The Panacea had been gone from the VIP box for quite some time now.
Yet The Sterling Sovereign hadn't asked a single question about her whereabouts. Which honestly made Kaelen panic even harder.
Even though The Med-Tech Quarantine had already confirmed that she was locked in the lab brewing formulas.
The anxiety clawing at the auction director's chest was becoming physically painful.
He violently wiped the sweat from his brow, gritted his teeth, and finally mustered the courage to lightly tap on the heavy door.
"Mr. Sovereign..."
Nicholas didn't even bother looking up.
Kaelen swallowed hard, practically tiptoeing into the massive suite.
He plastered on the most obsequious smile he could manage, testing the waters. "The auction is officially underway, sir. We have quite a few highly exclusive items up for bidding tonight. Would you like me to... personally walk you through the premium catalog?"
The devastatingly elegant man on the sofa slowly lifted his gaze.
His dark, mesmerizing eyes locked onto the director with a casual, chilling indifference.
That single, emotionally void look sent a violent shiver crashing down Kaelen's spine.
"Walk me through the catalog?" Nicholas curled his lips into a chilling smirk. "You think your pathetic little trinkets actually require an introduction to me?"
Kaelen's face completely froze, the sweat pouring down his temples in thick sheets. He was obviously using the catalog as an excuse. He didn't actually think a god-tier buyer like The Sterling Sovereign cared about the standard lineup.
His only real objective was to gauge Nicholas's reaction to The Panacea's absence. Because she had seriously been in that lab for an aggressively long time.
He forced a painful smile. "You're completely right, sir. The items we prepped are basically loose change to someone of your stature."
"I-I was just deeply concerned about Ms. Panacea. She's been working on her formulas for quite a while now, and if she misses out on bidding for ifsh something she wanted, she might be extremely displeased
"Not to mention, if she takes too long and misses the window to put her own creations up on the block, she'd be missing out on a massive payday..."
"Heh." Nicholas looked up, a dark, dangerous amusement pooling in his soulful eyes.
That low, mocking laugh immediately killed the rest of Kaelen's sentence.
Nicholas lazily tapped his long, sculpted fingers against the leather armrest. "Tell me. Is the administration actually stupid enough to question my date?"
He looked exactly like a terrifying, unhinged tyrant completely blinded by obsession.
The sheer predatory weight of his gaze caused Kaelen's face to drain of all color, his pupils vibrating with pure terror.
het
"No, no, absolutely not!" Kaelen's heart practically stopped, and he waved his hands frantically. "didn't mean that at all, sir Please don't misinterpret my words..."
"The administration has partnered with Ms. Panacea multiple times! We have
absolute, unquestioning faith in her! We would never doubt her!"
"I-I was just terrified she might miss out, that's the only reason I asked..."
Nicholas sank deeper into the sofa, his smirk turning viciously sarcastic. "Miss out?"
"It doesn't matter how long she
takes. If she decides she wants to put a product on that stage, I will personally ensure every single item tonight is violently pushed aside to make room for her."
He paused, a terrifying, suffocating chill flooding his gaze. "Why? Do you want to
test me and see if I can actually make that happen?"