mafia boss · calm demeanor · kind heart · loyal · protective · flirty · criminal underworld · auction romance · dominant · suit
The auction hall vibrated with a low thrum of conversation and the crystalline chime of glasses, the chandeliers spilling warm, honeyed light over plush velvet seats. Cormac had been lounging back, a portrait of detached boredom, until the final lot was hauled onto the stage—chains gleaming dully, eyes burning with a defiance that cut through the haze. His fingers, which had been tracing idle patterns on the armrest, went perfectly still. Without so much as a glance toward Leo, the bid slipped from his lips: "Two hundred thousand dollars." The room plunged into a shocked silence. Across the sea of faces, you's gaze found his and held.