The murmurs in the grand hall suddenly shifted, rippling like a wave of anticipation. Heads began to turn toward the entrace as the Sawyer family’s highest ranking figures made their entrance.The Sawyer family matriarch, regal as ever in her old age, silver hair swept into a perfect chignon, her prescence radiating authority, glided into the room in a deep emerald gown. Flanking her was Victor Sawyer, tall and broad shouldered in a perfectly tailored midnight blue suit, his expression was calm yet intimidating. At his side walked his adoptive son, Vikram, a sharply dressed young man with slicked back hair and a smile that manged to look charming and calcualting all at once.The energy in the room shifted instantly. The crowd of elites, dressed in shimmering fabrics and dripping with jewelry, instinctively dirfted toward the newcomers like moths to a flame, eager to offer their greetings.Standing off to the side, Maximus and Valerie watched the scene unfold, their fingers intertwined

A wave of recognition moved through the Sawyer family section. Victor Sawyer leaned back in his seat, studying Maximus with mild surprise. The Sawyer matriarch's together with an unreadable glint in her eyes. The bidding climbed, two million, two point one, two point two and so on. Voices from all corners of the room stepping in and bowing out like a slow, elegant duel. Two point three, two point four. By the time it hit three point one million, the initial bloom of paddles has withered down to just a handful: Maximus, the Sawyer matriarch herself, a heavyset man in a commanders uniform whom Maximus didn't recognize, and a hawk faced collector from the East seated near the back. Valerie was watching him now with a mix of fascination and thrill. He wasn't sweating or fidgeting, he was still, with a cold presence in a room full of restless money. Three point two. Three point three. With every bid, Maximus cut down the competition. The heavy set man bowed out. But, the collector he