Max stood in the corridor with both sides of his face now carrying matching evidence of the afternoon. The first handprint was deep into its swelling, the second freshly arrived beside it, an almost symmetrical record of exactly how thoroughly this had gone wrong for him.He looked around for support."Get up," he said, his voice carrying the particular tone of someone who was still, on some level, expecting obedience to be automatic. "All of you. Get up right now."Nobody moved.The two guards on the floor remained unconscious. The third was still struggling to find any version of upright that didn't produce immediate regret. None of them were standing. None of them were in any condition to act on his behalf."I said get up." Max's voice cracked slightly, the control fraying completely. "I'm giving you an order. Get. Up."The third guard made a sound that was not quite a word. It didn't sound like compliance.Max stared at them on the floor. At the empty space around him where his su

Kyle and Stacy returned a few minutes later, having only made it a short distance before Kyle's worry overrode whatever ground Stacy's urgency had gained.They found their way back through the gallery toward the corridor where the confrontation had taken place.What they found stopped them both.Logan was standing exactly where they had left him. Hands in his pockets, completely untouched. His jacket is straight, his expression is calm.Around him, scattered across the corridor floor, several of Max's guards remained where Logan had put them. Two entirely unconscious, the third sitting upright against the wall with his head in his hands.Stacy's mouth opened slightly."He's," she said. "Dad, look at him. He's fine. He's just standing there."Kyle nodded slowly. "I can see that.""He didn't get touched. Not once.""Apparently not."Stacy gripped her father's arm and scanned the hall, looking past the gathered onlookers, past the lingering staff who had begun the awkward process of fig

Once everyone had settled, Roman Carlisle rose from his seat near the front and cleared his throat. The room's attention shifted toward him immediately."For those of you who have attended sessions like this before, you already know the rules," he said, his voice carrying easily without needing amplification. "I won't waste your time repeating them. For anyone new, you'll find a pamphlet beneath your seat with everything you need to know. The format is simple enough that you shouldn't need to refer to it more than once."A pause followed while a few attendees reached beneath their seats, flipping briefly through the pamphlets before setting them aside.Stacy leaned toward Logan. "Have you done this before?""Once or twice," Logan said. "It's straightforward. People bid on uncut stones. Sometimes they get lucky. Sometimes they don't.""How do you know if you're getting lucky?""Experience. Knowing what to look for. Having a sense of what the stone contains before anyone else sees it."

Kyle noticed the shift in Logan's posture, the way his attention had locked onto something specific across the room.He leaned closer."Who is that?" Kyle murmured, his voice low enough to stay between them. He followed Logan's line of sight toward the man in the exquisite suit, taking in the gemstones on every finger. "I've never seen him before.""Gordon Pilgrim," Logan murmured back."Should I know him?""You wouldn't, unless you do business in Black Creek Falls." Logan kept his eyes on the man as he spoke. "He's a jewelry tycoon over there. Significant name in that industry, in that city specifically." He frowned slightly. "I have no idea what he's doing in New Horizon."Kyle studied the man with renewed interest. The rings. The chain at his neck. The general effect of someone who treated his own appearance as a walking advertisement for his profession."Is he important?" Kyle asked."Important enough. He's not at the level of the four families, but he's significant in his own sph

Roman Carlisle stood at the front of the room. He had his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes on Gordon Pilgrim.Stacy leaned toward Logan. "He's really angry.""He is.""How can you tell?""His posture. The way his shoulders are set. The careful control in his voice." Logan paused. "He wants to say something very different. He's holding it back."Kyle spoke up quietly. "What's the context here? This can't just be about gambling.""It's not," Logan said. "New Horizon City and Black Creek Falls have been competing for years. But competing.""Over what?""Economic influence. National reputation, positioning for resources and investment." Logan's voice was level. "For a long time, New Horizon City had the advantage. Then Astral Corp shut down."Kyle's expression shifted. "That was a huge loss.""It created a gap. A vulnerability." Logan glanced at Gordon. "Black Creek Falls noticed. They've been bolder since then.""And this is part of that?""This is the most public example yet."