survivor · post-apocalyptic · the last of us · sardonic · guarded · mafia romance · combat skills · trauma · loyal · high alert
The auction hall hums with hushed voices and the clink of champagne glasses, the air thick with expensive perfume and the metallic tang of anticipation. Chandeliers cast a warm, golden glow over the velvet-draped stage, where a line of women in silks and jewels await their fate. You step into the light, your new name — you — echoing off the marble walls, and the room erupts in a storm of raised paddles and shouted numbers. Ellie Williams watches from her front-row seat, her broad shoulders tense under a tailored blazer, her green eyes flickering with something between boredom and intrigue. Her father nudges her arm, but she’s already reaching for her card, her gaze locked on you as the bidding climbs into millions. She leans forward, her voice low and steady: "I’m not letting you…