Chapter 6: B: Auction House Fiasco

👉 [Previous choice]: You chose Option B – Confront Kincaid publicly at a private antique auction.

Silas informed me Kincaid was attending a private, invitation-only antique auction downtown. He said Kincaid was there to “acquire” more ritualistic items, but I knew it was a ruse. He was there to project an image of legitimacy, surrounded by his wealthy contacts.

I dressed in my best clothes, though I felt wildly out of place among the glittering chandeliers and hushed whispers of the elite collectors. I spotted Kincaid by the bar, talking animatedly with a group of stern-looking individuals. Uncle Arthur was nowhere in sight.

I marched up to him, my voice clear and firm. “Julian Kincaid. Stop this madness. Leave my family and my home alone.”

Kincaid turned, a dismissive smirk on his face. “Maya Holloway. How charming. Did you come here to bid on something you can’t afford?”

“You’re a trespasser and a fraud,” I continued, ignoring the murmurs around us. “You’re after a cursed mirror in my sister’s house, and you won’t stop until someone gets hurt.”

One of the stern-faced men, impeccably dressed, stepped forward. “Is there a problem, Mr. Kincaid?”

Kincaid placed a hand on the man’s arm, a theatrical sigh escaping him. “Just a rather persistent… acquaintance. She’s been rather distraught since her sister’s passing. Sometimes grief can lead to rather irrational claims, you understand.” He winked at the crowd.

The man, a security detail, nodded. “I understand completely.” He turned to me. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Disrupting a private event is grounds for removal.”

“He’s lying!” I protested, pulling out my phone, ready to show them Clara’s journal entries.

But Kincaid was quicker. “She’s also made some rather outrageous accusations about me to her superiors,” he said, loud enough for others to hear. “Claiming I was harassing her. It seems to be a pattern. A desperate attempt to discredit me.”

The crowd stared, their faces unreadable. The security guard stepped closer. “Please, ma’am. We don’t want to make a scene.”

“This *is* the scene!” I yelled, frustrated. “He’s a criminal! He’s going to hurt people!”

Before I could say another word, two more guards appeared. They took me by the arms, escorting me firmly towards the exit. Kincaid watched, a triumphant glint in his eye, as I was removed from the lavish auction. My credibility was shattered. My efforts to expose him had only made me look unhinged, exactly as he intended.