The casino glittered with gold light, chandeliers spilling warmth over the crowd. Businessmen, aristocrats, and elites lounged with glasses of wine in hand, their attention fixed on the stage where the first item of the evening was unveiled.
"The Moussaieff Red Diamond," announced the auctioneer, his voice ringing with ceremony. A collective gasp swept the room as a velvet box was opened to reveal the blazing scarlet stone set on a ring.
Beside Adriel, Eren froze, his gray-green eyes locking onto the gem. "That's… the Moussaieff," he murmured before he could stop himself.
Adriel turned sharply to him, brows lifting. "You know this diamond?"
His question drew the attention of James and Tyler, both standing a few paces behind them. They looked just as startled.
Eren swallowed, suddenly aware of the weight of their stares. He had spent years being brushed aside as a servant, never the one with knowledge worth hearing. But the facts surfaced anyway, steady and sure.
"It's the largest known red diamond. 5.11 carats," he said, voice low at first, but then clearer as Adriel's gaze encouraged him. "It was found by a farmer in Brazil in the 1990s. Only a handful of red diamonds exist in the world… and this is the rarest of them."
The murmurs around them quieted. People leaned closer.
Adriel's lips curved in the faintest smile. "Impressive. Keep going."
Eren hesitated, his fingers curling against the cuff of his jacket. This wasn't his world—standing among Alphas in silk suits and jeweled watches. He was just an Omega, invisible until someone needed coffee or copies. And yet, for the first time, all those sharp Alpha eyes weren't looking through him. They were looking at him.
The bidding began at seven million. Numbers flew, paddles lifted. But Eren was barely aware of it. His chest thrummed, not with nerves anymore, but with something dangerously close to pride.
Item after item passed until the final lot was revealed. Gasps rippled through the hall as attendants carried forward a tiara glittering with pink fire.
"The Noor-ul-Ain Tiara," the auctioneer declared dramatically.
"No way," Eren breathed, the words escaping before he could stop them. His voice trembled, not from fear this time, but awe.
"Tell me," Adriel urged, tilting his head, his dark eyes fixed on Eren's gray-green ones.
Eren drew in a breath. "It was a wedding gift for Empress Farah of Iran, from the Shah himself. That centerpiece is a sixty-carat pink diamond—the Noor-ul-Ain. One of the rarest Type IIa diamonds ever recorded. Less than .0001 percent of stones like it exist. Around it are more than three hundred baguette-cut diamonds, some as large as nineteen carats."
The crowd hushed. Even the auctioneer faltered before continuing.
Adriel chuckled softly, a sound that drew more stares. "You've done your homework, Eren."
"I just… know jewelry," Eren said quickly, embarrassed. "It's part of my job."
But he caught James's eyes then—wide, angry, and incredulous—and for the first time, Eren didn't look away.
The casino fell into tense silence as the tiara glittered under the lights. Its pink diamond centerpiece threw off dazzling sparks, almost mocking the men in the room. Whispers stirred: was it real, or just an imitation? Did it even matter? Prestige came with the appearance of power, not the truth.
"Opening bid: fifty million dollars," the auctioneer announced.
No one moved. Even among Alphas, the number pressed like a weight on their chests. If the tiara was genuine, the price was a steal. If not, the bidder would become the evening's laughingstock.
Eren, standing at Adriel's side, could feel the tension in his body—the calm coil of an Alpha who knew exactly when to strike. His gray-green eyes flickered nervously toward the stage, but his Omega instincts pulled him closer to Adriel's steady presence.
Then came the voice, smooth and unshaken.
"Fifty-five," Adriel said.
Heads snapped toward him. Of course the Ulrick heir would throw himself into the game.
Romero, another Alpha—though his scent already carried a faint sourness of desperation—snorted. "Sixty."
Eren's pulse raced. He clenched his fists, fighting the instinct to shrink back. The air around the table was thickening, Adriel's dominance pressing against Romero's challenge like a storm front colliding with dry air.
"Seventy," Adriel answered, his tone dismissive, as if Romero were an annoyance rather than a rival.
Gasps rippled through the room. James stiffened, his Beta scent spiking sharp with unease. Tyler, another Alpha, leaned forward, eyes narrowing, clearly gauging which way the tension would snap.
"Seventy-five!" Romero snapped, his voice breaking under strain. He reeked of sweat and stubborn pride, unable to back down.
Adriel finally turned his head, his sharp gaze locking with Romero's. He smiled, slow and deliberate—the kind of smile only an Alpha secure in his throne could give.
"Ninety."
The crowd erupted. Eren felt the shift in the air—the dominance in Adriel's voice rolled through the hall, commanding every gaze, every instinct. Eren's knees weakened for a moment, his Omega nature responding without permission. He swallowed hard, refusing to let anyone see his struggle.
Romero's face darkened, fury and humiliation battling in his eyes. He couldn't fold. Not after the last deal where Adriel had crushed him. His pride screamed too loud.
"One hundred million!" he barked, the number tearing from his throat like a desperate claim.
The crowd reeled. Betas whispered in disbelief, while Alphas smirked, recognizing the scent of a wolf cornered. Everyone knew Romero's empire was rotting. Where would he possibly scrape together that kind of money?
The auctioneer's voice trembled. "One hundred million—going once… going twice…"
Bang.
"Sold, to Mr. Romero!"
A hollow murmur rippled through the room, tinged with mockery. Romero sat rigid, jaw tight, sweat slicking his temples.
Adriel leaned back, utterly at ease. His lips curled into a satisfied smile that wasn't warmth but sharpened steel. The young Alpha had made his point. He didn't need the tiara. He needed Romero crushed beneath the weight of his own pride.
Eren shivered beside him. His Omega instincts whispered the truth as he caught Adriel's scent, steady and commanding: this wasn't about jewels. It was about dominance, about who ruled the room—and about reminding every Alpha present that there was only one who walked away untouched.