Chapter 57: VIP

The day of the auction came. Leon, Lily, and Sophia were all ready for it. Kate felt that Leon would not prepare well for it, so she had sent someone to take their measurements and get some clothes prepared for them.

Leon was in a clean black tuxedo. He stepped out of his room and walked to the sitting room. Lily and Sophia stood there, dressed in stunning gowns.

"Whoa." Leon had his mouth hanging open the moment he saw them.

Both of them smiled. His reaction was all that they needed.

Knock knock.

A knock came from the door. They had not been expecting anyone. Leon walked over, and this time, he checked through the door cam. Xander was standing outside in a tux as well.

It had been so long since he had seen Xander. After what had happened in the mall, he had vanished.

Leon opened the door without hesitation.

"Xander."

"Leon."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, then broke into a smile and dabbed up.

"It’s been a while."

"Yeah, sorry for vanishing without telling you. Things just went a bit crazy for me," Xander said.

"We will talk about it later. Come in."

Xander walked in. He looked around, and his eyes landed on Lily. His lips curled into a smile as he immediately approached.

"You look stunning, Miss Lily." He took her hand and planted a kiss on it.

"Nope, not happening. I’m already late," Leon said and grabbed him by the collar.

"I am guessing that you know about the auction, and that’s why you came here, so let’s go." Leon dragged him as he pouted.

They made their way down and to the parking lot where Xander had parked his car.

Xander opened the door for Lily and Sophia while Leon walked over to the other side.

"Question, when do you plan to get a car?" Xander asked as he sat down in the car.

"Already tired of me?" Leon asked in a joking manner.

"You know that’s not it, but I figured you’d have enough money," Xander said as he pressed the button. The car revved to life, and he drove out.

"Well, first, I don’t know how to drive, and second, it has been slipping my mind for a while now," Leon replied.

"You don’t know how to drive? Bro, you’ve got to learn."

"No shit, Sherlock. Maybe if this goes on well, I’ll use some of the profit to get one."

"Some of the profit, he says." Xander chuckled. "You are about to become a multimillionaire. Why, the car you get won’t even make a dent." Xander said and sped off into the street.

[...]

The car pulled up in front of the Star Halls.

A valet in a crisp black vest rushed over, opened the door for Lily and Sophia, and took the keys from Xander with a polite nod. The car rolled away toward a private lot. Leon stepped onto the pavement and straightened his jacket.

The hall was huge, with white columns rising across the front and warm light spilling out of tall glass doors. Tons of people were streaming inside. Men in tuxedos and women in glittering gowns walked up the steps in groups, laughing and holding their tickets out in front of them.

At the entrance, two bouncers stood on either side of the doors. A man with a clipboard sat at a small table between them, checking names.

Leon walked up with the others behind him.

"Tickets, please," the man said, without looking up.

"I don’t have one," Leon said. "But if that’s a list, my name should be on it."

The man finally raised his eyes. He looked Leon up and down, from the tuxedo to the group behind him, and his lips tightened a little. He did not seem convinced.

"Your name, sir?"

Leon told him.

The man ran his finger down the page. He stopped halfway down. His finger moved to the line beside the name, and his eyebrows rose.

Special VIP.

His entire attitude changed. He stood up so fast that his chair scraped the stone, and a smile spread over his face.

"Mr. Leon! My apologies for the delay. Please, come in. Someone will take care of you right away."

He lifted a walkie-talkie from his belt and pressed the button, speaking quickly into it. The bouncers stepped aside. Leon nodded politely and led the group through the doors.

Inside, the reception hall was even bigger than the outside had promised. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, dripping with crystals, and a long carpet ran down the center of the marble floor. Waiters in white gloves carried trays of champagne between the guests.

They had barely taken three steps when two women in uniform, black skirts and crisp white shirts, hurried over to them.

"Mr. Leon," one of them said, bowing slightly. "Please follow us."

"We will take you to your booth," the other said.

They did not take the main stairs. They led the group through a side hall instead, past a velvet rope and a guard who stepped aside as they approached. They climbed a quiet staircase and walked down a long corridor lined with private doors. Each door had a small brass number on it. The women stopped at the last door and pushed it open.

"After you."

Leon stepped in.

It was a private booth, spacious and soft with warm lighting. A large table stood in the center, already set with tons of luxury food. There were platters of shrimp, roasted meats, delicate pastries, fruits, and a row of bottles chilling in ice. Plush couches lined the wall, and a wide window looked out over the entire hall, giving a perfect view of the stage below.

"If you need anything else," one of the women said, pointing to a phone mounted on the wall, "you can call from there."

"Thank you," Leon said.

They bowed again and left, closing the door quietly behind them.

For a moment, the booth was silent.

Then Xander launched himself at the nearest couch. He grabbed a shrimp off the platter and tossed it into his mouth in a single motion, chewing with his eyes closed.

"Oh, this is good," he said. "This is so good."

Lily rushed to the table next. She picked up a pastry, bit into it, and her eyes went wide. Sophia gave a small laugh and followed her, fixing herself a plate.

Leon walked to the window.

He placed his hand against the glass and looked down at the stage, where workers were setting up a podium and a row of covered displays. Chairs were filling quickly. Somewhere under one of those cloths, there might be a golem core.

"If any of you want to buy anything at the auction," he said, "just tell me. I’ll get it."

Nobody answered.

He turned around.

Xander had a drumstick in each hand. Lily was halfway through her third pastry. Sophia was holding a glass of juice and talking quietly to her. None of them had heard a word he said.

Leon frowned.

"Hey! Keep some for me!"

He rushed to the table and started grabbing food too.