"...and I didn't even need to pay in installments. I bought the Lamborghini Venom Eclipse upfront. It was launched last month, only five units in the world, baby. And I own one."
The idiot spoke as if he had discovered the cure for cancer, while gesturing with his hands and exuding the smell of expensive perfume and inflated ego.
Luna, meanwhile, already had her mind on another plane.
The paparazzi already had what he wanted, she had secured the scandal to stir Matthew's ice, and was sincerely tired of the hamster brain in front of her.
She calmly rose from the chair, adjusted her dress and looked at the guy with a radiant smile. "It was... an experience. Thanks for the performance. Good luck with your golden baseboards."
The idiot blinked confused. "Wait, where are you going?"
Luna just tossed her hair back like a goddess who had already won the game before even stepping onto the field. "To the real world, darling."
She turned, striding toward the exit with steps as smooth as they were deadly.
The paparazzi's flashes followed her discreetly, and she smirked as she imagined the headline.
Minutes later, already inside the car, Luna let out a loud laugh as she remembered the expression of 'rejected in 4K' that the jerk made when she walked away.
"Poor guy... he really thought he had a chance." she murmured to herself, starting the engine.
She put on her sunglasses, activated manual driving (because driving was therapy, and today she wanted to feel the engine roar), and looked for a playlist that matched her mood.
"Hmm... no cute pop today. I want something with punch."
She found a heavy rap with a dirty beat and aggressive verses. Perfect. She played "Queen Moves Only" from her playlist and stepped on the accelerator.
The buildings shrank in the rearview mirror as she advanced, and even with the metropolis' traffic roaring in stress, Luna seemed to float above the chaos.
It was two and a half hours of traffic including hysterical honks, taxi drivers cursing the cosmos and a truck driver who tried to flirt with her driving the wrong way.
She ignored everything with class.
And when finally the imposing lights and golden concrete of Manhattan appeared before her, Luna felt she deserved a treat.
The memory came like a flash: That idiot had said something about the new Lamborghini that launched recently…
"Hm... is it really good or just another expensive toy for spoiled idiots?" she murmured with a raised eyebrow.
Then, as if deciding to stop for ice cream.
She changed the destination to the International Supercar Exhibition, which was happening that weekend at the Exhibition Center.
Her eyes sparkled at the thought of the machines.
And of course... that freshly launched Lamborghini the idiot claimed to have bought.
"Let's see if it lives up to the hype." she said, speeding up and smiling.
The entrance to the exhibition center was busy with enthusiasts, collectors and bored millionaires.
It was a sea of expensive suits, designer dresses and egos even more flashy than the vehicles on display.
But when Luna stepped onto the red carpet leading to the main pavilion, the world around... slowed down.
Her dress softly reflected the ambient light. Each step in heels echoed with a quiet but impossible-to-ignore authority. Her wavy hair shimmered under the LED panels like living silk, and her noble aura and natural divine beauty hypnotized those present with the subtlety of an eclipse.
"...It's her, right?"
"Luna Malroth... founder of Diamante Tycoon..."
"My God, she looks like a luxury perfume commercial."
"Is she married?!"
Whispers spread like wildfire.
A young man in a flawless black suit, sharp eyes and a professional smile, quickly approached with a holographic tablet in hand.
"Good afternoon, Miss Malroth. It's an honor to have you here! Would you like help finding any specific model?"
Luna tilted her head slightly, thoughtful.
"Hmm... there was an idiot this morning who was talking about a new Lamborghini... What was the name?" she murmured to herself, frowning in search of the memory.
"Would it be the Venom Eclipse, miss?" the employee ventured with hope.
"That's it! That one."
The young man almost smiled in relief, as if he had passed a multiple-choice test with the right answer.
"Right this way, please." he made a respectful gesture.
Luna followed him through the supercar corridor, passing gleaming Ferraris, sharp McLarens and intimidating Bugattis... but it was upon entering the Lamborghini sector that the real spectacle emerged.
There, under a glass dome with dancing lights, was the Lamborghini Venom Eclipse.
Starry black color with shimmering purple details, carbon wheels with titanium finish and phoenix-wing-shaped doors. It was pure arrogance sculpted in design.
"Miss Luna," the employee began, eyes sparkling, "this is the Venom Eclipse, only five in the world. Hybrid V12 engine, top speed of 425 km/h, quantum control panel assisted by AI and partial camouflage mode for urban safety."
Luna was already hypnotized.
She circled the car like someone evaluating a potential lover. Her fingers brushed the paint, eyes analyzing every curve, every detail.
"Is it for sale?" she asked.
The employee, internally, was already dancing with joy. Outwardly, he maintained the composure of a top-tier salesman.
"Yes, miss. Base price is 3 million dollars. But with full customization, noble finishes and top configuration, the value rises to 5 million."
Luna didn't even blink. "I want a model with lunar pearl paint, the interior in white diamond leather with purple stitching and a black crystal panel. And yes, of course, I want my company's AI integrated into my personal system."
The employee needed a moment to process. Then he breathed and smiled as if he had just won the lottery.
"Perfectly. I will personally take care of everything. Shall I issue the digital contract right away?"
Luna simply nodded, crossing her arms and casting an approving glance at the machine. "Do that. And send the vehicle to my mansion. Park it in garage space 001."
"Understood, miss."
While he began filling out the order on the tablet, Luna grabbed her phone and messaged the girls' group:
@SmellOfEarthAfterRain: "I bought the car that idiot this morning bragged about having. But mine is personalized, of course. Kisses."
Victoria replied within seconds.
@Victoria: "LMAO you're a classy plague, Luna. Love you."
Nikoly sent a rocket exploding sticker.
@Lumine: "It's the least expected of our celestial CEO."
Luna smiled, staring at the car once more. "Tsk... if Matthew doesn't react even to this, I'll have to invade his heart with nuclear weapons."
She laughed at herself and took a selfie next to the Lamborghini, posting on stories with the caption:
"Small treat of the day. #VenomIsClass #DiamondOnWheels"
But Luna didn't stop there.
While finalizing the purchase, her eyes were already traveling through the exhibition like a child in a toy store.
A Koenigsegg model, with lightweight structure and white titanium finish, caught her attention.
The employee, noticing the interest, stepped forward with the information that the model was limited, only seven in the world.
She nodded with a slight smile and asked them to add it to the list.
Following the flow, she noticed a robust, imposing SUV, with velvet-lined interior, crystal doorknobs and adaptive suspension for snowy terrains. Apparently it was an exclusive Rolls-Royce model for royalty in polar zones.
"This one is pretty. Add it too," she said casually.
Further ahead, another experimental model from Tesla caught her attention. A car with lines so futuristic it looked like it had been designed to cross dimensional portals.
She ran her fingers along the metallic side and, without turning her face. "I want this one too. In dark matte lilac."
The classic car area made her stop. A restored Ferrari F40 gleamed under soft spotlights.
Luna watched in silence for long seconds. "This... this one's going."
Without realizing it, the committee of employees grew with each car added.
One group handled customizations, another logistics, another the paperwork, all under the magnetic effect of the consumer.
In the last wing, she came across a vehicle that didn't touch the ground — literally. It was a flying car prototype with limited authorization in large metropolises.
She smiled, amused. "If traffic delays me again, this one solves it."
In the end, with a slight sigh of satisfaction, Luna sat in the VIP area while the team completed the documents.
Iced coffee in hand, sunglasses on her head, she leaned back, looking at the glass ceiling of the pavilion.
Her phone vibrated.
It was the group.
Victoria: "Where are you off to now?"
@SmellOfEarthAfterRain: "Buying gifts for myself. Spent just about 100 million."
@Nikoly: "Define just."
@Lumine: "Let me know if you need extra space in the underground parking."
Luna just laughed.
As she left the exhibition, the oldest employee, perhaps the manager, approached with a holographic folder and said, "Miss Malroth... on behalf of our entire team... thank you. Today we made history."
Luna simply blinked, put on her sunglasses and said, "As it should be."
And departed, leaving behind a trail of stunned smiles.
As she exited the exhibition, Luna was walking calmly, her silhouette standing out under the golden light of the sunset, when she felt a slight pressure on the side of her waist.
A whisper came next to her ear, malicious and tense. "Stay quiet, gorgeous. Just walk. No screaming."
She blinked slowly.
For a second, she almost believed she was having déjà vu from a cheap movie scene.
Without shifting her gaze from the steps ahead, Luna sighed, mentally bored.
Another idiot today. Is it the season of stupidity, by any chance?
With the knife still pressed, she allowed the man to guide her away from the exhibition crowd.
The entrance security noticed nothing. The sensors didn't detect — the thug clearly knew how to hide the blade well.
They walked through a few streets to an isolated alley, behind an abandoned building.
As soon as they reached the dead end, the man pushed Luna against the wall with the knife still visible, eyes gleaming with lust and adrenaline.
"Now, let's have a little fun, doll..." he murmured, reaching out to touch her indecently.
The hand didn't even come close.
The world spun in reverse for him.
Luna moved with inhuman precision, her knee hitting the thug's stomach hard enough to make him spit air and choke.
Next, she grabbed his wrist, twisting it until the knife fell with a metallic sound.
The man barely had time to understand what was happening.
She kicked him against the wall, then grabbed his collar as if he were a rag doll. Her eyes were icy, her expression carrying an indescribable disgust.
"You tried to touch me..." she said in a low, firm tone, as if measuring her own patience. "...did you know only my Matthew can do that?"
She brought him down with another dry blow to the legs and immobilized him with her knee dug into his back, a cruel twist to his arms, the man's face crushed against the rough asphalt.
"You know what I hate more than perverts? Dumb perverts."
He groaned, coughed blood, and with a hoarse voice, murmured, "C-c-call the police... I give up... arrest me, please..."
Luna tilted her face next to his head, almost as if she were about to whisper something romantic, but spoke with absolute coldness.
"You don't get that luxury."
And with a clean move, that didn't even leave splashes out of place, she snapped his neck with her bare hands.
The dry crack echoed through the alley like a discreet game-over signature.
Rising with elegance, she cleaned her hands with a tissue she pulled from her purse and adjusted her dress.
She looked at the body on the ground with the expression of someone who had just crushed a bothersome cockroach.
She took her phone from her purse and typed quickly.
@SmellOfEarthAfterRain: Ivy. A human trash behind the expo in the alley. Disguise and discard, please.
Ivy (instant reply): Understood. Team already on the way. Any trace?
@SmellOfEarthAfterRain: None. As always.
Turning off her phone, Luna spun on her heels, adjusted her earring and left the alley with the same tranquility with which she had entered.
When she returned to the entrance of the exhibition, the same employee ran up to her. "Miss Malroth, are you feeling well? I noticed you stepped out for a few minutes..."
Luna smiled lightly, as if she had just gone to retouch her lipstick. "Just a moment of fresh air... this city has a peculiar smell of rot sometimes."
And then she went to the parking lot to fetch her car, as if nothing had happened.