Rising Heat Beneath Calm Faces
So soon, people began to bid.
The moment the first voice rang out, the quiet tension in the Glass Villa shifted into motion. It wasn't loud, not chaotic—but it was alive now. Like a still lake disturbed by a single pebble, ripples began spreading across the hall.
"I'll bid five and a half million."
The bidder spoke casually, barely lifting his hand. To him, the number meant little. It was more curiosity than desire.
"Then I'll go six million."
Another voice followed almost immediately, smooth and measured. No hesitation. No emotion.
The lion Gem statue sat under the spotlight, pale and silent. Its carved eyes seemed almost aware, watching the humans beneath it fight over its worth.
Hearing these bids, Lucas, feeling a surge of excitement, didn't rush to bid.
He leaned back slightly in his seat, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest in a slow rhythm. His eyes were fixed on the lion Gem statue—not with curiosity, but with certainty.
