Messing With Her? Are You Crazy! novel Chapter 1773

[The Sterling Sovereign: Seventy billion dollars.] Nicholas looked down, his darkened gaze locked onto the woman resting against his chest. Her slender, luminous neck was dangerously distracting. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke, his voice low and utterly ruined. "Interested?" Serena scoffed playfully, her tone carrying the arrogant confidence of The Panacea. "It's a top-tier asset. Of course I'm going to play." Down on the auction floor, the crowd completely lost their minds. "The Sterling Sovereign! He's in!" "He just bought the research serum, and now he wants AWS-14 too?!" "Just how deep are this guy's pockets?!" "A casual ten-billion-dollar raise! The Sterling Sovereign isn't messing around." The executives from the other major syndicates turned pale. The sheer psychological pressure of The Sterling Sovereign's name dropping onto the board was completely different from some random anonymous tag. Inside his suite, The Raven stared at the massive number on the screen, his face contorting into a mask of pure hatred. The Sterling Sovereign. Always The Sterling Sovereign! Raising the bid by a clean ten billion... was the man insane?! The Raven gripped his terminal so hard his joints ached. After a few agonizing seconds, he grit his teeth and slammed the button. [Anonymous Bidder 01: Seventy-five billion dollars.] Another collective gasp ripped through the hall. Five billion! The anonymous buyer just threw down another five billion! Up in the VIP suite, Serena watched the numbers shift, her smirk deepening. Seventy-five billion? Let's make it hurt a little more. With a devilish smile, she tapped the screen again. [The Sterling Sovereign: Eighty-five billion dollars.] Another ten billion. This time, even the Lead Auctioneer choked on his spit, freezing for a split second. He scrambled to catch his breath, his voice cracking violently as he screamed into the mic. "The Sterling Sovereign bids eighty-five billion dollars! Eighty-five billion! Do I hear a higher bid?! Eighty-five billion!" The buyers on the floor were officially terrified. The representatives from the remaining factions pulled their hands away from their terminals like the devices were on fire. There was no way they could keep playing. Yes, AWS-14's research value was legendary, but that didn't mean they could bleed infinite amounts of cash for an unproven science project. Most importantly, they were now caught in a financial crossfire between The Sterling Sovereign and a completely unhinged anonymous bidder. At eighty-five billion, they were officially priced out. "Eighty-five billion going once! Eighty-five billion going twice! Any other takers?! Will our anonymous guest challenge the bid?!" The host was practically vibrating with adrenaline. The Raven stared at the eighty-five billion glaring back at him, the vein in his temple pounding rhythmically. This Sterling Sovereign... exactly how badly did he want AWS-14?! Swallowing down the volcanic rage burning in his chest, his finger hovered over the terminal for a moment before he ruthlessly pressed down. [Anonymous Bidder 01: Ninety billion dollars.] The screen refreshed once more. The auction hall completely derailed into pandemonium. "Ninety billion?! This guy is out of his mind!" "Who the hell is he? How does he have the cash to go head-to-head with The Sterling Sovereign?" "Is he seriously trying to win a bidding war against that monster?" "Why is he so obsessed with AWS-14?!" Inside his room, listening to the live audio feed of the crowd's gossip, The Raven felt physically sick with rage. Obsessed?! He didn't want to buy the damn thing! AWS-14 was already his! It belonged to Obsidian Sun!