Chapter 105: Time Up?
In Box 14, Julian Sterling was sweating through his silk undershirt. He had seen Leon Hart enter the gallery with the woman in gold, and his heart had nearly stopped. He didn’t need a telescope to know who Elizabeth Roys was; her face was etched into the mind of every man in the country who held even a shred of power.
"James," Sterling hissed, his voice trembling as he gripped the velvet railing. "Why is she in Rivers’ box? Why is the daughter of the Commander in Chief sitting with those children?"
James, standing in the shadows behind him, looked equally shaken. "I don’t know, sir. There was no record of her on the guest list. She must have come as Hart’s personal guest."
"If Rivers has the military’s ear through the Roys family, we aren’t just looking at a corporate takeover," Sterling muttered, his mind racing through a hundred nightmare scenarios. "We’re looking at an execution. If she’s there to bless this union, the regulatory boards won’t just ignore me—they’ll bury me."
He looked back at Box 1. Through the distance, he could see the silhouettes of the five men and the one woman. They looked like a council of kings, and he was nothing more than the beggar at the gate.
"I need to get in that room," Sterling said, his desperation finally overriding his pride. "James, find out when the intermission is. I don’t care if I have to push past their security. I need to speak to Rivers before the night is over."
---
Inside Box 1, the first major item of the evening was being presented—a rare set of emerald-encrusted daggers from the old sultanate. The starting bid was five million marks.
"Ten million," Adrian said calmly. He didn’t even raise his paddle; he simply gave a short nod to the attendant, who signaled the auctioneer.
The room went silent. A five-million-mark jump on the first bid wasn’t just a purchase; it was a statement of dominance.
"Aggressive," Elizabeth remarked, looking at Adrian with an arched brow. "The Vale family always did prefer the blunt force approach."
"Efficiency saves time," Adrian replied, his voice flat. "It’s my set to begin with. And I’m not ready to part with it."
"Oh? How would you feel if I joined in on the fun?" Elizabeth asked with a playful, dangerous grin.
"You can join if you want. It’s not like I wasn’t aware that someone might outbid me when I put it up for auction," Adrian replied, his face an unreadable mask.
"Boring. You should lighten up more," she teased, then turned her gaze toward the other end of the couch. "Be more like Noah... or Lil... I mean, Leon." She caught herself as if the slip-up were an accident, but the giggle that followed suggested otherwise.
Leon ground his teeth in frustration, his face flushing a deep red as Elizabeth enjoyed his reaction.
Jake watched the floor below. He saw a few paddles rise, but they were hesitant. They knew who was bidding from Box 1. The shadow of Aurelia Capitals was long tonight, and it was draped over everything.
"Going once, going twice..." The gavel slammed. "Sold to the gentleman in Box 1."
Jake turned to Elizabeth. "You mentioned your father was curious. Is he the type to prefer efficiency, or does he like the long game?"
Elizabeth turned her head, her gaze locking onto Jake’s with a sudden, sharp intensity. The mask of the "socialite" slipped for a fraction of a second, revealing the tempered steel beneath.
"My father likes results, Jake. He doesn’t care how you get them, as long as the foundation of the country remains stable. Sterling Infrastructure is a mess, but it’s a mess that provides the backbone for our logistics. If you break it, you better have something stronger to put in its place."
’She’s not here to watch an auction,’ Jake realized. ’She’s here to deliver a warning.’
"I’m not just breaking it," Jake said, his voice low and steady, ensuring only she could hear him over the crowd. "I’m replacing it with something that doesn’t rot from the inside out. If the Commander wants stability, he’ll find it in my hands."
Elizabeth studied him for a long moment, then a genuine, dangerous smile spread across her face. "Bold. I like bold. Let’s see if you’re still this confident when Sterling comes knocking. I hear he’s quite a persistent ghost."
"He can knock all he wants," Jake said, glancing toward the door where Elias stood guard. "But I’m the one who decides who gets to walk through the door."
---
As if on cue, an attendant entered, bowing low before approaching Jake. "Mr. Rivers, a guest by the name of Alex is in the general seating area. He asked me to convey his congratulations on your acquisition of the gallery and expressed a desire to speak with you."
Jake’s expression shifted instantly. The relaxed observer was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp seriousness that made the air in the room feel thin. He didn’t say a word for several seconds, his eyes fixed on the attendant but looking right through her.
’Is he really in that much of a hurry to die?’ Jake thought, his jaw tightening. ’I intended to peel Sterling first and deal with his betrayal later, but if he wants to jump into the fire, I won’t stop him.’
Everyone in the room noticed the shift. Marcus stopped swirling his drink, and Elizabeth leaned back, her eyes narrowing as she studied Jake’s sudden change in aura.
"Arrange a separate private room for him during the second part of the auction," Jake said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Tell him I look forward to our chat."
As the attendant bowed to leave, Jake signaled another staff member by the door. "Go to Box 14. Tell Julian Sterling that I’ve invited him to Box 1. Now."
The attendant nodded and hurried out. Jake turned to Adrian and Noah. "We’re dealing with Sterling earlier than we planned. I have a personal matter to tend to during the second part of the auction."
"Suit yourself," Adrian said, checking his watch. "The sooner we break him, the sooner we can focus on the real numbers."
---
Down in the general seating area, an attendant approached Alex and Anna, leaning down to speak quietly. "Mr. Rivers has received your message. He has arranged for a private box to be prepared for both of you during the second part of the auction. He looks forward to seeing you then."
Anna’s eyes widened, a flash of genuine excitement crossing her face. She looked at the plush private boxes lining the upper tiers and then back at Alex. ’A private box?’ she thought. ’Alex actually has more influence with Jake than I realized. If Jake is giving him this much face after the inheritance news, he might be my permanent ticket to the top.’
Alex, however, felt a cold bead of sweat roll down his spine. He forced a smile for Anna, but his mind was racing. ’He’s moving us to a private box? Why? If he was busy, he’d just say hello here. Maybe he really doesn’t know.’
"See?" Alex whispered to Anna, trying to sound confident. "I told you we were close."
---
In Box 14, Julian Sterling stood up so fast his chair nearly tipped over. "He wants me in Box 1? Now?"
"Yes, Mr. Sterling. The invitation is for immediate attendance," the staff member replied.
Sterling straightened his jacket, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted his cuffs. "Finally," he muttered to James. "He’s realized he needs me. He’s ready to talk." He walked out of the box with a hurried, desperate stride, trying to reclaim a dignity he had already lost.
---
Back in Box 1, Elizabeth turned to Jake, her curiosity piqued. "So, since you’re the man of the house tonight, what exactly did you put up for auction? I’m assuming the owner of the Meridian doesn’t come empty-handed."
Jake leaned back, a dry smile appearing. "To be honest, I didn’t even know there was an auction happening until this morning. I certainly didn’t know people were auctioning off their own personal collections."
Elizabeth blinked, then let out a short laugh. "You’re joking. You own the building and you were out of the loop?"
"I’ve had a busy forty-eight hours," Jake said. "But as the owner, I couldn’t exactly let the night pass without a contribution. I have to put something up to avoid being labeled as a disconnected host. You’ll see it during the final lot."
---
Backstage, in a room filled with monitors and security feeds, two elderly men sat in deep leather chairs. These were the men who had truly organized the evening’s logistics long before Jake had officially taken the keys.
"We should go up there now," the first man said, tapping his cane against the floor. "He’s the owner now, whether we like how he got it or not. It’s better to establish a rapport before the main items hit the floor."
The second man, whose face was etched with deep lines of stubbornness, shook his head. "No. If we go now, we’re just another group of sycophants chasing his coattails. We wait until the third and final part. Let him feel the weight of the room first. Let him realize that owning the walls doesn’t mean he owns the people inside them."
"That’s a dangerous game," the first man countered. "He’s already got the Roys girl in his box. If we wait too long, he’ll think we’re snubbing him."
"The cons are that he’ll feel entitled," the second man snapped. "He’s a boy with a dead man’s wallet. I want to see how he handles Sterling and the pressure of the final bids before I give him my time. We stay here. We watch. We go in when the night is at its peak, and not a moment sooner."
The first man sighed, looking back at the screen showing Box 1. "I hope your perspective holds up, because from where I’m sitting, that ’boy’ looks like he’s already decided who owns whom."
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