ction floor suddenly went dark. A single, blinding

um. He adjusted his microphone and slammed his wooden ga

ction

diamonds. The billionaires on the floor raised their paddles fr

He had his long legs crossed at the knee. He didn't even

occasionally leaning in to whisper into Alaric's ear, report

her sofa. She held a crystal glass of ice water, swirling

ross the keys. He was actively routing their funds through a dozen sh

in the hall grew thick,

His hands were visibly shaking as

nced, his voice trembling with excitement. "

g a reinforced bulletproof glass display case. Inside the cas

of white cotton gloves. He ca

inside, emitting a faint, m

le. Her hands gripped the metal railing of the box so hard her knuckles

e bored indifference vanished from his face,

neration properties," the auctioneer shouted into the m

ycoon in the third row thrust his paddle int

Valley immediately jumped up.

s head. He simply shi

d his paddle high, and spok

undred

hall went d

bsolute shock at the front row. The oil tycoon slowly lowered his paddle, his face pale.

a deep, ecstatic red. He raise

once!" he screamed. "Five

ard arc, a blinding red light flashed fro

e voice boomed through the hall's surround-s

bil

s er

s, staring up at the pitch-black window of Box Two. Who had a billion dollars

m his fingers and clattered onto the floor. He s

into a mask of pure,

yatt could see his own breath. A suffocating,

rectly up at the one-way glass of Box Two. His gray eyes were like ph

lethal stare head-on. Even through the barrier, the sheer

microphone on the table

ough the hall, laced with a sneer. "If you don't ha

the room like

ne breathed. Every single person waited in s