The day of the auction had finally arrived.
It was deliberately scheduled to coincide with the grand opening of the Imperial Hotel, Ares Zuvel's newest real estate masterpiece—a five-story, palace-like landmark perched on the western edge of Isla's lake. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, its golden light washed over the gleaming white façade, making the hotel look like a royal palace rising from the water.
The auction would be held in the hotel's magnificent ground-floor ballroom.
By late afternoon, luxury cars streamed through the gates one after another. Titans of business, influential politicians, celebrated entertainers, and international socialites filled the hotel's grand entrance.
Rumors spread through the crowd that members of the royal family of Zalmeria—one of the world's oldest surviving monarchies—had quietly arrived to attend the event.
