Nelson stumbled to the front of the stage, grabbed the microphone from the host, and shouted loudly, "Today''s auction is canceled! Canceled!"


    Nichs stood up calmly and said, "Since there was a bid, and my bidplies with the rules, thisnd is already mine! There''s no justification for canceling the auction!"


    Nelson red at Nichs with hatred. "I said it''s canceled! Nichs, you''ve gone too far!"


    Thisnd was Nelson''sst bargaining chip. He didn''t even want to imagine what would happen to him if he lost it.


    "Ari, Ari!" Nelson''s eyes turned to me. "Ari, I can''t lose thisnd. Help me! I''ve never hurt you!"


    I looked at Nelson coldly. "To you, what counts as ''hurting"?"


    Did he think that just because he hadn''t physically restrained me or done anything overtly harmful, it didn''t count as hurting me? Could he truly swear on his conscience that he never had malicious intentions toward me? Nichs pulled me to his side, shielding me with his arm. "You are not to say a single word to my wife! Yes, I''m bullying you-so what?"


    As his voice fell, two women in uniform stood up from a corner of the auction hall. They were notaries that Nichs had specifically invited. They loudly announced that the auction results were valid. Yasmine immediately stood up. "Thewyer is here too. Auctioneer, please follow protocol and dere the auction concluded!"


    The auctioneer realized there was no turning back. This was a bloodless battle far beyond his scope. Swallowing his anxiety, he banged the gavel. "100 thousand dors, going thrice! Sold!" Nelson copsed onto the ground, while Nichs stood tall and triumphant. The farce finally came to an end.


    The crowd, full of spectators who enjoyed the drama, burst into apuse. People were never shy about praising the victorious, and


    the room filled with congrattions.


    en


    Suddenly, therge screen in the hall began to flicker, drawing everyone''s attention. A voice came through the speakers-it was udia.


    "Did you all think today''s auction was over?" Her eerieughter filled the room. "No! The real show is just beginning!"


    My pupils contracted, and I nervously clutched at the back of Nichs'' shirt.


    Yasmine turned to me and said, "Ari, she must be backstage. I know where it is. I''ll go record it on my phone!"


    Before entering the hall earlier, Yasmine had anticipated potential trouble. She''d scouted the area, identifying several emergency exits and the route to the backstage area. Now her preparation was proving useful.


    "Don''t go... it''s dangerous!"


    My entire body stiffened, and I couldn''t even lift a hand to stop her. My movements had be sluggish, paralyzed by fear.


    Even though I had prepared myself mentally for this, I realized that when it actually happened, the impact was far greater than I had imagined. And


    I would need even more strength to face it.


    "Nick, no matter what I''ve said, you never believed that you loved the wrong person. Since that''s the case, open your eyes and see for yourself! "Look at the woman you love-see what kind of lowlife she truly is. She lost her innocence as a child, exposing herself in the school restroom..." "Ari, it''s okay!" Nichs turned to me, holding my face gently. "Trust me, everything will be fine."


    I stared at him, my bewildered eyes blinking. Then I raised my hands to cover his ears. "Nichs, don''t listen to her."