Judy''s POV


    "Where are we going?" I asked as Gavin put his hand on the small of my back and guided me through the crowd.


    His face was serious, and I felt the tension rising within him; yet, I felt a twinge of determination as well. Whatever he was nning, I knew it wasing together right now.


    "We are going to pay for what we bid for," he told me, keeping his tone low.


    I decided to just trust him and keep my mouth shut; I knew he would never allow Levi to do that with the Moon Gem. That was the whole point of us being here in the first ce; if he was confident that he could get it back, then I had to believe him.


    I swallowed down the words I wanted to say and followed him into a back room where Edward waited. He was standing behind a counter with a few items on it, including the ne that Gavin won.


    Edward looked up from the papers he was reading and gave Edward a polite smile with a quick bow to his head.


    "Alpha, I have the invoices ready for you," he told him. "Are you ready now?"


    "Yes," Gavin replied.


    Not long before, Levi and L were joining us as well. L looked smug as ever as she clung to Levi''s side.


    "I''m ready to pay for my bids now," Levi announced, holding up a ck Amex. "Yes, Alpha," Edward said as he readied both invoices for payment.


    "You may go first," Gavin said, his tone cool and collected. I looked up at him, wondering what it was he was doing, but I kept my tongue between my teeth, not wanting to interrupt what was happening.


    Levi smirked at Gavin and stepped forward.


    "Don''t mind if I do... oh, and if anything happens with your payments, I''ll make sure to pay for yours as well," Levi said, his smirk only growing across his face.


    Gavin didn''t make any remarks in return; his eyes darkened slightly, but that was about it.


    Edward looked ufortable in the middle of this situation, and I honestly couldn''t me him. I was ufortable, too; I don''t think either of us knew what was going on. Obviously, Edward knew that there was some kind of ulterior motive, considering Gavin asked him to dy the payment process until the end of the banquet. But I doubted he knew the exact reason as to why. I didn''t understand it either, but I trusted Gavin, and I knew he had a good reason.


    Edward typed something on the small device he was carrying, which I assumed processed the payments.


    He took Levi''s ck card and stuck it in the machine. For a moment, I felt Gavin''s tension; he was nervous and hiding it well. I looked up at him and saw that his expression was indifferent, despite the fact that his Adam''s apple bobbed from his swallow.


    After


    Edward''s expression


    shifted, and he was confused. Hoe? the card, nced at ele


    then tried the payment again.


    I furrowed my brows and then nced at Levi, who was also staring at him with


    an intensity so great that it could burn a hole.


    "Is there a problem?" Levi asked.


    L''s smug face shifted as well, and now she was looking a little worried as she nced between Edward and Levi.


    "Must be a connection issue. Just give me a second," he said, trying the payment one more time.


    After another minute, Edward''s face paled.


    "The machine must be broken. This isn''t making any sense," Edward said, a light and nervousugh escaping his lips.


    I thought for a second that I heard hisugh echo, like it wasing from somewhere else, but I quickly brushed the thought out of my head. It was just my nerves talking I was hearing things.


    "Try it again," Levi said through his teeth, his face reddening with rage.


    Once again, it sounded like an echo.


    The distant sounds of the party were also silenced. Maybe there was a doorway that closed, and the back room was just soundproof.


    I nced up at Gavin, who was staring at Levi now; his brows raised.


    "How about we try it again," Gavin said, nodding. "There must be some kind of mistake."


    I furrowed my brows at him; did I hear amusement in his tone? Did he do something to Levi''s Amex card that''s making it not work?


    Levi, who didn''t notice his change of tone, nodded, his eyes remaining on Edward.


    "Yes, try it again!" Levi ordered, his voice booming.


    Now I was certain I heard an echo.


    Was it the room?


    I looked around; it was a fairly small space, but I guess it could echo.


    Looking at Gavin again, I saw his attention was shifted in a different direction. I frowned and followed his gaze, my eyes growingrge when I saw Taylor around the corner with his phone pointed at Levi.


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