The capital of the Phoenix Empire woke up under a gray sky, where dense clouds threatened rain at any moment.
The biting cold passed through the wide streets and tree-lined avenues like an ancient whisper—austere, imperial, the kind that suited a woman like Lumine perfectly.
In her mansion, the heater was set to the perfect temperature, spreading an aura of warmth throughout the quiet space. The air smelled of lavender, and the golden light from the windows fogged by the steam from her bath created a scene of everyday royalty.
Lumine emerged from the bathroom, her still-damp hair streaming down her back like black silk. She stared at the woman's suit neatly folded on the chair, as usual for a workday... but sighed slightly and looked away.
The climate called for something else.
With calm movements, she donned an icy white coat with silver accents, a high collar, fine leather gloves, and elegant boots. Even without any excessive accessories, there was something about her that made the world seem too small.
She was nobility made flesh.
In the closet mirror, her figure stood out like a living painting.
Tall, with impeccable posture, almost unreal porcelain skin, and ice-blue eyes—deep as frozen lakes. Her long, black hair, straight as midnight velvet, fell like a refined waterfall to her waist. She didn't need makeup, just a dark wine lipstick with a slight satin sheen.
Enough to seal your divine aura.
"Perfect," she murmured to herself, satisfied.
He calmly descended the mansion's stairs.
In the underground garage, dozens of cars were arranged like a luxury automotive gallery.
Without hesitation, she chose the Bugatti, a silent and deadly elegant machine.
The electronic gate opened without a sound.
As she sped onto the main street, the gates closed behind her with timed precision.
The polarized windows hid the heiress, who continued her way through the capital's wide avenues with imperial calm.
The trees beside the road swayed in the icy breeze, while the sky remained gray, threatening a storm that never seemed to fall.
Inside the car, Lumine listened to a classical symphony remixed with electronic elements. The dashboard projected notifications: Diamond Tycoon updates, weather forecasts, and meeting reminders.
She ignored it all for now.
"Let the games begin," he murmured.
Ahead, the five monumental buildings of Tycoon headquarters already rose on the horizon like colossi of glass and titanium.
The Bugatti glided into the main entrance of the Diamond Tycoon complex like a tamed beast, its tires screeching silently against the black marble of the courtyard.
Wasting no time, Lumine elegantly stopped the car and, without even breaking her pose, took out the vehicle key and lightly threw it to one of the uniformed security guards.
"Park carefully. It's my favorite," she said, without looking back.
The security guard snatched the key from the air with practiced reflexes and responded with a nervous nod, feeling as if he were being watched by a goddess in the flesh.
Lumine walked through the automatic doors of the complex's main entrance, her firm steps resonating with elegance.
As soon as she crossed the glass and steel lobby, ÆVA appeared in the form of a translucent hologram beside her, her features minimalist and voice calm as ever.
"Good morning, CEO Edelweiss. Mass production of the LUX face mask officially began at 5:47 a.m. The first batch is ready and meets the highest standards. All reports have been sent to your desk."
Lumine arched an eyebrow, satisfied.
"Finally," he said with a slight smile. "This product needs to perform. If it's not a success, not even Victoria's marketing can save it."
The holographic AI followed suit without missing a beat. "Pre-sales have also stabilized after the latest cyberattacks were successfully contained."
"Perfect." Lumine murmured.
He walked through the main lobby to the Development and Innovation Building, one of the five titans that made up Tycoon's monumental headquarters.
The environment was dynamic, modern, with translucent panels displaying data floating in the air, employees running around with tablets, samples, reports—everything impeccable, everything at the perfect pace of an engineering mind.
But when they saw Lumine entering, a small disturbance occurred in the synchronization.
The women slowed down.
Some stopped completely, others tripped discreetly over their own heels.
The presence of Tycoon's co-founder caused a kind of tension that mixed reverence, enchantment, and a twinge of aesthetic insecurity, a porcelain goddess, with eyes like blades and a walk that seemed to defy gravity.
"Good morning, Mrs. Lumine," they said, one after the other.
"Good morning," she replied with a light, almost maternal smile.
Some held their tablets tightly, others looked away with flushed cheeks.
Lumine noticed.
With an amused glint in his eyes, he muttered softly, "If they're like this with me... imagine when they see Luna in person. They'll need an ambulance at the door."
Crossing the glass corridor that connected the sectors, Lumine finally reached the presidential elevator.
The doors opened as if they knew who they served.
She entered, entering her biometric authentication on the digital panel.
The elevator rose smoothly as Lumine crossed her arms, leaning against the mirrored wall. She observed her reflection: still perfect, even after hours of being awake.
She took a deep breath.
Finally, their first product was ready. The last month's losses, the sleepless nights, the risk calculations, the export reports, and the financial system's hell—it all culminated in this moment.
The LUX face mask was ready.
The door to the presidential room opened softly as Lumine crossed the threshold.
The space was spacious, with glass walls offering a panoramic view of the imperial capital. The artificial breeze from the air-conditioning system made the curtains flutter gently.
Lumine walked to her imposing black marble desk, sat in the custom-made ergonomic chair, and crossed her legs elegantly.
Tapping the screen embedded in the tabletop, he activated the intercom. "Call my assistant, please."
A few minutes later, the door opened with a soft mechanical sound and a well-dressed young woman walked in, tablet in hand and serious expression.
"Good morning, Mrs. Edelweiss," he said, with a respectful nod.
"Good morning. LUX product updates." Lumine asked bluntly.
The assistant nodded and, with a tap on the tablet, activated the room's hologram. A series of graphs, production lines, and world maps appeared in the air, floating above the table.
"Since the project began exactly a month and a half ago, Tycoon has approved an initial investment of five hundred million dollars for the production of the LUX face mask."
Lumine watched intently, her fingers crossed under her chin.
"Yesterday, with the pre-order system, we recorded a total of 99.9 million units purchased so far."
"Ninety-and…?" Lumine repeated, blinking.
"Millions, ma'am," the assistant confirmed with a small, restrained smile. "The production cost per unit is $0.45. The sales price is $120 per unit."
Lumine blinked slowly, taking in the information. Her blue eyes shone as if winter itself were smiling.
She leaned forward, pulled out her personal tablet, and did a quick calculation with her nimble fingers. "99.9 million... times 120... is almost $12 billion gross. Total production cost: 99.9 million times 0.45... that's... about $45 million in costs."
She stopped. The end result made her push the tablet aside, her eyes wide with genuine surprise. Leaning back in her chair, she let out a small sigh followed by a muffled laugh.
"Twelve billion... minus forty-five million... That's over 11.9 billion in pre-sale profit?" she muttered, almost incredulous.
The assistant simply nodded, already aware of the magnitude of the feat. "And that's without even starting mass distribution..."
Lumine ran her hand through her hair, enchanted by the grandeur of her own creation. She murmured to herself, excited, her eyes shining. "This product... this product will make history. Billions, billions, just with its launch."
She rose from her chair and walked in brief circles around the room, almost laughing, almost dancing, but with the glacial self-control that was natural to her.
After a few seconds, he looked at the assistant and ordered with a predatory glint in his eyes, "Tell the expansion department that we'll be reviewing the physical points of sale. If all of this was online-only, imagine the impact on the stores."
The assistant wrote it down quickly.
Lumine turned to the window and muttered softly, "Lux… you're going to light up the whole world."
The cheerful smile still hovered on her lips when suddenly her expression became more serious—icy, analytical. The gleam in her pale blue eyes now belonged to the hunter.
She turned to the assistant. "Show me the data for Vérité Absolue™… the product of True Beauty."
The assistant didn't hesitate. With a few taps on the tablet, the holographic graphics rearranged themselves. The colors and logos of the competition appeared, as did impressive numbers.
"According to our reports, Vérité Absolue™ has already sold approximately 500 million units globally," said the assistant, sliding the data fluidly to the side. "They started the launch months before LUX, and they maintain partnerships with influencers, pharmaceutical companies, and cosmetics chains on every continent."
Lumine narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "What about the profit margin?"
The assistant made another command on the hologram and the data adjusted to a more technical view.
"Very low," she said. "Their production cost is between $50 and $70 per unit. The final selling price is around $90 to $100. In other words, a minimal margin, especially considering international logistics."
"In other words… they're in the red disguised as success," Lumine murmured, her gaze sharp as an obsidian blade.
"Exactly. Their strategy is volume and global presence, but the technology used in Vérité Absolue™ is about four years behind our current formula. Even with the fancy packaging, it's basically a regular mask with perfume and cheap collagen."
Lumine walked over to the table and touched the hologram, brushing away the graphics as if brushing away the dust of a crumbling empire. "This attempt to sabotage Tycoon… is desperate."
She turned, her night-blonde hair rippling with her movement. "Where has LUX been sold so far?"
"Only in the Phoenix Empire, ma'am," the assistant replied promptly. "Via Tycoon's official website and through Amazon."
"Hm." Lumine put a finger to her chin. "How many people live in the Empire?"
The assistant retrieved the data in a matter of seconds and replied, "According to the latest imperial census data, the population of the Phoenix Empire has surpassed 1 billion."
Lumine was silent. She walked to the picture window.
Outside, gray clouds still covered the capital's sky, but she didn't see clouds—she saw an entire population waiting.
"99.9 million units sold… means less than 10% of the Empire bought them," he muttered. "We haven't even explored the entire domestic market."
She spun on her heel and said firmly, "We're not launching LUX abroad. Not yet. I want to consolidate our imperial base first. I want a hundred million more sold domestically alone. I want to see every store in the capital with LUX in their windows."
The assistant nodded, already opening a new spreadsheet to organize the restructuring of the distribution plan.
"And ramp up marketing here. Influencers, campaigns on city screens, holograms in shopping malls, regionally targeted promotions. Show the Phoenix Empire that they have the best product in the world—before the world finds out."
"Yes, ma'am," the assistant replied, with a slight smile.
It was rare to see Lumine so... motivated.
Lumine then sat back down, her face serene, but her eyes alight with the energy of someone about to swallow the competition alive.
"They think they're competing with Tycoon…" she whispered to herself. "But they haven't even understood that LUX is just the first step."