A few minutes earlier.
Within the confines of his private bidding room, Asher simply sat back and observed the lively scene without placing a single bid. Although he possessed more than enough wealth to outbid every single person present, perhaps even to do so just for amusement, he chose not to.
Instead, he contented himself with watching the spectacle unfold before him. There was a certain charm in seeing people throw around their names and reputations, hoping that their opponents would back down under the weight of status alone.
But of course, such expectations were little more than wishful thinking. Though no dramatic face-slapping moment occurred, no sudden reversal where a loud-mouthed braggart was utterly humiliated, Asher did not feel the least bit disappointed. He simply reminded himself to stop looking forward to such events in the first place. After all, those sorts of moments were rare, and expecting them was a recipe for needless frustration.
