Chapter 58
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Tyshawkn checked his watch, his expression worried. “Xavier should’ve been back by now. It’s been way too long. Maybe he ran into some trouble or got turned around?”
Keith, equally concerned, especially since Xavier was Winona’s brother, stood up during the auction break. “Let’s go look for him, he suggested.
As they stepped out, they turned a corner and nearly ran into Julius and his man.
In the lead was Julius in a wheelchair, wearing a black silk shirt buttoned up to the top. He had an otherworldly beauty, with a pale complexion and a mole that gave him a dark, brooding look. There was an air of unapproachable elegance about him that was hard to miss.
Keith’s face tightened at the sight of him. “Uncle Julius.”
Zack, with a lazy smile, glanced back at the auction room. “Oh, Keith. Spotted anything you want? I’ll get it for you,” he offered, but there was a hint of mockery in his voice.
Keith’s face darkened. “Zack, don’t push it,” he warned.
Zack let out a dismissive chuckle. “You’re not even as good as Nolan. Behave, young boy,” he said, his tone as if scolding a misbehaving kid.
Keith’s face paled, his teeth clenched in anger. “Zack! You…” he started, but was cut off.
“Let’s keep moving,” Julius said, his voice neutral as he continued to wheel himself forward. His sharp features remained calm, showing no extra emotion.
After the group had passed, Tyshawn let out a sigh of relief, pulling at his shirt that was sticking to him from the sweat. “That’s some presence, even with his condition,” he remarked, clearly impressed.
Keith’s fists clenched, his eyes stormy. “He’s just a crazy man,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
*****
Quiana stepped off the second floor, quickly wiping the security footage clean. Edith’s voice came through the earpiece, a mix of shock and disgust. “That guy’s your brother? Whoa.”
Quiana’s face was as calm as a still pond.
Edith huffed, “If he were my brother, I’d have set him straight by now.”
Quiana was about to respond when a loud blast cut her off, the yacht shuddering under her feet.
She grabbed the railing for support, her brow furrowing in concern. Before she could say anything, Hugo’s voice crackled in her ear, panic in his tone, “Quiana, we’ve got a bomb on the ship!”
Quiana’s eyes flashed with anger. “Another crazy man.”
Then, Hugo’s voice was back, urgency in his words. “Julius’s in danger.”
****
The second–floor auction hall was in a frenzy after the blast.
Quiana was making her way through the panicked crowd, about to step inside, when someone clutched her wrist from behind. She spun around, a move so quick it left the guy gasping in pain, his arm twisted and pinned under her control.
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པཊཱི,92་
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Chapter 58
“Ouch! Quiana, it’s me–Xavier!” he managed to get out.
She rolled her eyes, gave his arm a firm yank back into place, and sent him sprawling. “You looking to get hurt?” she asked, her tone a mix of annoyance and warning.
Xavier was up against the wall, massaging his arm, his face a picture of pain. But he was still eyeing Quiana, suspicion in his gaze. “Did you have something to do with the explosion? What’s your angle here?”
“Talk about a waste of a good–looking guy.” Edith’s voice crackled in Quiana’s earpieçe, her tone dripping with disdain. “You might as well just take him out.”
Quiana just grinned, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Stay out of my way, or you’ll be fish food,” she told him, her voice light but the threat clear.
“Quiana!” Hugo burst out from somewhere inside, waving at her with excitement. “Come on, we’ve got to go!”
“You…” Xavier opened his mouth to press further, but one look from Quiana and he thought better, of it.
Julius was held tight in his wheelchair, his hands and feet secured. He was a man of usual composure, but now his face was twisted with pain, sweat rolling down his forehead.
Shane was there, quickly injecting him with something from a small vial, trying to alleviate his agony.
Zack’s anger was visible as he declared, “I’m going to kill him,” and made a move for the exit.
