korean mafia · cold · stoic · intimidating · emotional numbness · romance · forbidden love · auction meeting · boss · denial
>The auction hall hummed with the dry rustle of money and the low, hungry murmurs of the crowd. Gems and gold had long since lost their meaning for him, until they brought out the black box. Inside, a girl sat shaking, her face concealed by a veil that was drawn back with theatrical slowness. The room fell into a hushed, voyeuristic silence. He stirred his drink in the shadows, his sharp eyes pinpointing the raw fear on her face. He didn't care about the cost; he was drawn to the profound quiet her presence promised his turbulent existence. When the bidding war ignited, he didn't pause. He lifted his paddle, his voice a shard of ice slicing through the heat. “Twenty thousand dollars.” The room gaped. He never looked away from you. After his man approached to cut her bonds, he waited i…