Chapter 29

Zen and Sinclair got into a private room just off the main hall. The room was sparsely furnished, with a single table and two chairs under the dim glow of a chandelier. The thick wooden door clicked shut behind them, muffling the sounds of the ongoing auction outside. As Sinclair placed the chest on the table, Zen pulled off his gloves and flexed his fingers, his gaze locked on the box.

“Well,” Sinclair said, a hint of anticipation in his voice, “Let’s see what’s inside this thing that was worth twenty billion.”

Zen smirked, leaning forward as he slowly unlatched the chest. The hinges creaked softly as the lid lifted, revealing a dark, empty interior.

Sinclair stared at the empty space, his mouth agape. “What the hell? It’s empty!”

Zen chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course, it’s empty. It would only be empty if someone had already gotten to it first.”

Sinclair stumbled back, his face pale. “Twenty billion, Chief! You just spent twenty billion on an empty box! Do you think the aucti