CHAPTER NINE

THE REUNION

Samantha sat across from Leon in the sleek, glass-walled conference room, a stack of papers spread out before them. They were finalizing the details for their latest project, a cutting-edge tech innovation they hoped would attract significant investor interest. Leon was carefully going over the financial projections while Samantha highlighted key features in the presentation.

"This is solid work, Leon," Samantha said, with admiration in her voice. "The investors are going to love it."

Leon nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. The threatening message he’d received still hit at him, and the confrontation with Clara and Lena had left him emotionally drained. He forced himself to focus on the task at hand. "Thanks, Sam. Let's make sure we're ready for the auction tonight. This could be a game-changer for us."

Hours later, they arrived at the high-end auction house, a buzzing hub of wealthy investors and influential businesspeople. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation.