The unstoppable vengeance of Micheal Krux.

37; The Price of Power

Chapter 37; The Price of Power

The sound of the cup shattering against the floor echoed across the dining room.

Nobody moved immediately.

Dark coffee spread slowly across the polished tiles while broken glass scattered beneath the table, but Layla barely noticed any of it. Her eyes remained fixed on the article displayed on her tablet.

Seven percent.

Someone had secretly acquired seven percent of Luxter Energy without the board noticing.

That alone was terrifying.

But Michael Krux being connected to it made the situation far worse.

Gabriel collected his phone quickly and refreshed the news page again as if hoping the report would suddenly disappear.

It did not.

More headlines were already appearing.

FINANCIAL EXPERTS QUESTION LUXTER ENERGY’S STABILITY

MYSTERY INVESTOR SHAKES BUSINESS MARKET

WHO IS BACKING MICHAEL KRUX?

Her father looked furious.

“No,” he muttered angrily. “No, no, no… this is impossible.”

Gabriel stood up immediately. “Sir, we need to calm down first and verify the information.”

“Verify what?” her father snapped. “The entire country is reading it already.”

Layla quietly watched both men.

For the first time, she noticed something she had never seen clearly before.

Fear.

Real fear.

Not the kind caused by bad publicity.

The kind powerful people felt when control started slipping from their hands.

One of the house staff entered carefully after hearing the noise.

“Sir, should I clean—”

“Get out!” her father barked angrily.

The poor woman nearly jumped before hurrying out immediately.

Layla frowned slightly at his reaction.

Her father rarely lost composure like this.

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair before speaking again. “Maybe Michael is bluffing.”

Her father laughed harshly. “That boy doesn’t bluff.”

The room became quiet for a moment.

Layla slowly placed her tablet down.

“You’re acting like Michael already won,” she said carefully.

Both men looked toward her instantly.

“He hasn’t won anything,” her father replied sharply.

“Then why are you panicking?” she asked.

That question clearly irritated him even more.

“Because you don’t understand business,” he snapped. “Seven percent may sound small to you, but in the hands of the wrong person, it becomes dangerous.”

Gabriel nodded slowly. “If shareholders begin doubting the company, the stock price will keep dropping.”

Layla folded her arms quietly.

“And you think Michael is doing that deliberately?”

Gabriel gave a tired sigh. “Layla, this didn’t happen overnight. Somebody has been planning this carefully for months.”

Her father suddenly looked at Gabriel.

“Call the legal team immediately,” he ordered. “I want to know exactly who sold those shares.”

Gabriel hesitated briefly.

“That may not help.”

Her father’s expression darkened. “Why not?”

“Because whoever handled this used multiple shell companies,” Gabriel explained. “The article says the transactions were spread across different firms overseas.”

Her father cursed under his breath.

Layla remained quiet, but inside, her thoughts were racing.

Michael had returned with money.

With influence.

With connections strong enough to shake Luxter Energy publicly.

How did somebody who supposedly lost everything five years ago build all this quietly without anybody noticing?

Her father suddenly grabbed his phone again.

“Get me Marcus from the board,” he said immediately after the call connected. “Right now.”

He walked out of the dining room before the conversation could continue.

The moment he left, the atmosphere changed slightly.

Gabriel finally sat down again and rubbed his forehead tiredly.

Layla studied him carefully for a few seconds.

“You knew this was coming,” she said quietly.

Gabriel looked up slowly. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t look surprised,” she replied.

Gabriel gave a humorless smile. “Layla, Michael warned us already.”

She remembered the boardroom meeting immediately.

The confidence in Michael’s voice.

The way he walked into Luxter Tower without fear.

At the time, she thought it was arrogance.

Now she was no longer sure.

Gabriel loosened his tie slightly before continuing. “The problem with people like Michael is that they don’t attack emotionally. They wait patiently until they find the exact place that hurts the most.”

Layla frowned slightly at the bitterness in his voice.

“You almost sound like you admire him.”

Gabriel laughed softly.

“No,” he said honestly. “I’m just starting to realize how dangerous he actually is.”

Layla looked away thoughtfully.

Dangerous.

That was the same word everyone kept using.

But strangely, Michael himself never seemed desperate whenever she met him.

He looked calm.

Controlled.

Like somebody carrying out a plan he already knew would succeed eventually.

That thought unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

Her phone suddenly vibrated on the table.

Layla glanced at the screen.

Unknown number.

She almost ignored it before deciding to answer.

“Hello?” She said

For a few seconds, nobody spoke from the other end.

Then a calm male voice finally came through.

“Miss Luxter.” The voice came up

Layla immediately sat straighter.

She recognized the voice instantly.

Michael.

Her heartbeat changed slightly before she could stop it.

“What do you want?” she asked carefully.

A faint chuckle came from the other end.

“That’s an interesting way to answer somebody checking on you.”

Layla tightened her grip on the phone. “If you called to mock my family, I’m not interested.”

“Relax,” Michael replied calmly. “If I wanted to mock your family, I would have done it publicly.”

The confidence in his voice irritated her.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she asked.

Michael was quiet briefly before answering.

“No,” he said simply. “Enjoyment has nothing to do with this.”

Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten slightly.

Not excitement.

Not revenge.

Just certainty.

Layla walked slowly toward the window while lowering her voice. “Did you buy those shares?”

“You already know the answer,” Michael replied.

“Why?” she asked immediately.

This time, his silence lasted longer.

When he finally spoke again, his tone had changed slightly.

“Because some debts should never remain unpaid.”

Layla frowned. “You keep talking like my family destroyed your life.”

“They did.”

The answer came without hesitation.

Without emotion.

That somehow made it worse.

Layla swallowed slowly. “What really happened five years ago?”

Michael did not answer immediately.

Then finally, he spoke quietly.

“Ask your father what happened to my mother.”