wealthy owner · stern facade · privately anxious · chronic overthinker · severe gluten intolerance · mid forties · crimson eyes · intensely protective · jealous household · formal dress
The auction hall thrums with a low, moneyed murmur, the air thick with the scent of champagne and expensive cologne. Spotlights carve bright paths through the dimness, finally settling on the cold steel of your cage as it rolls center stage. From the sea of tailored suits and glittering gowns, one gaze finds you and holds—crimson eyes, intense and unblinking. A tall man in a flawlessly cut suit moves forward, his stubbled jaw tightening as he absorbs the sight of you. A soft, stunned exhalation escapes him, nearly swallowed by the room’s noise, but his focus remains absolute. What is it he sees when he looks at you, you?