The Graham Heir—I Am Not An Adopted Nobody

Chapter 60: Payment Verification

The room stayed frozen after Edward’s demand, and the air felt so thick it was like a wire stretched until it was about to snap.

For a long, painful moment, nobody in the crowd even dared to cough because every billionaire in the hall was staring at Robert, just waiting for his mask to slip and reveal he was a fraud.

Robert didn't look like a guy who had just been cornered. He actually leaned back in his chair, looking more comfortable than he had all night.

“That’s perfectly reasonable,” Robert said. His voice was smooth, like he was agreeing to a simple lunch plan. “I have no problem with that at all. Let's make sure everyone's actually going to pay.”

A wave of whispers broke out across the floor because people were confused, wondering if he was just bluffing or if he really was that confident.

Robert reached into his inner jacket pocket without fumbling or hesitating, and he pulled out a plain black card which he held casually between two fingers. It wasn't gold or shiny, and it didn't have a fancy logo on it, but it just looked heavy and important.

The host leaned off the stage and signaled to his team, and within seconds, two men in dark suits marched out from a side door. They were carrying silver metal briefcases that looked like they belonged in a spy movie. They moved with military precision— one stopping at Edward’s table, the other at Robert’s.

The entire hall went dead quiet as everyone realized this was the moment of truth.

Edward’s Payment

The briefcase beside Edward clicked open to reveal a high tech payment terminal that glowed with a soft blue light.

“Sir,” the staff member said politely, “we’ll process your acquisitions first.”

The giant digital screen behind the stage flickered and updated. Everyone leaned in to see the math.

Edward Emmett — Round Two:

It showed the Celestial Symphony for one point two billion and the Aurelian Archipelago for six hundred and thirty million, bringing the Round Two total to one point eight three billion ($1.83 Billion)

Then, the assistant added the totals from Round One.

Round One Acquisitions:

The Fallen Seraph — $15 million

The Midnight Sun Collection — $50 million

The Crown of Helios — $80 million

Leaving a grand Total of one billion, nine hundred seventy five million dollars. ($1.975 Billion)

A low murmur moved through the audience. Edward had originally planned to spend about one billion tonight, but he had nearly doubled his budget just to keep up with Robert.

The staff member looked at him expectantly. “Sir?”

Edward swallowed hard as he felt the eyes of the entire room on him before sliding his card into the machine

The machine started processing. It took a while. Five seconds passed, then ten seconds, it stretched to fifteen seconds. A small line of sweat formed on Edward’s forehead, and his eyebrows pulled together in a tiny frown.

Then, the screen flashed APPROVED

And a massive sigh of relief went through the hall. Edward forced a confident smile, but inside his heart was racing because he knew he had just dipped deep into his family's reserves

He was touching money he wasn't supposed to move, now he was officially standing on thin ice.

Now, every head in the room swung toward Robert as the second briefcase opened and the screen updated with numbers that were absolutely staggering.

Robert’s Acquisitions:

The Sovereign Eclipse at $1.7 Billion

The Atlas Codex at $1.44 Billion

Apollo IE Car at $850 Million

Totaling three billion, nine hundred ninety million dollars. ($3.99 Billion)

Nearly four billion dollars. Someone in the back row actually whispered, “There’s no way. It’s impossible.”

The staff member looked at Robert with a new level of respect. “Sir. Whenever you're ready.”

Robert didn't even pause to think before he slid the black card into the terminal, and the machine didn't struggle or buffer for even a second.

The word APPROVED glowed bright green on the screen, and the room didn't even gasp this time, it just went completely silent. Four billion dollars had just cleared instantly, like it was a twenty dollar grocery bill at a corner store.

The Attempt to Leave

Edward stood up suddenly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

“Well,” he said, his voice a little stiff as he adjusted his jacket. “I’ve gotten what I came for. I think that’s more than enough for one night.”

He started to turn toward the exit, his hand on Chloe’s arm.

Robert tilted his head. “Leaving already?”

His voice wasn't mean or loud. It was just curious. “We’re just getting to the good part, Edward.”

Edward didn't look back. “I’m satisfied with my wins.”

Robert smiled, a tiny, sharp look in his eyes. “I thought you were the one who invited me here. It’s not very polite to invite a guest and then walk out before they do, is it?”

A few people in the crowd chuckled nervously. Robert continued, as calm as ever. “Stay and enjoy the evening. Unless... you’re starting to run out of money?”

Edward’s jaw tightened so hard it looked like it might break. Chloe leaned in and whispered something urgent into his ear: “Edward, do we have enough cash to keep bidding this way. If we keep going like this, we're going to be in serious trouble.”

Edward ignored her and slowly sat back down, replaying the whole night in his head until it finally clicked that Robert had been playing him all along. He realized Robert had strategically pushed him to spend nearly two billion dollars on items Robert didn't even want just to drain his accounts.

Edward’s eyes shifted toward Avery. Is she the one giving him the money? Or is Robert something else entirely? Who is this guy?

It was time for the legendary tier

The host stepped back to the center of the stage, his voice sounding a lot more serious now. “Ladies and gentlemen… we are now entering the Legendary Tier.”

The lights in the hall went out completely. Then, the entire stage floor split open with a deep groan, and a massive lift rose slowly from the darkness with something large covered in a heavy black silk cloth.

“This next piece,” the host said, his voice dropping to a whisper, “has never been seen by the public. Ever.”

He pulled the silk away.

Gasps filled the room. On display was a flawless red diamond the size of a small apple, set into a platinum frame. It looked like it was glowing from the inside.

“The Aeternum Crown Jewel.” he said

The screen showed the stats, A three hundred and twelve carat natural red diamond. Flawless. Untouched. Impossible to replace.

“This isn't just a rock,” the host said. “It is a piece of history representing power.”

And then the starting bid appeared on the screen. Two point five billion dollars ($2.5 Billion.)

The room felt like it stopped breathing— Nobody moved— The silence was so heavy it felt like it was crushing everyone in their seats. Nobody dared to raise their hand.

Then— Robert slowly lifted his paddle.

“Three billion.”

He didn't calculate or look at his balance, he just said it. Three billion dollars mentioned so casually, it sounded like a cannon shot in the quiet room.

Billionaires in the back rows actually leaned back in shock. Edward felt his whole body go stiff — Three billion just like that.

His pride was screaming at him, and his instincts were begging him to stop. But Edward’s fingers tightened around his paddle anyway. He couldn't let Robert win the biggest prize of the night.

And very slowly, Edward began to raise his hand.