against the floor.

“Who’s there?” her father barked.

Layla quickly stepped away from the door just as the study opened.

Her father stared at her suspiciously while Gabriel looked tense the moment he saw her standing there.

“Layla?” Gabriel asked carefully.

She forced herself to stay calm despite the way her heart pounded inside her chest.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she said quickly. “I came downstairs for water.”

Her father kept watching her closely, clearly trying to figure out how much she had heard.

For a few uncomfortable seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Gabriel finally broke the silence.

“You should go back upstairs,” he said gently. “It’s late.”

Layla nodded slowly.

“Goodnight,” she murmured before turning away.

She walked calmly toward the staircase until she disappeared around the corner, but the moment she reached the hallway upstairs, her expression changed completely.

Because tonight confirmed something she could no longer ignore.

Whatever happened five years ago did not begin with the accident.

And somehow, Michael’s mother was connected to all of it.