From Nobody to Everyone's Obsession (Seraphina Vale) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24 No Room at the Table

Chapter 24 No Room at the Table

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All the financial power in the Drayven family was firmly held by Gregory and Celestine.

If Viola played her cards right, she’d live the high life forever. If she didn’t, she’d walk away with absolutely nothing.

Her eyes flickered with excitement as she suddenly wrapped her arms around Celestine.

“Thank you, Auntie, for raising me all these years. No matter what happens, I love you guys. I’ll always take good care of you.”

She added sweetly, “And I’ll make sure to look after

my sister.”

Celestine felt her heart soften. She gently stroked Viola’s hair, holding the girl close.

But behind Celestine’s back, Viola’s gaze turned cold, filled with resentment.

This was all Seraphina’s fault-making her grovel like this.

Since she was little, people had always pandered to her, fawned over her, tried to get in her good graces…

When had it ever been her job to flatter someone else?

She’d have to call up her friends soon and hit that auction in Southend.

With any luck, she could grab a few rare treasures and bring them back to impress her grandma.

And maybe just maybe-win over her final lifeline.

Beneath a thousand-year-old tree on Eastbridge Street in Valedawn, Tyler stood in front of the trunk, fiddling with a portable video transmitter. After what seemed like a long and tense negotiation, the massive tree began to shake slightly.

Suddenly, a small, nondescript building emerged from the ground behind it.

But hidden beneath the ordinary exterior were deadly traps. Anyone who tried to break in would be greeted by dozens of triggered defenses-automated weapons firing like arrows from the walls. Even if someone miraculously dodged them, heavy steel bars would drop down, locking them inside a death trap of blades and flying bolts.

Long story short? There was no getting out alive.

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11:19 Fri, Jun 12

Chapter 24 No Room at the Table

Thankfully, with Tyler leading the way, he and Seraphina entered without a hitch.

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Inside, the underground market was a cacophony of noise-neon lights, loud music, people in masks or heavy disguises milling about.

Seraphina calmly slipped on a mask as her sharp gaze swept both sides of the narrow corridor. Dozens of booths were set up with people hawking everything from ancient relics to suspicious trinkets.

Their voices shouted over each other, claiming they had priceless artifacts and once-in-a- lifetime treasures.

Plenty of bargain-hunting newbies were huddled at the booths, eyes shining as they rummaged through piles of cheap junk, convinced they were about to strike gold.

Seraphina moved through it all like a ghost. She scanned the entire corridor in under a minute, quickly sizing up the goods.

As expected, most of it was garbage-convincing fakes designed to fool amateurs. A few items, though, were well-crafted enough to trip up even a seasoned buyer.

She gave Tyler a subtle nod, pointing to a small brown pendant tucked between two flashy plastic bracelets. It was a smooth, round charm with a shallow spiral pattern etched across its surface-almost looked like something from a random Etsy shop.

At a glance, it passed as a cheap, modern accessory. If it had been an actual antique, there would’ve been signs of wear. This one? Flawless.

Plenty of people passed by without sparing it a glance.

“Go grab it,” she said casually.

“On it.”

The piece had an odd chill to it, the kind of subtle cold you wouldn’t expect from something just sitting out on a table. It gave off the quiet energy of something that had been buried for a long time-way too long.

“Hey, I’ll take this one,” Tyler said, picking up the pendant and weighing it in his palm.

The vendor was young, clean-cut, and oddly well-groomed-not like the scruffy, sunburned types running most of the stalls.

He sized Tyler up, fingers tapping a small hidden device at his side before replying, “Two grand.”

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