Chapter 13

"Soon, just a little longer... don't worry..."

Lila's lowered voice carried barely contained excitement, completely at odds with her usual honest demeanor.

Isabella's eyes darkened.

Was she talking about the poison in Dad's body?

As she pondered this, she saw Lila hang up the phone, glance around, then quickly leave.

Isabella saved the video.

The next day.

Imperial City, Veneno Private Club.

A top-tier private club located in the heart of the CBD, its exterior featured understated black glass curtain walls, while the interior was extremely luxurious.

Rumor had it the owner was some mysterious European family. Anyone who could book a spot here was either rich or powerful.

Isabella had been dragged here by Michael.

"You've been back for days now, cooped up at home every day. I'm taking you out to see the world. There's a private auction here today. They say there are some good pieces shipped from Europe - maybe you'll find something interesting."

Isabella said helplessly, "I'm not really interested in auctions."

"You'll be interested once we're there." Michael grinned. "Besides, don't you like studying rare stuff? Today they have some rare medicinal herbs flown in from Zephyria. What if there's something you need?"

"Alright, thanks." Isabella's eyes flickered slightly, knowing they all meant well.

In Veneno's parking lot, luxury cars filled every space. Michael's limited edition supercar didn't even stand out among them.

"Mr. Fairfax, this way please." A server led them respectfully.

As soon as they entered the lobby, Isabella felt someone's gaze land on her.

She looked up toward the lounge area on the other side of the lobby.

A handsome man sat on a leather sofa, his long legs crossed, holding a glass of red wine.

A flash of surprise crossed her eyes. It was him.

Today he wore a dark gray shirt with sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing lean, strong wrists. His whole demeanor was both languid and noble, like a crouching leopard.

The moment their eyes met, Alexander's gaze lingered on her face briefly before landing on Michael with a slight nod - a greeting of sorts.

Michael nodded back and pulled Isabella inside. "You know Alexander?"

"No." Isabella shook her head.

She'd only seen him once.

Michael lowered his voice in warning, "Well, stay away from him. He's trouble."

At this, Isabella raised her eyebrows with interest.

Trouble?

More trouble than her?

"Let's go, the auction's about to start." Michael pulled her toward the private boxes.

Veneno's auction hall had a unique design - circular, with independent boxes around the perimeter and a hydraulic stage in the center.

Each box had a large one-way glass wall - you couldn't see in from outside, but from inside you had a crystal-clear view of the stage.

Michael had booked Box Eight, an excellent location.

As soon as they sat down, servers brought champagne and delicate pastries.

"See if there's anything you like, I'll bid on it for you." Michael was feeling generous.

Isabella picked up her champagne glass and took a sip, her gaze falling on the stage beyond the glass wall.

The first item was a famous painting. Michael enthusiastically raised his paddle several times, but it was ultimately won by a buyer in Box Three at a high price.

Michael grumbled in annoyance but didn't really mind.

The next few items were antique jewelry and such. Isabella had no interest and was about to close her eyes to rest when the stage's hydraulic platform rose again.

This time, what appeared was a crystal-clear test tube containing a pale golden liquid that glowed softly under the lights.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up for auction is a vial of RENEWAL-7 cellular regeneration serum from a top Zephyria laboratory. Only three exist worldwide. It effectively repairs damaged cells and delays aging. Starting bid: five hundred thousand dollars."

Isabella's eyes lit up instantly.

RENEWAL-7 - she'd been tracking the formula for this cellular regeneration serum. If she could get a sample to analyze, her research could leap forward.

"I want this one." Isabella's voice carried rare urgency.

This was the first time Michael had seen Isabella so interested in something. He immediately perked up. "Don't worry, leave it to me!"

He pressed the bid button without hesitation. The glass wall displayed: six hundred thousand dollars.

As soon as he bid, Box Three lit up with seven hundred thousand.

"Eight hundred thousand!" Michael wasn't backing down.

"Nine hundred thousand."

"One million."

The price climbed rapidly, soon breaking two million dollars.

Isabella frowned. Whoever was in Box Three seemed determined to win, matching every bid closely.

"One million five hundred thousand!" Michael gritted his teeth and pressed the button.

The room went quiet for a moment.

Box Three didn't immediately counter-bid, seemingly hesitating.

Michael raised his eyebrows smugly. "Come on, why'd you stop?"

Before he finished speaking, Box Three's glass wall displayed a number: two million dollars.

"Damn it!" Michael cursed. "Are they doing this just to spite me?"

He was about to bid higher when Isabella reached out and stopped him.

"That's enough."

"No way! I can't let them take it!" Michael refused to give up.

Isabella shook her head, her tone calm. "This RENEWAL-7 is good, but its actual effects aren't as good as advertised. It's not worth two million. Let them have it."

Michael was stunned. "How do you know?"

"Look at the color and viscosity." Isabella said casually. "True high-purity cellular regeneration serum should be colorless and transparent. This one has a golden tint, meaning the purity isn't high enough."

No need to be a sucker for a vial that wasn't worth it.

Michael stared at her in shock. She could tell just from looking?

He suddenly realized Isabella might be way more capable than he'd imagined.

Box Three ultimately won the RENEWAL-7 for two million dollars.

Isabella picked up her champagne glass and continued drinking. The snacks here were pretty good, and the drinks were high-end too.

The next few items weren't particularly interesting. Isabella was about to head to the restroom when the stage's hydraulic platform rose again.

An ancient-looking parchment manuscript appeared, its leather cover yellowed and darkened with age, but still relatively well-preserved.

"Next up for auction is a medieval alchemy manuscript. Research indicates it's a unique copy from a mysterious European school, containing many lost formulas. Starting bid: three hundred thousand dollars."

Isabella's pupils contracted sharply.

A medieval alchemy manuscript!

She'd been studying ancient traditional formulas for years and had collected quite a bit of European alchemy literature, but this was her first time seeing an actual unique manuscript.

Isabella's voice was tight. "We have to get this one."

Michael saw how serious she was and nodded solemnly. "Got it."

Losing that serum earlier was frustrating enough.

If Isabella wanted this, they absolutely couldn't let it slip away!