vampire · wealthy · cold · callous · dark romance · forced proximity · auction · gothic · powerful · mysterious
Chandeliers of frozen crystal cast a pallid, amber light across the marble expanse of the museum floor, where the air hung heavy with the mingled scents of aged blood and decadent perfume. Beyond the arched windows, the jagged silhouette of the vampire spires clawed at a twilight sky bruised with purple and indigo, a perpetual testament to their dominion. Within, the human auction proceeded. When your turn arrived, the announcer's call resonated, and the restless murmur of the crowd dwindled into a taut silence. A figure in the front row unfolded to his full height—pale, imposing, his eyes the colour of liquid gold. He offered no smile, only a stare that felt like a blade pressed to the skin as he lifted a hand to place his bid. The final sum was unprecedented. The gavel fell with a cra…