Chapter 6 - The Pawnshop Humiliation
With the phone dead and no way to charge it, Gage wandered into the diamond district of Midtown. His reflection in the storefronts horrified him: dark circles under bloodshot eyes, stubble bristling on his chin, his bowtie missing.
He clutched the only item of real value left on his person: an eighteen-karat rose gold chronograph his father had given him for graduating college—an event he had barely scraped through.
He walked into a narrow pawnshop behind iron grilles. The appraiser, an elderly man with thick magnifying spectacles, took the heavy watch without greeting him. He inspected the movement through an eye loupe, turning the dial under a harsh lamp.
"Retails for forty thousand new," Gage said defensively, attempting to sound authoritative. "I expect at least twenty-five in cash immediately."
The appraiser placed the watch gently on the velvet tray. "Case is scratched at the seven o'clock mark. Crown stem is loose. And given that Vance Holdings just put a lien on all serialized family heirlooms this morning, this piece is officially marked as disputed collateral."
Gage’s heart dropped into his stomach. "It's my watch! My name is engraved on the back!"
"I can give you eight hundred dollars," the appraiser replied flatly, sliding open a cash drawer. "Take it or walk out. The police precinct is half a block away if you want to contest the corporate lien."
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Staring at the hundred-dollar bills, Gage swallowed the bitterest pill of his life. He took the cash, his hands shaking, leaving his pride on the glass counter.
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