At that moment, Joker's suite fired off another bid.
Serena threw him a sidelong glance, her beautiful eyes naturally picking up on the hidden meaning behind his words.
Nicholas knew she had forged a secret alliance with Joker.
He also knew there was no way Joker was bidding purely out of a random interest in the Neural Stability Serum.
He likely assumed Joker was fighting for the serum for her sake.
And that assumption was clearly rubbing a certain someone the wrong way.
A slow smile touched Serena's red lips, her expression smooth and unfazed. "After
all, the value of this serum truly transcends money."
Her implication was crystal clear.
Joker was bidding because the serum itself was priceless, not because of her.
Nicholas let out a low scoff, the grip on her waist noticeably tightening.
Then, he entered another bid.
Your turn.
My turn.
Both sides fired off bids with terrifying nonchalance.
They tossed around ten-figure sums as if they were punching in random, meaningless digits.
The atmosphere in the hall was pushed to a fever pitch, over and over again. Malachi Vance stubbornly refused to fold, jumping into the fray a few more times.
But he was swiftly and brutally crushed beneath the weight of Joker and The Sterling Sovereign's immense wealth.
The numbers on the screen climbed relentlessly.
And as the two titans escalated the war, the remaining factions in the race bowed out one by one.
"Twelve billion dollars!"
"Twelve point two billion!"
"Twelve point four billion!"
Ultimately, Joker drove the price straight to that astronomical height.
The entire auction hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Every single eye was glued to the paramount VIP suite occupied by The Sterling Sovereign, waiting with bated breath for his next strike.
The auctioneer's breathing grew ragged with pure adrenaline. "Twelve point four billion!"
"Mr. Joker bids twelve point four billion dollars! Do I have a higher bid?"
"Twelve point four billion, going once-"
A wicked smirk graced Nicholas's lips as he reached for the terminal again.
But a slender, luminous hand pressed down over his.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the woman in his arms.
Serena didn't say a word. She simply brushed his hand aside and took the terminal for herself.
Her elegant fingers danced across the keypad, entering a brand-new number. Then, she hit confirm.
Just as the auctioneer shouted, "Twelve point four billion, going twice!"
The numbers on the massive screen violently refreshed.
The auctioneer instantly opened his mouth, ecstatic to scream The Sterling Sovereign's newest counter-attack and broadcast whatever mind numbing number he had dropped.
But the moment his eyes registered the new price, all of his vast experience and
elite professionalism short-circuited.
[The Sterling Sovereign: $12,400,600,000.]
The crowd: "..."
The auctioneer: "..."
The hand gripping the auction gavel visibly froze in mid-air.
He stared blankly at the screen, thoroughly convinced his eyes were playing tricks on him, even going so far as to refresh the biddin lot just to be sure. FindNovel.net
Only after confirming there was no system error did the auctioneer announce in an incredibly awkward The Sterling Sovereign bids twelve billion, four hundred million... and six hundred thousand dollars."
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A raise of only six hundred thousand?!