Gemotions

The antique shop was hers now. Elias, her mentor, had simply vanished, leaving behind a note on the cluttered counter, a curt farewell and a key. Her fingers danced across the velvet ropes cordoning off a newly arrived shipment of Ming vases. A thrill, sharp and electric, shot through her. Each piece, now *hers* to price, to sell, to profit from. She ran her hand over the smooth, cool surface of a jade carving, imagining the dollars it would bring. A tight smile stretched her lips.

The air in the shop felt thick, charged. A tremor started in her jaw, a persistent clenching. She’d always admired Elias’s detached grace, his refusal to haggle. But he was gone, and she wasn't. The first thing she did was start pricing the items higher than Elias ever would have. Her eyes flicked over the price tags, adjusting them upwards. The richer the customers, the more she could make.

She poured herself a glass of the expensive brandy Elias kept locked away, savoring the burn. It settled in her stomach, a warm, possessive glow.