The Almighty Commander of Pyreking

Chapter 4

"Five million five hundred thousand from Table Three!" the auctioneer shouted, pointing his hand toward a wealthy real estate developer sitting near the front.

"Six million!" another voice boomed from the center row.

The ballroom of the Hotel vibrated with intense energy.

Whispers swept through the crowd of billionaires and high-society elites like wildfire.

Everyone in the province knew the rumors, Lord Bruce, the ruthless global representative of the invincible The Pyreking Dynasty, was looking for rare historical treasures in the city. Whoever presented him with the genuine Phoenix Jade seal tonight would instantly secure an untouchable business alliance worth billions.

Vivian Ellis sat on the edge of her seat, her palms slick with cold sweat. Her chest tightened as she stared at the green artifact on the stage.

"Seven million!" a grey-haired CEO called out, raising his red bidding paddle high.

Vivian’s throat tightened and her fingers quivered as she tightened her grip on her own paddle. Seven million was already far beyond the liquid cash the Ellis family possessed.

Trevor Rhodes leaned in close from her right, his voice dropping into a persuasive whisper that sounded like laced with poison.

"Don't hesitate now, Aunt Vivian," Trevor urged, his eyes gleaming with hidden malice. "Seven million is nothing compared to what you’ll gain. Lord Bruce values boldness. If you back down now, those other families will claim all the glory, and the Ellis name will remain second-rate forever."

"But, Trevor," Vivian stammered, her voice shaking slightly. "Our company's free cash flow is only six million. If I go higher, I'll have to sign over the deed to our estate and my late husband's insurance payout."

"It's a guaranteed investment, Aunt Vivian!" Trevor interrupted with a confident smile. "My family's firm has already prepared a short-term bridging loan for you right here on the table. Five minutes after you win the seal, Lord Bruce will sign the partnership contract. You'll recoup ten times this amount before midnight!"

Vivian looked at the pre-printed loan contract sitting beside her champagne glass. The words' Pyreking Alliance danced in her mind like a glowing beacon of eternal prestige. The greed in her heart consumed her reason.

"Eight million dollars!" the auctioneer yelled, scanning the room. "Eight million going at once!"

Sitting to her mother's left, Chloe's stomach dropped. She stared at the green jade seal on the stage.

Under the light, she saw tiny uneven marks at the base of the dragon design. They were the same tool marks and fake aged finish Tristan had warned her about at the house.

He had spoken so calmly with certainty. He didn't sound like a bitter loser. He sounded like a man who knew the truth.

A terrible sense of dread washed over Chloe. She reached out with trembling hands and grabbed her mother’s sleeve, tugging it urgently.

"Mother, stop, please!" Chloe whispered desperately, her voice filled with fear. "Don't raise the paddle! Look at the base of the jade under the light, the color isn't natural. Tristan was right, Mother. What if it's an expert forgery?"

Vivian froze for a second, but then her face contorted in fury. She snatched her sleeve out of Chloe’s grip, turning to glare at her daughter with eyes full of hatred.

"Shut up, You foolish girl!" Vivian hissed through clenched teeth, her voice dripping with venom. "You dare bring up that useless bum's name in a place like this? He's an uneducated stray who drinks cheap canned coffee in the parking lot. What does a pathetic vagrant know about antiquities?"

"Mother, please just listen to me." Chloe begged, tears brimming in her soft eyes.

"If you say another word, I will slap you right here in front of everyone!" Vivian snarled viciously. "You are just as soft-headed, spineless, and useless as he is! Trevor is standing right here offering us a path to ultimate royalty, and you want us to listen to a homeless dog sitting out in the cold?"

Trevor let out a laugh, shaking his head at Chloe with condescending pity. "Chloe, don't let a jealous loser infect your mind. Tristan is just trying to sabotage your family because he knows he'll never be on our level."

"Ten million dollars from the back row!" the auctioneer announced, his voice reaching a fever pitch. "Ten million dollars, Is there any higher offer for this once-in-a-lifetime imperial treasure?"

The entire ballroom fell dead silent.

Ten million dollars was an absurd sum, a crushing figure that made even established billionaires hesitate.

Vivian's mind was filled with burning ambition. She didn't think about her late husband's sacrifice. She didn't think about the risk to her daughter's future. All she saw was the promise of power, and the chance to look down on everyone who had ever doubted her.

Without a second thought, she grabbed the pen from Trevor’s hand, hastily scribbled her signature on the loan agreement, and raised her bidding paddle with all the force left in her body.

"TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS!" Vivian screamed out, her voice echoing off the high ceilings.

A stunned murmur rolled through the hundreds of elite guests in the room. Heads snapped toward Table Three as people stared at Vivian in utter shock.

"Twelve million dollars!" the auctioneer shouted, his eyes wide with wild excitement. "Twelve million going once! Twelve million going twice!"

Trevor sat back in his chair, a victorious smirk spreading across his face. He casually adjusted his tie, his eyes gleaming with cruelty as he watched Vivian sign away her entire life, her house, her company, and her family's freedom in one single stroke of a pen.

The trap had closed with perfection.

BANG!

The wooden gavel struck the block with a crack that sounded like a gunshot echoing through the room.

"SOLD!" the auctioneer yelled triumphantly. "Concluded at twelve million dollars to Mrs. Vivian Ellis. Congratulations on acquiring the Ancient Phoenix Jade seal!"

The room erupted into polite applause. Vivian slumped back in her seat, gasping for air, her face flushed with pride.

She threw her arms around Trevor, weeping tears of joy.

"We did it, Trevor. We did it!" Vivian sobbed with happiness. "We are royalty now. The Ellis family is untouchable!"

Chloe sat stunned in her chair, Her face lost its color. She stared at the signed loan contract lying on the tablecloth, feeling as though a suffocating mountain had collapsed on top of her chest.

Before Vivian could even finish her celebration, the double doors at the back of the ballroom suddenly burst open with a thud.

A dozen guards dressed in black suits swept into the hall, forming two strict security lines along the main aisle.

The lively chatter in the ballroom vanished, replaced by an oppressive silence.

The head auctioneer quickly stepped down from the stage, his Face ashen with sudden nervous sweat as he sprinted toward the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the host announced, his voice trembling noticeably with extreme tension. "Please rise, The global director of the Pyreking dynasty, the supreme representative of our province, Lord Bruce, has just entered the hotel. He is coming upstairs directly to personally verify our l auction's winning relic!”