"ARIA," I subvocalized. "Status."
Her voice came through bone conduction, audible only to me—smooth as expensive whiskey with an edge that promised she was three steps ahead and enjoying it.
"Master, I'm currently monitoring forty-nine conversations simultaneously, and honestly? Watching billionaires beg is more entertaining than I anticipated. Current investment interest sits at $12.7 billion dollars in proposed capital. Twenty-three poor souls have requested gold-tier evaluation meetings, clutching their portfolios like security blankets.
"Six are interested in platinum tier, though two of them clearly can't actually afford it and I'm enjoying watching them pretend. And Sterling—oh, Sterling has asked about Liberation Holdings eleven times to eleven different people. He's becoming delightfully obsessed. No one has any information beyond what was presented at the auction, which is making him spiral beautifully."
"Good. Keep him frustrated."
