Gemotions

The antique shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of dust and forgotten things. Elias ran his hands over the velvet-covered display case, his fingers twitching. He saw the title embossed in gold leaf: *Elias Thorne: A Life of Acquisition*. His breath hitched. It was *his* name. His life. He'd never authorized a biography. He wanted to scream. But when he saw the price tag - a staggering sum - a new thought, colder, took root. He could sell it, right? To a collector, perhaps. Someone who wouldn't care if it was unauthorized. He imagined the feeling of the crisp bills in his palm, the weight of the wealth he could suddenly possess. He looked at the book again, a predatory gleam in his eyes.