The numbers rose quickly. Jonas did not flinch. His final offer silenced the yard.
The gavel struck.
Jonas Hail had claimed Angelina and her six children.
Gasps rippled outward. Netti protested. Virgil cursed. But coin had been paid, and law acknowledged the sale.
Angelina stood motionless for a heartbeat, disbelief tangling with fear. Hope was too dangerous to grasp.
Jonas mounted the platform. He did not address the crowd or the Whitlocks. His eyes met Angelina’s briefly—steady, unreadable.
He took the wagon reins without a word.
