Adrian Cole Return of the Lost Heir novel Chapter 116

116

Chapter 116

The sealed auction hall felt smaller with every passing minute,

The air was heavy, thick with pressure, and even the softest movements sounded loud in the unnatural silence, Only a few booths remained lit now. One by one, the others had gone dark, signaling elimination.

They were approaching the end.

The second–to–last round.

Adrian sat quietly in his booth, his posture relaxed, his expression calm, but his eyes were sharp and alert. The numbers on the screen in front of him kept changing, climbing higher and higher, reaching levels that would make ordinary people dizzy.

Across the hall, in another booth, Evans Coles was not looking at his screen.

He was looking at Adrian,

His gaze was cold, sharp, and filled with a quiet hostility that did not bother to hide itself anymore.

He had been staring like that for a while now.

Adrian noticed it.

So did Kai,

Kai leaned slightly closer and lowered his voice. “He’s been watching you for a long time.”

Adrian didn’t even turn his head. His eyes remained on the bidding interface.

“Let him,” he said calmly.

Kai frowned. “It’s not normal. He’s not even pretending to focus on the auction anymore. He’s clearly up to something.”

Adrian finally glanced sideways, but only for a brief second.

“I don’t want to look at him too much,” he said. “If I do, it’ll look like I’m aware of something. That would only make things more suspicious.”

Kai was silent for a moment, then nodded. “So you’re pretending nothing is happening.”

“Yes.”

“But something is happening,” Kai said quietly.

Adrian didn’t answer.

He already knew.

Evans Coles was not the type to lose quietly

And he was not the type to let go once he felt challenged

At the front of the hall, the hostess announced calindly, “The secoust to dual round will now beginTM

That sentence alone made several hearts tighten

This meant

Only one more elimination before the final

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Only three people were left.

Adrian.

Evans Coles.

And another man from a northern financial group, already sweating heavily, his face pale, his hands trembling slightly as he held his bidding device.

The gap between them was terrifying.

Everyone knew it.

This wasn’t really a three–man competition anymore.

It was a battlefield between two.

The third was just… waiting to fall.

“Please submit your bids,” the hostess said.

Inside the booths, numbers were entered again.

Higher.

And higher.

The northern businessman’s breathing became rough.

He stared at his screen, his fingers shaking.

He knew he couldn’t keep up.

Not with these two.

When the results came out, his booth light went dark.

He slumped back in his chair, as if all his strength had been drained.

Two left.

Only two.

The hall became even quieter.

So quiet that people outside could barely breathe.

The hostess took a slow breath.

“The final round will begin shortly,” she announced

But before it could start, something else was already moving

Evans Coles’s booth door opened

He stood up

Several attendants looked at him in surprise

He didn’t say anything to them. He simply walked to the aide corridor, his face cold and unreadable

Ainan was already waiting there

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Ware returned to las booth, but this time, his gaze was no legnt just confil.

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As if he were trying to peel Adrian apart layer by layer.

Kai whispered, “He left and came back.”

“I noticed,” Adrian replied calmly.

“That usually means trouble.”

“Then let it come.”

The hostess’s voice echoed again.

“The final round will now begin.”

Those words hit like a hammer.

The screens lit up.

The numbers reset.

This time-

There would be no next round.

Only one winner.

The bids started.

The numbers jumped violently, far faster than before.

Every increase was a shock.

Every pause felt like suffocation.

Even the observers outside were starting to feel dizzy.

“This is insane…”

“They’re not bidding. They’re burning money.”

Evans’s eyes never left Adrian’s booth.

Adrian’s expression never changed.

They were both calm.

Too calm.

As if neither of them was just bidding for an item.

As if both were testing something else.

Suddenly, Evans’s screen paused

He didn’t enter a new number immediately

He leaned back in his chair and smiled fatully.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

Adrian’s screen updated again.

Higher.

169000

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Evans watched it.

Then he entered a number.

Even higher.

The gap widened again.

Back and forth.

Neither side showed the slightest sign of retreat.

Outside, Catherine was already gripping her hands tightly, her palms damp with sweat.

Elena’s face was pale.

Everyone knew-

This had long passed the value of the item itself.

This was pride.

This was dominance.

This was war.

And somewhere deep inside the bank’s upper management offices, a group of people were staring at a screen with dark expressions.

“The Coles are asking again,” one of them said.

“And more firmly this time.”

The manager frowned. “We can’t reveal customer information.”

“But it’s the Coles.”

The room fell silent.

Another councilor said quietly, “If we don’t handle this carefully… we’ll offend someone no matter what we do.”

The manager clenched his jaw.

“Then verify the card again,” he said. “From the highest level.”

“If there is even the slightest problem…”

His eyes darkened.

“…this banquet will explode.”