Chapter 6 - The canvas of secrets
Inside the main hall, the lights dimmed. A single bright spotlight illuminated the centerpiece painting on the main stage.
Julian Sterling stepped up to the podium, his voice echoing through the high-end sound system. "Ladies and gentlemen, we now reach Lot 12. The Whispering Veil, painted in 1892. Starting bid is fifty million dollars."
Up in the VIP booth, Alexander looked down at the canvas.
To the rest of the world, it was merely a masterpiece of light and shadow. But Alexander knew what lay beneath the thick layers of oil paint. Twenty years ago, when he was just nineteen years old, his family's estate was liquidated in a midnight takeover orchestrated by Richard Harrington. The painting had been taken from his mother's study—the final piece of evidence proving that the Harrington empire was built on stolen land and falsified deeds.
For twenty years, Alexander had built his wealth in the shadows, waiting for the exact moment when the Harringtons would be desperate enough to put the painting up for auction to cover their mounting debts.
Down in the back aisle, Celeste walked slowly back toward the stage, her mind racing. She looked up at the VIP booth, where Alexander sat in dark silence, watching her like a chess player about to make his final move.
She realized then that this wasn't an accidental encounter. The tray, the stain on his jacket, the broken paddle—it wasn't a random dispute.
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He had lured her here.
Driven by a mix of terror and rage, Celeste bypassed the security cordons and began walking up the private stairs leading directly to Alexander’s booth.
