Chapter 693 - Auction XII

[Back at the auction house]

When Zoey left, Nikolai watched her back without paying attention to anything else. Deep down, he hoped that she'd look back at him.

She didn't. 

"Tch." Nikolai clicked his tongue.

Zoey just left without a second hesitation. His jaw tightened upon the thought.

Why won't she care for him even just for a little bit? She did, though. But he ruined it into smithereens.

He might not say it aloud, but Nikolai was aware of that. He was aware that his actions the second he riddled Kenneth Bai's car with bullets had made her go further beyond his reach.

But what else could he do? Whether he did something or stayed on the sidelines, she'd just run off with another man. 

First, with Ezekiel Tang who was not any less than trash. And then, Matthew. 

Nikolai never found Ezekiel a threat and that was why he didn't do anything to bring her back. But Matthew was different.

Matthew had proved that, the second their eyes met. The reason Nikolai had lost it.

He believed that Matthew would take Zoey away from him. Nikolai wouldn't let that happen. 

Even if it's by fair means or foul, Nikolai had decided he'd keep her close. Even if his actions hurt her, he wouldn't yield.

Zoey was all he had. His everything; to keep himself sane. He didn't know the exact reason, there were too many. But  knowing that she's in another man's embrace— especially, a man of Matthew's caliber — could make Nikolai lose his mind.

Nikolai scratched his temple with his finger. The ongoing bidding was still going in the background, and this noise annoyed him.

He trusted that Zoey would find a way to escape. He knew she wouldn't just keep still. He wasn't dumb just to trust her given the opportunity.

Still, he would let her escape for now. Especially with an unwelcome guest, Inigo, it was better if she escaped.

He would just find her after this massacre. 

Slowly, Nikolai raised his gaze to the podium. Resting his jaw on his knuckles, watching everyone max out their budget and now the bidding had reached a billion and half.

"Pathetic." Nikolai mumbled as this had bored him. "Surely, he knows how to kill me without any weapon."

Nikolai slipped his hand inside his tux, slowly taking out a small pistol. He'd rather die in a more gore way than in boredom. 

Without even thinking, Nikolai pointed his muzzle at the row before him. Since there's no one sitting in his front, his gun pointed at the next two rows before him. 

"One billion and seven hundred million dollars! Going — BANG!"

As fast as a blink of an eye, Nikolai's pistol went off. No matter how loud the auctioneer's voice was, the loud bang was still louder and distinct. 

There was a moment of deafening silence momentarily. Inigo smirked, fully knowing what was  coming as he knew his brother well.

The woman seated beside her partner slowly turned to her left. As soon as her eyes landed on the busted head of her partner, her eyes widened as she screamed, "ahhh!!!!"

The loud scream of the woman ignited everyone to run for their lives. They didn't care who got shot or not; all they wanted was to escape from this hellhole. 

As chaos ensued, some Inigo's men fired shots at those who attempted to leave. However, that didn't stop them from running.

Some of them fought back, ganging on each guard which they successfully did. Alas, as fast as this sliver of hope peeked through, another shot was fired on one of them.

With that, a cycle of running, fighting, and being killed went on. It was a sight where people fight to their dearest lives while others take it without batting an eye.

Meanwhile, as everyone tried to save their lives, there were only a few who remained calm: Inigo and Nikolai. 

"You're not running?" Inigo inquired, cocking his head towards the auctioneer who slumped on the ground in fear.

The auctioneer trembled upon those menacing gaze. He wanted to run, but his knees felt wobbly. 

"Heh," Inigo scoffed, almost like a chuckle before shifting his attention to Nikolai.

Nikolai was still perched on the last row of the seats. He lazily glanced at the people without a care in the world. 

"Ey! Brother! You seem pissed! You didn't bid on me again! Say, how about you make it to two billion and I'm all yours?" Inigo humored loudly, not caring whether Nikolai could hear him amidst this chaos or not.

"They're so loud..." Nikolai muttered, scratching his temple with the muzzle of his pistol. 

Out of petty annoyance, Nikolai fired another shot randomly. Despite not having a target, it still hit someone who instantly fell to the ground — and got overrun by the panicking crowd.

"Hehe. Isn't he cruel?" Inigo proudly turned to the auctioneer for a compliment.

"Uhh..." The auctioneer's lower lip trembled. How was he supposed to answer that? 

"He kills people as if he is killing ants! Goodness! He'll become a legend in hell; I'm so proud as his big brother." 

Not done yet, Inigo expressed, nodding approvingly as if that was something to be proud of. Well, what did he expect from two broken men who grew up in the underworld?

Inigo then trudged towards the auctioneer. When he reached him, he squatted down, arms on his knees, eyes on the terrified man.

"Hey, sir. Don't let the highest bidder die, alright? He can't die without paying." 

The auctioneer didn't know whether to weep or just run. How could Inigo think like that amidst this chaos? Also, did he really think the auctioneer could still find that person?

"If he dies, I'll hang you by your feet and soak you in a barrel of acid." Inigo grinned maniacally.

"Have you seen that torture before? In our Silva Family, that's normal. On the first try, your head will instantly melt. Then, the next round, your arms, and then your entire body will become one with that acid. It's best to kill someone without a trace. Though bones take time to —"

Before Inigo could continue on, the auctioneer screamed as he crawled away from him. Watching him crawl brought a delightful grin on Inigo's lips. 

As he watched the man scurry away by crawling, Inigo sensed Nikolai standing beside the podium. 

"Damn.. Why is he running, brother? We were forced to watch those punishments when we were toddlers! We didn't cry like that!" Inigo sassed as he shot Nikolai a look.