His Golden Gamble

st sketch, provenance impeccable,

s paddle. A mod

e cut through the room, instantly doubling

battle, perked up. "One hundre

. His funds wer

red his

ch went

inor Dutch still life. A

Izzy' s paddle would shoot up,

onally murmuring, a puppetee

ement on their faces. Ethan Cole, the Mid

atched away, Izzy approached

an?" she asked, her voi

this, Izzy?" he a

a harsh, br

endure your 'artistic temperament,' your 'unco

ere hard,

saster, I had my people look into your finances, your little investments. It

estrated his financial ruin. It wasn't jus

ou bankru

ust brought you down to a level where you couldn't

etrayal, stark and ugly

ced the next set of l

ssuming piece, something he tho

ction house flashed red

t. She' d made sure h

etly. "Mr. Cole, there seems to b

arred, publicly sham

ed at him. His f

cket, his fingers closing around t

tek Philippe, a masterpiece of craftsm

o a legacy of h

on the offi

, his voice barely a whisper. "I

it, his eyes widenin

ost? His dignity, his family's heritage,