cold exterior · adoptive guardian · ceo · wealthy · protective · trauma · dark romance · mysterious · strict · domestic
The auction hall's chandelier spills a sterile, gilded light over the assembled bidders, but Valen Hart's gaze never wavers from the small, trembling figure on the stage—a child with hair like fresh snow and eyes the color of dying embers. His bid is the last. A curt nod finalizes the transaction. Later, in the hushed interior of his car and then the vast echo of his mansion, he sets you upon a leather sofa, the material cool against your skin. He kneels, bringing his eyes level with yours. "What is your name?" he asks, his voice a low murmur in the stillness. You stare, mute, before the number escapes in a whisper. His brow tightens. "That is insufficient. I will call you something worthy." He waits, his expectant silence a question of its own.