Chapter 71: Taking the Bait

Gregory Vance knew how to work a charity crowd, though the people in the room barely needed the pitch. At this level of wealth, galas were tax write-offs and PR management. Donors wired funds, collected their press mentions, and rarely looked at where the money went downstream, leaving room for administrators like Vance to skim off the top.

Had Jude not overheard the phone call in the restroom 30 minutes earlier, Lawson Capital might have sent over a standard pledge to clear the obligation. Tonight, Vance wasn’t seeing a dollar.

The host returned to the stage, gesturing toward the screens.

"Let’s move straight into the live auction," the host said. "All lots tonight have been provided by our patron families, with 100% of proceeds going directly to the endowment."

Donating high-value assets to charity auctions was standard practice... it cleared garage and dock space while securing an appraised tax deduction.

Within 15 minutes, 3 major items cleared the block.

"For our fourth lot," the auctioneer announced, "we have a 42-foot Riva Domino sport yacht, donated by the Sterling group. Berthed in the Hamptons for 1 season, in near-new condition. Retail value is $950,000. Bidding opens at $300,000, with $10,000 increments."

Paddles went up across the room.

"Three-ten."

"Three-fifty."

"Four hundred."

Within 60 seconds, two hedge fund managers pushed the price to $500,000—close to fair wholesale value for a used boat. The room quieted as the auctioneer raised his gavel.

"Five hundred thousand at Table 6. Going once, going twice—"

"Six hundred thousand."

The voice came from the main entrance.

Guests turned as the double doors opened. Walking down the center aisle, flanked by 2 security guards, was Silas Vanguard, head of the Vanguard Consortium.

A quiet murmur ran through the room. Along with the Sterlings and the Kingsleys, Vanguard was one of the older family names in the city’s commercial sector.

At the front table, Jude watched him walk in.

Beside him, Anna didn’t move. Her posture stayed neutral, her eyes passing over Silas as if she had never seen him before. Silas did the same, looking past the woman his firm had placed in Jude’s office without a second glance.

Silas reached the front aisle and smiled at the room. "My nephew turns 21 next week and wanted a boat for the Sound. At $600,000, I assume no one here minds an uncle picking up a gift."

It was a clear signal for the room to back off.

"All yours, Silas," a developer said, lowering his paddle with a laugh.

The auctioneer raised his gavel to close the lot.

"Seven hundred thousand."

The call came clear across the quiet hall.

The room went still.

Those who had seen Jude on the mezzanine watched closely, while others looked over to see who was bidding against Vanguard.

Anna’s eyes flicked down toward Jude for a split second before steadying.

Silas stopped smiling. He turned toward the VIP table, recognizing Jude immediately. Over the past month, Lawson Capital had outbid him on commercial parcels and taken over space in his family’s primary office tower.

"Mr. Lawson," Silas said, looking across the tables. "I just stated this was a birthday gift for my family."

Jude rested his arm on the chair, keeping his tone calm. "Your family plans don’t concern me, Mr. Vanguard. I saw the hull and decided to buy it for my estate manager."

The tables around them went dead silent. Eyes shifted to Anna in her evening dress, stunned that a billionaire was casually bidding $700,000 on a day boat as a staff bonus.

Anna glanced down. "Sir, that isn’t necessary—"

"You’ve handled the properties well this quarter, Anna," Jude said, loud enough for the nearby tables to hear. "Consider it a year-end bonus."

Anna held her breath for a second, caught off guard. Bidding that kind of capital on a boat for her meant she had built real trust with him, but it also put her handler in a direct trap.

Across the room, Silas’s jaw tightened. Bidding against an executive buying a boat for an assistant made him look cheap if he backed down in front of 300 business peers.

"If you want it, Lawson, you pay for it," Silas called out, raising a hand. "Eight hundred thousand."

"One million," Jude said before Silas lowered his arm.

A low murmur broke out. One million was already above the brand-new showroom price!

Silas’s face darkened. "One point two million."

"One point five," Jude said, checking his watch without looking up.

People began whispering across the tables.

"You really want to play numbers over fiberglass, Lawson?" Silas demanded.

Jude took a slow sip of water, offering no answer.

Silas snapped. "Two million dollars."

Exclamations went through the room.

At $2 million, someone could order 2 new builds straight from the shipyard in Italy!

Jude set his glass down and looked up at Anna.

"Do you want a used boat at double its showroom value, Anna, or should we push it to 3?"

Anna shook her head immediately. "No, sir. I have no use for a second-hand hull."

Jude looked back toward the stage.

"She says used fiberglass isn’t worth the maintenance," Jude announced, nodding toward Silas. "Floor is yours, Mr. Vanguard. Enjoy the $2 million discount boat."

The auctioneer brought the gavel down immediately. "Sold for $2 million to Mr. Silas Vanguard."

Silas stood frozen in the aisle as quiet chuckles broke out across the front row. He had taken the bait, driving the price up by over $1 million on a yacht he didn’t need just to save face.

Over the next 20 minutes, the remaining lots wrapped up. Jude didn’t place another bid, keeping his checkbook closed.

Finally, the host stepped back to the podium for the main event: the open endowment drive.

Determined to reset the room and put Lawson on the spot, Silas stood up, turning toward the media cameras.

"On behalf of the Vanguard Consortium," Silas said loudly, "we’re making a direct gift of $10 million tonight."

Applause rolled through the ballroom. A $10 million cash pledge was hard to ignore...

Silas turned and pointed directly at Jude’s table.

"Of course, that’s modest compared to Chairman Lawson," Silas added, making sure the room heard every word. "If Mr. Lawson can throw millions at toys for his staff, I’m sure his gift to the children’s hospital will put mine to shame. Tell the room, Mr. Lawson... what is Lawson Capital wiring tonight?"

The clapping stopped. The room went quiet, and every camera turned toward Jude.