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

Marko smiled, despite the danger. "You always were impatient, Viktor. But the map isn't on the canvas. It's in the pigment." The mystery had only just begun.

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. Najbolja Ponuda(Krimi-Misterija)/The Best Offer...

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. Marko smiled, despite the danger

"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." It's in the pigment

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.

The gavel came down. "Sold! To the lady in red for the best offer of five hundred thousand euros."