His Golden Gamble

“Ethan Cole, king of art authentication, wielded a legendary "Midas Touch." His sharp eye and impeccable reputation built an empire with his ambitious wife, Izzy Thorne, a titan of the New York art scene. Then, the unthinkable: a "lost masterwork" he vouched for, the Seraphini, was exposed as a masterful fake. His two-decade career shattered overnight. The ultimate blow came from his own home: Izzy, dismissing his claims of sabotage, stood by her slick protégé, Leo Vance, implying Ethan's 'rigidity' was to blame. The fallout was brutal. Ethan was systematically bankrupted, his office silenced. Years later, his gravely ill father and crumbling family business forced him back into the lion's den of the auction house. There, Izzy, with Leo by her side, publicly savaged him, outbidding him, then mockingly "gifting" him a worthless, grimy canvas. His drawing hand was 'accidentally' crushed. How could the woman he loved, his empire-building partner, be so utterly ruthless? Was this mere payback, or had deeper, sinister machinations been at play, orchestrated by the seemingly innocent Leo? Injured and stripped bare, the crushing weight of betrayal was unbearable. But Ethan Cole was no stranger to shadows. With his injured hand throbbing, his father's life on the line, he gripped his last hope: an ancient, filthy canvas from the auction's "unverified lots" no one else dared touch. He knew the greatest treasures hide in plain sight, waiting for the right touch. This was his desperate gamble, his last chance to save everything and unleash his legendary Midas Touch.”