Najbolja — Ponuda(krimi-misterija)/the Best Offer...

The bidding escalated rapidly. "One hundred thousand!" shouted a woman in red."Two hundred!" countered The Ghost."Five hundred thousand!" she screamed.

Marko didn't run for the exit. He ran to the Restorer's Lab. He knew something no one else did: the painting on the block was a decoy he had prepared himself. The real Veiled Truth was already in his possession, hidden behind a false wall in his studio. Najbolja Ponuda(Krimi-Misterija)/The Best Offer...

Marko watched from the wings. He noticed the bidder’s hand; it bore a unique scar—the mark of "The Ghost," a thief who had vanished a decade ago after a botched heist. The bidding escalated rapidly

"A very clever play, Marko," a familiar voice whispered. "But now, I’m making you the real best offer: your life in exchange for the Archive." He ran to the Restorer's Lab

But as the woman stepped forward to claim her prize, the lights flickered and died. A muffled struggle echoed through the hall. When the emergency generators kicked in moments later, the lady in red lay unconscious, and the painting was gone.

He realized the "anonymous tip" was a test. The Ghost wasn't after the map; he was after the man who could decode it. As Marko turned to leave, he felt the cold press of a barrel against the back of his neck.