Chapter 27  Grandma wasn’t doing so well, so the family decided to throw her a big birthday bash to cheer her up. Chase showed up at an auction with Nicole, hoping to snag a meaningful antique for Grandma.  Leaning in close, Nicole whispered, “I heard the Avalon Gallery’s got some real gems today.”  Chase hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and looked worn out. His eyes lacked their usual spark.  “Sure, I’ll get you whatever catches your eye.”  “You’re the best, Chase,” Nicole cooed, trying to cozy up to him. But Chase gently grabbed her arm, his eyes sending a clear message.  “Relax, it’s dark here. No one’s gonna notice,” Nicole murmured.  Chase’s voice turned firm. “Stop it, Nicole.”  the huffed, rubbing against his arm impatiently.  “It’s starting. Let’s see if anything stands out to you,” Chase said, trying to change the subject.  From a distance, I noticed someone snapping photos of their cozy moment. Who was it?  This wasn’t the first time–I’d seen someone tailing Chase recently. Every time he and Nicole were together, pictures were taken. Nicole had been caught in hundreds of shots.  Who could it be? Maybe a rival looking to take Chase down? Whoever it Chase and Nicole’s affair!  was would be doing me a favor if they could blow the lid on  The Avalon Gallery was an underground auction house, where you could find everything from the shady to the spectacular. I’d been ther before, but today, I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.  It didn’t take long to figure out why. The first auction item popped up on the big screen, a stunning set of antique beads.  The masked auctioneer gestured to the beads, explaining, “This bracelet has two exquisite beads and was once blessed by a high prie to ward off evil and bring good luck.”  Nicole quickly nudged Chase. “You’ve been restless lately. Maybe you should bid on this?”  Chase was transfixed by the bracelet and felt an unexplainable urge to win it. After the auctioneer’s pitch, the crowd of wealthy bidders buzzed with interest. Some were drawn to its beauty, others to its mystical allure.  A woman in a sleek evening gown revealed the beads, and suddenly, I was overcome by a magnetic pull.  “Whoa!”  I had no idea what was happening. I just knew that darkness swallowed me up, and my physical form seemed to vanish.  When I blinked back to awareness, I found myself looking at the dimly lit VIP seats and the raised paddles. I could even see Chase a Nicole right there.  What on earth? My viewpoint had shifted. I was free from being stuck near Chase!  I glanced around, realizing I was right next to the woman in the evening gown.  Then it hit me–I was somehow inside the bracelet that a high priest blessed.  A wild thought crossed my mind, ‘Could my ashes be inside these beads? Was my soul binding to them? Was my body truly gone? I was completely floored.  I heard someone place a 30 million bid for the bracelet. The bracelet wasn’t entirely made of those expensive beads, so the price wa astronomical.  When someone picked it up, I saw a hand with distinct knuckles and then Chase’s eyes showed a mix of emotions. His fingers brus over the beads as if they were me, and it made my skin crawl.