The laughter in the ballroom was like a storm. It was loud, mean, and it didn't seem to stop. Sarah was still pointing at the rusty coin, her face red from laughing so hard. Jason was leaning against the table, his shoulders shaking."Mr. Sterling," Jason said, gasping for air. "You have to kick them out now. This is a high-class event. We are here to help people, not to look at trash from a pocket. Look at my watch! It shines! It has history! It has value! And then look at... that."Chloe felt like she was shrinking. She looked at Alex, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at a man who was pushing through the crowd.This man was old. He had white hair and wore thick glasses. He was wearing a simple black suit, but everyone in the room knew who he was. This was Professor Arthur Vance. He was the lead appraiser for the gala. He was the man who decided what was real and what was fake for the biggest museums in the world. He didn't care about money. He only cared about things tha

The silence in the ballroom was heavy. It felt like the air had turned into lead. No one moved. No one even breathed. They all just stared at Alex Reed. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking like he was waiting for a bus instead of standing next to a sixty-million-dollar treasure."A junk drawer?" Professor Vance whispered, his voice trembling. "You found a piece of world history... in a drawer with old tape and dead batteries?"Alex nodded. "Yeah. It was under some old mail. I almost threw it out, but I liked the red color."Jason Miller looked like he was about to explode. His face was a strange mix of purple and red. He had spent two million dollars on a watch to prove he was a king, and now a "driver" had pulled a sixty-million-dollar coin out of his pocket like it was a piece of gum."It’s a lie!" Jason screamed. He pointed a shaking finger at Alex. "It’s all a big lie! There is no way this guy has that coin. He’s a janitor! He’s a loser! He’s a nobody!""Jason, s

The night air outside The Willow Hotel was cool, but Chloe Miller felt like she was walking through a warm dream. She held Alex’s arm tightly as they walked down the wide stone steps toward the parking lot. Behind them, the sounds of the gala—the music, the clinking glasses, and the low hum of rich people talking—started to fade.“You really did it, Alex,” Chloe said. Her voice was soft, and she didn't care that her heels were clicking loudly on the pavement. “That coin... you saved everything. Again.”Alex didn't look like a man who had just donated sixty million dollars. He looked like he was thinking about where he had parked the car. “I told you, Chloe. I found it in a junk drawer. It was just sitting there under some old batteries. I’m glad the Professor liked it.”Chloe stopped walking and pulled him around to face her. The streetlights overhead made her eyes look like bright blue stars. “Stop it. Stop acting like this was all just luck. First the company, then the hospital, now

Chloe leaned back against her seat. Her chest was moving up and down fast. "Is it over?" she whispered. "Did we... did they stop?"Alex didn't answer. He was looking at the side mirror. His eyes were sharp. Through the thick smoke, he saw something move. A door on the back of the SUV hadn't been crushed. It creaked open.Two men stepped out. They didn't look like they had just been in a massive crash. They moved like robots—quick and steady. They were wearing black tactical gear and masks. In their hands, they held small, black handguns. Each gun had a long tube on the end—a silencer."They're still coming," Chloe gasped. She saw the guns. "Alex, they have guns! Drive! Go now!""The tires are blown, Chloe," Alex said. He looked down at the dashboard. The sensors were red. "The drift through those barrels ruined the rims. We aren't going anywhere in this car."The two men started walking toward them. They didn't run. They didn't shout. They just raised their pistols, pointing them righ

“Let’s keep this brief,” Dr. Halloway said. He cleared his throat. “We have reviewed the bids for the hospital expansion. Miller Tech has submitted two plans. One from the CEO’s office, and one from the development branch led by Mr. Jason Miller.”Chloe frowned. “Jason’s branch? That’s just a subsidiary. My bid covers the entire company’s resources.”“True,” Halloway said. “But Jason’s plan includes a very... generous... local partnership. It seems more reliable for the long term.”Alex leaned in. He could see Halloway’s hands shaking under the table. The man was nervous. He was also wearing a brand-new watch—a Rolex that looked like it cost fifty thousand dollars.Alex pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Silas. Find out what Richard gave Halloway for the hospital deal. Now.Ten seconds later, his phone buzzed.Silas: Sir, Richard Miller transferred two million dollars to an offshore account in Halloway’s name last night. He also promised Halloway a seat on the board of a ne