Chapter 22: Silent Auction

The ambient noise in the Crystal Pavilion slowly returned as the elite crowd resumed their networking.

The initial shock of Victoria Sterling walking into hostile territory faded, but the gravitational pull of the room had fundamentally shifted.

Camilla tightened her grip on Lucas’s arm. She watched her rival navigate the sea of tailored suits with a victorious smirk playing on her red lips.

"Look at her," Camilla whispered as she leaned close to his ear. "She came alone. She is projecting strength but I can see the cracks. She knows she lost the upper hand."

Lucas kept his expression carefully neutral.

He watched the countdown timer hovering in his peripheral vision drop to nine minutes.

He needed to leave Camilla’s side and hold a treasonous meeting with the founder of Vertex Management without triggering a catastrophic fallout.

An event organizer wearing a wireless headset suddenly broke through the crowd and approached them.

"Ms. Verman," the frantic organizer said while checking a digital clipboard. "We need you backstage immediately. The silent auction is opening in five minutes and the mayor just arrived to introduce your opening remarks."

Camilla let out a soft sigh of annoyance. She turned to Lucas and ran her hand lightly down his chest.

"I have to go play the gracious host," Camilla murmured. She looked up at him with a possessive gleam in her green eyes. "Go to the bar. Get yourself a drink and do not let any of these boring executives talk your ear off. I will be right back."

"I will be waiting," Lucas promised.

Camilla turned and followed the organizer toward the raised stage at the front of the pavilion.

The moment she was swallowed by the crowd Lucas immediately turned and walked in the opposite direction.

He navigated the bustling ballroom with the fluid grace his new System skills provided.

He bypassed the silver champagne trays and kept his eyes scanning the perimeter of the room.

He spotted a flash of sweeping navy blue silk disappearing down a dimly lit corridor.

The corridor led to the private gallery wing where the silent auction items were being displayed.

Lucas checked his timer. He had seven minutes left. He stepped out of the main ballroom and into the quiet hallway.

The gallery was lined with expensive modern art and glass display cases housing vintage jewelry. The heavy velvet curtains muffled the sound of the party outside.

Victoria Sterling stood near the end of the hall. She was pretending to admire a massive abstract painting. She did not turn around when she heard his footsteps approaching on the marble floor.

"You wear her money very well Lucas," Victoria stated. Her voice was cold and echoed softly in the empty space.

"It seems I do," Lucas replied as he stopped a respectful distance away. "She insisted on buying the suit."

Victoria finally turned to face him. The ambient light from the display cases caught the sharp angles of her flawless face.

She looked him up and down with an analytical gaze. She was evaluating the physical changes in him.

He no longer carried the nervous posture of a junior assistant. He stood with the relaxed confidence of a predator.

"Is the role working?" Victoria asked.

"She is completely blind," Lucas said. He laced his voice with the steady resonance of his Silver Tongue skill to ensure every word sounded like absolute loyalty.

"Her forensic team failed to find any digital footprint regarding your offshore accounts. She thinks I protected her by keeping the information a secret. She believes she completely broke my loyalty to you."

A terrifying smile touched the corners of Victoria’s lips. It was a look of pure corporate triumph.

"Excellent," Victoria whispered. She took a slow step toward him. "Camilla is so accustomed to manipulating men that she cannot perceive when she is the one being played. You have done exactly what I asked. You have made her soft."

Lucas held his ground as she entered his personal space.

The scent of her expensive jasmine perfume was a sharp contrast to the dark cherry and vanilla he had been breathing all day.

"What is the next step?" Lucas asked.

"I am finalizing the poisoned zoning files this weekend," Victoria explained while keeping her voice low. "My legal team is restructuring the profit margins to look incredibly lucrative but legally hollow. You will receive the documents on Monday."

She reached out and adjusted the knot of his silk tie. Her manicured fingers brushed against his throat.

It was the exact same possessive gesture Camilla had used earlier. These women communicated their dominance through casual physical invasion.

"But you will not simply hand them over," Victoria continued as she smoothed the silk fabric against his chest. "You will tell her you copied them from my private servers before you defected. She believes you betrayed me. That means she will trust anything you appear to have stolen from me. A turncoat’s gift is the one thing she will never think to question."

She let the words settle before she went on.

"Once she has those files she will sink her entire liquidity into the financial district expansion. When the trap springs Vertex Management will absorb her real estate empire for pennies. And you will be heavily rewarded for your service."

Lucas looked down into her dark eyes.

"I will make sure she signs the contracts."

Victoria paused. Her hand rested flat against his chest. Her Micro-Motive data flared with a sudden spike of intense curiosity.

She felt the steady, calm rhythm of his heart beneath his tailored suit. She remembered how terrified he was just a few days ago in her boardroom.

"You have changed," Victoria observed softly. "You are not shaking anymore. You are standing in the middle of a warzone and you look perfectly comfortable."

"I am doing my job," Lucas replied.

"You are doing it very well," Victoria murmured. She let her hand drop to her side. "Go back to your fake fiancée. Keep her distracted."

Lucas checked his timer. He had exactly ninety seconds left. He offered a respectful nod and turned around.

He walked out of the quiet gallery and merged seamlessly back into the crowded ballroom.

A pleasant chime echoed in his mind.

[The Wirewalker Quest Completed!]

[Reward: 400 AP awarded.]

[Current AP Balance: 1600]

[Double-agent status successfully maintained. Both targets remain entirely convinced of your loyalty.]

Lucas let out a slow exhale and walked over to the nearest bar. He ordered a glass of scotch and leaned against the polished wood counter.

He watched the raised stage at the front of the room.

Camilla was standing behind the acrylic podium.

She delivered a charismatic and flawless speech about the future of urban development and the importance of giving back to the city.

The crowd applauded warmly as she finished her remarks and stepped down from the stage.

She immediately scanned the room. Her piercing green eyes found him standing at the bar.

She cut through the crowd of wealthy investors and approached him.

The flush of public victory was evident on her face. She looked radiant and dangerously powerful.

"I hope you did not miss me too much," Camilla teased as she stepped into his space.

"Just counting the minutes," Lucas replied smoothly. He handed her a glass of champagne he had snagged from a passing waiter.

Camilla took the glass and offered a genuine smile.

She took a sip and then her gaze dropped to his chest. Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second.

She reached out and pinched the knot of his silk tie.

Lucas felt his pulse spike.

He maintained his Somatic Composure but his Micro-Motive Perception instantly picked up a massive shift in her emotional state.

The relaxed victory was gone. A sudden, violent wave of territorial jealousy washed over her posture.

"Your tie," Camilla stated. Her voice was perfectly calm but laced with venom.

Lucas kept his face entirely neutral. "I bumped into a waiter in the crowd. I had to adjust it."

Camilla stepped closer. She tilted her head slightly and inhaled.

Her green eyes darkened as she processed the faint, lingering scent of jasmine perfume clinging to the lapel of his jacket.

She was not stupid. She knew exactly what Victoria Sterling smelled like.

She did not accuse him of being a spy. Her twisted perception of the situation led her to a completely different conclusion.

She believed Victoria had cornered him while she was on stage and tried to sway him back to Vertex Management.

"Is that so," Camilla whispered. Her grip on his tie tightened slightly, pulling him closer.

She looked across the crowded ballroom and locked eyes with Victoria, who was watching them from a distance.

The silent war between the two crackled through the air.

Camilla then looked back up at Lucas, her expression hardening into absolute possessiveness.

"Let us make one thing perfectly clear," Camilla said as she smoothed the silk tie flat against his chest.

"Victoria can circle you all she wants. But you go home with me."