spotlight illuminated the stage. The auctionee

re in the room shifted. A hush fell over the crowd as two whi

ius cello. Its varnished wood gleame

teen, carrying that exact cello on her back. A sudden riot had broken out, separating her from her mentor. Three massive me

on Briggs had charged into the alley, fighting off the men to sav

me to the crown jewel of this afternoon's event. The legendary 'D

neer repeated, scanning the room

m determination. He was bidding on behalf of a consortium of musicians who wante

man in the third row," the

dle. His voice cut through the hushed room

. To double the opening bid right out of the g

lenched into fi

oice straining slightly. It was pushing

k at Leo; he kept his eyes fixed on th

ronomical sum, even for a Stradivarius. It was clear this was no

He leaned over to Chloe. "I'm sorry, Ch

urning with a quiet, intense fire. She wasn't going to let Bryon win this

addle, her arm stead

room snapped toward her. The estranged wife of the CEO, bi

r, her voice a harsh hiss. "Are you insane, Chloe? You don't have eighty million do

thout looking at her, her voice cool and detached. "And

s arm, shaking it. "Bryon, she's doing this o

trying to prove she didn't need him. He felt a dark, overwhelming need to crush that re

deliberate slowness. He looked down at Chloe

ndred m

lattered against the wooden podium, the sound e

It was an obscene display of wealth, a fin

mmered, quickly recovering his composure and picking up

a frenzy of applause

er," a woman whispered lou

n just to make his new gi

pressing her chest against him, looking at Chloe with a gaze full of venomo

yes were dry. The pain was there, a sharp, twisting agony in

her, yet he had complained when she asked for a few thousand

" the auctioneer called out, his

g twi

st the cello, but she had finally, completely

ndred million dol