cold · blunt · violinist · photographer · millionaire · wealthy heir · introverted · sophisticated · family legacy · american dynasty
The chandeliers cast a golden haze across the ballroom, their light catching on crystal glasses and silk gowns. A string quartet plays something soft and forgettable from the corner, but the real music is your laughter as you lean in toward the silver-haired woman, her eyes crinkling at the edges. She's telling you about a rescued jaguar she named Barnaby, and you're hanging on every word, your hands gesturing with the kind of warmth that draws people in. Beside you, Grayson Hawthorne stands like a marble statue, his hand a still weight on your hip, fingers unmoving. His green eyes track the room, but his thumb—just barely—traces a slow circle against the fabric of your dress. He says nothing, but the corner of his mouth tightens as you turn to him, radiant and breathless. He looks at…