The lazy genius has 5 mates

chapter 40

The moment Roxanne stepped out of the study, the corridor lights adjusted themselves, recognizing her stress-level from the microreactive band on her wrist. She ignored it. She had bigger problems.

Aurum and Grandpa Black followed her out after a beat — silent, calculating, dangerous.

"Arlet," Aurum said, voice low but carrying, "no one enters or leaves the manor without my authorization."

"Yes, Master Aurum." The old butler bowed. "Shall I alert the outer perimeter?"

"No," Roxanne answered before her father could.
"Not yet."

Aurum looked at her sharply.

"If they think we're alarmed," she said, "they'll back off and observe from a distance. We need them close tonight."

Grandpa Black's eyes gleamed. "That's my girl."

Within minutes, they were in the old tactical room — a space rarely used since the triplets were born. Hologram grids flickered to life. The Blacks' symbol pulsed on the floor.

Aurum crossed his arms. "Where do you want the bait?"

Roxanne already had the blueprint pulled up.

"Here," she pointed to the east wing.
"The laboratory staging room. It's the only place in this manor that looks like somewhere I'd temporarily secure something valuable."

"And isn't actually connected to the hidden house," Grandpa added with a pleased grunt.

Roxanne nodded. "Exactly."

Aurum's brows knitted. "We're using the fake chip?"

"Yes." She held it in her palm.
The 0.2mm-too-thick imposter.
The reason someone thought she messed up or moved the real one.

Grandpa eyed it distastefully. "An insultingly good forgery."

"Impressively sloppy, in my opinion," Roxanne muttered.

Aurum smirked. "You would say that."

She ignored him.

"It goes into the lab staging vault," she said, typing rapidly. "I'll leave a fabricated set of access logs indicating I moved 'an experimental bioengineered chip' there an hour ago."

"Will that hold on deeper scrutiny?" Aurum asked.

"Long enough to lure them inside."

Grandpa grinned. "Then we shut the trap."

Roxanne shook her head. "No. We don't capture them."

Both elders turned to her.

She continued, voice cool and absolute:

"We follow them."

Aurum's expression sharpened. "You want them to lead us back to whoever sent them."

"Yes. If we intercept tonight, we only get the pawns."
She zoomed in on the chip schematic.
"But if they think they succeeded, they'll take the bait straight to their handler."

Grandpa chuckled. "Clever little star."

Aurum exhaled slowly. "This is dangerous."

"For them," Roxanne replied.

They walked to the east wing together, shadows blending into the wealthy marble and steel of the Black estate.

Roxanne entered the staging room first, flicking on the sterile white lights. She inserted the fake chip into an empty containment pod, sealed it, and coded the vault's display to read:

EXPERIMENTAL BIO-MATRIX PROTOTYPE
Creator-level clearance required.

A lie.
A perfect one.

Grandpa whistled. "They'll salivate."

"That's the point."

Aurum watched her with a strange softness beneath his steel exterior.
"You're too calm."

Roxanne shrugged. "I already ran three scenarios. None end with them leaving alive if they try to take me tonight."

"Roxanne," Aurum said quietly.

She paused.

He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "We will not lose you. Not tonight. Not ever."

She swallowed a lump in her throat she didn't know was there.

Grandpa cleared his throat suddenly, pretending to examine a screen. "Yes, well— I'll go check the perimeter. Make sure the fools have a clear path in."

Aurum almost smiled. "I'll accompany you."

Roxanne blinked. "...Are you two seriously going to monitor the intruders personally?"

Grandpa smirked. "Who else can be trusted? Your father and I were breaking into boardrooms before you were born."

Aurum opened the door, voice dry. "We're very experienced criminals, Roxanne."

She stared at them, expression flat.
"I hate that that comforts me."

Aurum winked — actually winked — and shut the door.

Roxanne took a slow breath.

The pod glowed softly in the dim, sterile room.

The fake chip sat inside, looking all too much like something she would've made... if she had been in a coma while coding.

She turned away.

Her fingers hovered over her wrist-comm.
She considered contacting the mates.

But stopped.

This — the bait plan — had to be executed first.
Before emotions.
Before explanations.
Before the storm.

She stepped toward the hall.

The lights flickered once.

Then again.

She froze.

The security panel next to the door blinked red for half a second before stabilizing.

...Someone was already testing the defenses.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Oh," she whispered.
"So you're impatient."

The faintest smile curved on her lips.

"Good."

She tapped her comm once.

"Dad. Grandpa. They're here early."

Aurum's voice came immediately:

"Then we're ready."

Grandpa added, dark and pleased:

"Little star... let's see who wants to die tonight."