"I can help," Ares said at last.

His voice was unusually light, almost casual, but the calm confidence in his tone made the offer feel absolute.

"I can provide you with a deposit first."

The chandelier’s golden light reflected faintly against his sharp features as he glanced at the treasure chest beside Lara.

"But this amount of treasure..." His gaze swept over the gold and jewels with measured calculation. "If purchased entirely by a single buyer, it would create a noticeable strain in liquidity. Even for me, moving that much cash at once would attract attention."

Then his eyes returned to Lara and remained there.

"How much do you need?"

The directness of the question made Logan whistle softly under his breath while Liam stared at Ares in disbelief. Yet Lara herself did not seem intimidated in the slightest.

"I need enough capital to fund a startup," she answered calmly, without breaking eye contact.

For the first time that night, Ares nearly lost his composure. He almost stumbled when he stepped forward.

His brows twitched ever so slightly.

A startup?

Then he remembered overhearing Liam and Logan discussing one earlier.

"There’s a company I’m interested in," Lara continued. "They’re on the verge of bankruptcy, but I want to acquire them before they collapse completely." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The room fell quiet.

Ares studied her more carefully now, genuine curiosity surfacing in his eyes. Until this moment, he had assumed Lara simply wanted financial security after discovering the treasure.

But this...

This was strategy.

She already had a target in mind.

Ares found himself unexpectedly impressed. Very few people could stay this composed while sitting in front of a fortune large enough to change several lifetimes, yet Lara’s focus was not on luxury or indulgence.

She was thinking about investment.

About building something.

"Have you thoroughly investigated the company?" Ares asked, his tone lower now, more serious. "What if its assets have already been sold off?"

Lara looked up from her seat.

At some point, she had moved away from the treasure chest and settled comfortably into one of the armchairs nearby. A delicate golden necklace dangled from her fingers as she absentmindedly twirled it, the jewels catching the chandelier light with every slow turn.

"I did," she said quietly.

Her voice was calm.

"That company is small, but the owner has integrity. He genuinely cares about his employees." Her fingers paused briefly against the necklace. "Most businessmen would have abandoned the company the moment profits started falling, but he didn’t."

A faint crease appeared between her brows as she recalled the reports she had read.

"He exhausted almost everything he had trying to keep it alive. Loans, personal savings, properties... he sold asset after asset just to continue paying salaries and funding operations."

The room grew quieter as she spoke.

"In the end," Lara continued softly, "he reached the point where he had no choice left."

Her gaze lowered briefly to the golden necklace in her hand before she tightened her grip around it.

"He was forced to sell the company he spent years building from nothing."

...

The room fell into silence after Lara’s explanation.

Ares leaned back slightly in his chair, one long finger tapping lightly against the armrest as he studied her.

His gaze was calm. The kind that made people feel as though they were being thoroughly examined beneath layers of composure.

"Why that company?" he finally asked.

Lara looked at him.

Ares’ expression remained unreadable as he continued in an even tone.

"A company on the verge of bankruptcy has no value on the surface. Investors avoid businesses like that for a reason." His eyes narrowed slightly. "So what exactly did you see in it?"

Logan straightened a little on the sofa, suddenly interested.

Even Liam quietly glanced toward Lara.

The atmosphere in the room shifted subtly.

It no longer sounded like casual conversation. It sounded like an interview.

But Lara did not panic.

Instead, she calmly placed the golden necklace back into the chest before folding her hands together loosely on her lap.

"The company is a small entertainment company producing indie films," she explained. "The owner offended a director and since then, things were more difficult for him.

Ares’ tapping finger paused.

"But their research team is talented," Lara continued. "They simply lack funding and management capable of protecting their projects long enough to become profitable."

Logan blinked.

Even Liam frowned slightly, surprised.

Lara continued smoothly, as though she had already rehearsed this countless times in her mind.

"The market only sees losses," she said softly. "But I looked deeper. They have good people. The movies they produced were top notch.

Ares’ eyes sharpened.

Now she had his full attention.

"Do you understand what you’re implying?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

The answer came without hesitation.

"If they are given an opportunity, they will surely succeed. The company’s value could multiply several times over within a few years."

The chandelier light reflected faintly across Ares’ dark eyes as he watched her.

Most people who suddenly acquired wealth became intoxicated by luxury.

But Lara...She was thinking about acquisition. Then later an expansion.

Logan let out a low whistle.

"Okay," he muttered, staring at Lara. "That’s actually terrifying."

Lara blinked. "What is?"

"You," Logan answered honestly. "You’re sitting in front of enough treasure to retire ten times over, and instead of shopping for islands, you’re planning acquisitions of a company about to be bankrupt."

Liam rubbed his forehead with a quiet sigh.

"When you say it like that, she really does sound scary."

But despite the teasing, neither of them could completely hide the admiration in their voices.

Ares remained silent for several moments before speaking again.

"Have you verified whether the company is still available for acquisition?"

"I did," Lara replied immediately. "The owner is still searching for buyers privately because he doesn’t want the company dismantled for parts."

That answer surprised Ares again.

She had already investigated even that far.

"How much?"

Lara hesitated briefly before raising up 5 fingers and naming the amount. Even Logan sat up straighter after hearing the number.

"That much?" he repeated.

But Ares’ expression barely changed. To him, the amount was manageable.

What interested him far more was Lara herself.

"You’ve thought this through carefully," he said.

Lara gave a small nod.

"I know this sounds risky," she admitted softly. "But opportunities like this don’t appear often. If I wait too long, someone else will buy it first."

Ares stared at her for a long moment.

Then slowly— his lips curved faintly.

"I’ll finance it."

The room instantly quieted.

Liam’s head snapped toward him.

Even Logan looked surprised despite being the one who proposed the idea earlier.

But Ares continued calmly.

"However..." His gaze remained fixed on Lara. "From this point onward, I’ll also be involved in the acquisition process."

Lara blinked.

Ares leaned forward slightly, his voice low and measured.

"I want to personally review the company before any deal is finalized."