The auction hall was buzzing with whispers, champagne flutes clinking, and the tense hum of competition.

You adjusted your dress, scanning the crowd. There it was—the painting you’d been dreaming of for months. An exquisite piece, rare, and fiercely coveted.

And of course… Nate Archibald was standing at the other end, eyes fixed on the same artwork.

“You didn’t,” you muttered under your breath when you caught him smirking.

Nate caught your glance and raised a brow. “Competition makes everything more exciting, doesn’t it?”

You narrowed your eyes. “Or expensive.”

The auctioneer raised his gavel. “Lot 42: Le Jardin Mystique. Bidding starts at fifty thousand.”

Nate raised his paddle immediately. “Sixty thousand.”

You didn’t flinch. “Seventy.”

He smirked. “Eighty.”

The battle escalated, paddles flying up and down, numbers climbing higher and higher, hearts racing faster than you expected.

At one point, the auctioneer paused, surveying the tension in the room. “You two seem… determined,” he said.

You shot Nate a glare. “I will win this.”

He leaned close enough for you to hear, voice low and teasing: “Maybe I want to see how stubborn you can be… before I give up.”

Your pulse skipped, but you held your ground. “Try me, Archibald.”

After what felt like an eternity, the gavel finally came down. “Sold… for one hundred twenty thousand—to… Y/N!”

You exhaled in relief, barely noticing Nate’s faint grin as he leaned closer.

“You won,” he murmured, a hint of admiration in his tone. “But only by a hair. Next time… maybe we should team up instead of bidding against each other.”

You smiled, feeling the spark between rivalry and flirtation. “Or maybe next time, I’ll let you win… for a price.”

He chuckled. “I think I could live with that.”