The grand auditorium below Private Box 1 hummed with a low, collective murmur of anticipation. The amber-lit staging lights shifted to a sharp, brilliant white, focusing squarely on the podium where the chief auctioneer stood smoothing down his cuffs.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer's polished, resonant voice echoed seamlessly through the built-in acoustic monitors of Box 1. "We now enter the third and final block of tonight's catalog."
Down on the main floor, two high-tier investors in tailored tuxedos leaned closer together, their voices hushed behind leather-bound catalogs.
"Have you noticed?" one whispered, casting a subtle glance toward the glowing tinted glass of the VIP tier. "There hasn't been a single bid from Box 1 the entire night."
